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CHAKOTHI, Pakistan — As an uneasy calm settled over villages on the Pakistan side of contested Kashmir on Sunday, families returned to their own beds but were sure to leave their bunkers stocked.

More than 60 people were killed in four days of intense conflict between arch-rivals Pakistan and India before a US-brokered truce was announced on Saturday.

At heart of the hostilities is Kashmir, a mountainous Muslim-majority region divided between the two countries but claimed in full by both, and where the heaviest casualties are often reported.

On the Pakistan side of the heavily militarised de facto border, known as the Line of Control (LoC), families wearied by decades of sporadic firing began to return home -- for now.

"I have absolutely no faith in India; I believe it will strike again. For people living in this area, it's crucial to build protective bunkers near their homes," said Kala Khan, a resident of Chakothi which overlooks the Neelum River that separates the two sides and from where they can see Indian military posts.

His eight-member family sheltered through the night and parts of the day under the 20-inch-thick concrete roofs of two bunkers.

"Whenever there was Indian shelling, I would take my family into it," he said of the past few days.

"We've stored mattresses, flour, rice, other food supplies, and even some valuable belongings in there."

According to an administrative officer in the region, more than a thousand bunkers have been built along the LoC, around a third by the government, to protect civilians from Indian shelling.

'No guarantee' 

Pakistan and India have fought several wars over Kashmir, and India has long battled an insurgency on its side by militant groups fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing the militants, including an attack on tourists in April which sparked the latest conflict.

Pakistan said it was not involved and called for an independent investigation.

Limited firing overnight between Saturday and Sunday made some families hesitant to return to their homes on the LoC.

In Chakothi, nestled among lush green mountains, surrounded by an abundance of walnut trees at the foothills, half of the 300 shops were closed and few people ventured onto the streets.

"I've been living on the LoC for 50 years. Ceasefires are announced, but after a few days the firing starts again," said Muhammad Munir, a 53-year-old government employee in Chakothi.

It is the poor who suffer most from the endless uncertainty and hunt for safety along the LoC, he said, adding: "There's no guarantee that this latest ceasefire will hold -- we're certain of that."

When clashes broke out, Kashif Minhas, 25, a construction worker in Chakothi, desperately searched for a vehicle to move his wife and three children away from the fighting.

"I had to walk several kilometres before finally getting one and moving my family," he told AFP.

"In my view, the current ceasefire between India and Pakistan is just a formality. There's still a risk of renewed firing, and if it happens again, I'll move my family out once more."

A senior administrative officer stationed in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir where a mosque was struck by an Indian missile killing three people, told AFP there had been no reports of firing since Sunday morning.

'Serious doubts' 

In Indian-administered Kashmir, hundreds of thousands of people who had evacuated also began to cautiously return home after heavy Pakistani shelling -- many expressing the same fears as on the Pakistani side.

The four-day conflict struck deep into both countries, reaching major cities for the first time in decades -- with the majority of deaths in Pakistan, and almost all civilians.

Chakothi taxi driver Muhammad Akhlaq said the ceasefire was "no guarantee of lasting peace".

"I have serious doubts about it because the core issue that fuels hostility between the two countries still remains unresolved -- and that issue is Kashmir," said the 56-year-old.

BERLIN —Thousands of people protested against the far right across Germany on Sunday, as the AfD party appeals a decision to label it an "extremist" group.

Germany's domestic intelligence service last week labelled the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party a "right-wing extremist" group, accusing it of seeking to undermine the country's democracy.

It suspended the classification while AfD's appeal of the measure moves through the courts.

On Sunday anti-AfD demonstrators marched in 60 localities across Germany, following a call by the "Together against the Right" group.

In Berlin 3,000 protesters gathered in front of the famed Brandenburg gate, according to the police. Organisers put the turnout at 7,000.

"Together against fascism," they chanted.

"AfD is not a normal party and should not be treated as such," the organiser group said on its website. "It is now time to seriously examine banning the party."

The AfD however has been growing in popularity. In February's elections it came second only to the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives.

It says the intelligence service decision against it is politically motivated.

CHICLAYO, PERU — Thousands of Catholics gathered on Saturday for an outdoor mass in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, who for years lived, ate and prayed among them.

The first American head of the Catholic Church spent nine years in the commercial hub along the Pacific coast, where he is claimed as one of their one.

Chiclayo "is a simple town that he loved deeply and that he continues to carry in his heart," Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfan told a packed congregation at St Mary's Cathedral.

Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, first set foot in Peru four decades ago as a missionary.

He returned to the city in 2014 and the following year was named bishop, becoming a naturalized Peruvian citizen in the process.

He remained there until he was summoned to Rome by his predecessor, the late pope Francis, in 2023.

In his first address from the Vatican on Thursday, Leo briefly greeted his "beloved diocese of Chiclayo" in Spanish and paid homage to his "faithful people."

Seven thousand miles away, many in the city could hardly believe "el obispo" is the new pope.

"There are no words to explain the emotion, the feeling that our pope has been here, close to us," said Rosa Maria Bernadese, a 57-year-old teaching assistant, who joined the celebration at St Mary's Cathedral.

Amid a sea of yellow balloons, some faithful waved pictures from Leo's time as a bishop. One held a sign that read: "Papa Leo XIV, Chiclayo will always be your home".

"Papa amigo, Chiclayo esta contigo (Pope, my friend, Chiclayo is with you)," they chanted as applause broke out.

Bishop Farfan described Leo as "deeply sensitive to social justice" and praised his "big heart" and closeness to the poor, migrants, refugees and "those who suffer."

"The city of friendship, the city of the Eucharist, accompanied the Holy Father Leo XIV in his pilgrimage so that he may now accompany and guide the universal Church from Chiclayo, from Latin America, the continent of hope for the whole world," he added.

From the front row of the mass, Maria Elena Laboriano, 45, said: "We are very happy that the current pope is a Chiclayan."

Others expressed joy that the pope has cast an international spotlight on Chiclayo, where they hope he will return.

"For sure, we will extend an invitation for him to come and visit us," Farfan said.

ISTANBUL / KYIV — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told Russian and French leaders that a "historic turning point" has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and that Ankara was ready to host talks between the two warring parties, his office said.

NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks aimed at ending the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he expected Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, adding that Kyiv was "ready" to meet Russia for direct truce talks if it did so.

His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul but did not address the 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Erdogan welcomed the Russian leader's statement that peace talks should resume in Istanbul where they left off, in a phone call with Putin on Sunday, his office announced.

He told Putin that "Turkey is ready to host negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting solution," according to his office.

Erdogan also said that "a window of opportunity has opened for reaching peace, and that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks."

'Window of opportunity'

The Turkish leader also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Kyiv on Saturday with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Poland.

The leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland pressured Russia , with US President Donald Trump's support,  to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting from Monday.

In a phone call, Erdogan told Macron that "a historic turning point has been reached in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized, and that Turkey is ready to provide all kinds of support, including hosting negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace," the Turkish presidency said.

Paris confirmed the phone call between the two leaders took place.

On May 5, Trump said he wanted to work with Erdogan to end the Ukraine war, after the two leaders spoke by telephone.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took part in a meeting on Saturday of European countries supporting Ukraine.

According to a Turkish diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous, Fidan said: "Turkey is ready to undertake its duty in observing the ceasefire if it is established."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that he expects Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday and that Kyiv was "ready" for direct talks with Russia.

Zelensky spoke hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul this month, but did not commit to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by European leaders and backed by the US.

"There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire , full, lasting and reliable , starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky also spoke hopefully about Russia considering to end the three-year-old war, which started with Moscow's 2022 invasion.

"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war," Zelensky said.

"The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire."

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he expects Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, adding that Kyiv was "ready" to meet Russia for direct truce talks.

Zelensky said so after Russia's Vladimir Putin called on Kyiv to meet in Istanbul for talks on May 12 at a nighttime press conference in the Kremlin -- but did not commit to a ceasefire.

On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday the leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland pressured Russia -- with US President Donald Trump's support -- to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting from Monday.

Russia's invasion has dragged on for more than three years and killed thousands of people.

"There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire -- full, lasting and reliable -- starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," Zelensky said on social media.

Sounding a rare note of optimism, the Ukrainian leader likewise said he saw positive signals from Russia.

"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war," Zelensky said.

"The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire."

Kyiv and its Western allies have argued that an unconditional ceasefire would be the only way to help find a diplomatic solution to the three-year conflict -- Europe's worst since World War II.

Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks since the start of Moscow's invasion in February 2022.

Since the Kremlin ordered troops into Ukraine, communication channels between the two sides have only been open for exchanges of prisoners of war and the bodies of the fallen.

Putin suggests talks, quiet on ceasefire 

Hours earlier, at a press conference held at almost 1 am (2200 GMT) in the Kremlin, Putin had responded to the Europeans' ultimatum.

"We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions," he said.

"We propose to start [negotiations] without delay on Thursday May 15 in Istanbul," Putin said, adding that he would talk to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan soon to ask for his help in making the talks happen.

"We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire," Putin said.

 But he also accused Ukraine's Western backers of wanting to "continue war with Russia" and -- without mentioning the specific Ukraine-European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire -- slammed European "ultimatums" and "anti-Russian rhetoric".

On his return from Ukraine, French leader Emmanuel Macron accused Putin of wanting to "buy time" with his address.

US President Donald Trump, however, said it was a "potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine" and vowed to work with both sides to end fighting.

Kyiv on Sunday also accused Moscow of launching more than 100 drones on Ukraine, after a Russian-announced 72-hour ceasefire had ended at midnight on Saturday.

Kyiv had not reported any drone attacks since Thursday, when the ceasefire came into effect, although it did accuse Moscow of violating the truce hundreds of times.

Russia also accused Ukraine of not observing the ceasefire.

"On the night of May 11 (from 2:00 am on May 11), the enemy attacked with 108 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones," Kyiv's air force said, adding that it had downed 60 of them.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Thursday for the world to "build bridges" and for peace for "all peoples", as he addressed the crowds in St Peter's Square following his election.

The new pontiff urged people to "build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace", before paying homage to his predecessor, Pope Francis

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN — Pakistan's army said Thursday it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border.

At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday's violence, including children.

Pakistan's military said in a statement Thursday that it had "so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones" at multiple location across the country.

"Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations," Pakistan's military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said from the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi, where a drone was downed.

"One managed to engage in a military target near Lahore," he said, adding that four troops in the city were injured.

He earlier said the operation was ongoing.

One civilian was killed and another injured in Sindh as a result of the drone incidents.

Crowds gathered at crash sites, some close to army installations, to gaze at the debris.

Blasts could be heard across Lahore.

The Civil Aviation Authority said Karachi airport was closed until 6 pm , while Islamabad and Lahore were briefly shut "for operational reasons".

Pakistan and Indian have fought several wars over the Muslim-majority disputed region of Kashmir , divided between the two but claimed in full by both.

"We will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs," Sharif said, in an address to the nation.

 'Right to respond'

Speaking after the Wednesday missile strike, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said New Delhi had a "right to respond" following an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir last month, when gunmen killed 26 people, mainly Hindu men.

New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a UN-designated terrorist organisation for the Pahalgam shooting, and the nations traded days of threats and diplomatic measures.

Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation into the April 22 attack.

India said on Wednesday it had destroyed nine "terrorist camps" in Pakistan in "focused, measured and non-escalatory" strikes.

Islamabad said Wednesday that 31 civilians were killed by Indian strikes and firing along the border.

New Delhi said 13 civilians and a soldier had been killed by Pakistani fire.

Pakistan's military also said five Indian jets had been downed across the border, but New Delhi has not responded to the claims.

An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory.

'Screamed'

The largest Indian strike was on an Islamic seminary near the Punjabi city of Bahawalpur, killing 13 people according to the Pakistan military.

Muhammad Riaz said he and his family had been made homeless after Indian strikes hit Muzaffarabad, the main city of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"There is no place to live," he said. "There is no space at the house of our relatives. We are very upset, we have nowhere to go."

On the Indian side of the frontier on Wednesday, Madasar Choudhary, 29, described how his sister saw two children killed in Poonch, where Pakistan military carried out shelling.

"She saw two children running out of her neighbour's house and screamed for them to get back inside," Choudhary said, narrating her account because she was too shocked to speak.

"But shrapnel hit the children -- and they eventually died."

'No pushover'

India on Thursday braced for Pakistan's threatened retaliation.

In an editorial on Thursday, the Indian Express wrote "there is no reason to believe that the Pakistan Army has been chastened by the Indian airstrikes", adding that Indian military experts were "aware that Pakistan's armed forces are no pushover".

"Border districts on high alert," The Hindu newspaper headline read, adding that "India must be prepared for escalatory action" by Pakistan.

Diplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries to step back from the brink.

"I want to see them stop," US President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is slated to meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday in New Delhi, days after visiting Pakistan, as Tehran seeks to mediate.

Analysts said they were fully expecting Pakistani military action to "save face" in a response to India.

"India's limited objectives are met," said Happymon Jacob, director of the New Delhi-based think tank Council for Strategic and Defence Research.

"Pakistan has a limited objective of ensuring that it carries out a retaliatory strike to save face domestically and internationally. So, that is likely to happen."

Based on past conflicts, he believed it would "likely end in a few iterations of exchange of long-range gunfire or missiles into each other's territory".