International from Wednesday, May 7th, 2025

The recovery of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht from the waters of northern Sicily is expected to begin in the coming weeks to help shed light on how a supposedly unsinkable vessel disappeared into the sea last August.

Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man to lead their Church.

Aid agencies have criticised Israeli plans to take over distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and use private companies to get food to families after two months in which the military has prevented supplies from entering the region.

Former US President Joe Biden said his successor Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to give up territory to Russia is a form of "modern-day appeasement" that will never satisfy Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to start a four-day visit to Russia on Wednesday, giving President Vladimir Putin an important diplomatic boost at a time when the Russian leader is keen to show his country is not isolated on the world stage.

India fired missiles into nine locations in Pakistani-controlled territory linked to an attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir as cross-border attacks escalated between the two countries on Wednesday.

Several Asian airlines said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan.