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A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia on Thursday, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians, Reuters reported.

Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.

"We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia, according to Reuters.

Cambodia's defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it "strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia".

The Chitwan National Park (CNP) reported the deaths of 83 wild animals in the last fiscal year (2024/25). 

It is said that 45 among them died due to natural causes.

According to the Park’s Information Officer, Abinash Thapa Magar, 28 rhinoceroses died in the last fiscal year with 18 facing natural deaths while three were killed in fighting, one in electric shock, two in floods and landslides, and three got stuck in the marshland. 

The cause behind the death of a rhino still remains unknown. 

As the CNP data states, a leopard and five elephants died of natural causes while the reason behind the deaths of two elephants is still unknown.

A tiger was killed in fighting whereas the cause of another tiger’s death is yet to be ascertained. 

Likewise, 12 spotted deer (chital) died of natural causes, while two were killed in road accidents. One got caught in a wire fence, and 16 died following dog bites.  

Additionally, three deer, one Ratuwa (barking deer), two gharial crocodiles, two nilgai (blue bulls), one python, one jackal, one bear, and two other animals also died in this period. 

However, 135 animals, including four rhinoceroses, two tigers, seven spotted deer, three turtles, and 37 snakes, 61 pythons, 11 mugger crocodiles, two gharial crocodiles, two vultures, one iguana and three other animals were also rescued during this period. 

Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with President Donald Trump's administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored, Reuters reported.

Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. He welcomed the agreement between his administration and Columbia in a post on social media late on Wednesday.

In March, the Trump administration said it was penalizing Columbia over how it handled last year's protests by canceling $400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia's response to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient.

"Under today's agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 - will be reinstated and Columbia's access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored," the university said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned top European Union officials on Thursday to "make correct strategic choices", state media said, during a key summit in Beijing set to be dominated by thorny issues ranging from trade frictions to the Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

Expectations were low for the summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

Issues of trade imbalance, market access and rare earths are on the agenda as Xi and Premier Li Qiang meet visitors Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union Commission, and Antonio Costa, the European Council president.

"The more severe and complex the international situation, the more China and the EU must strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation," Xi told von der Leyen and Costa, state broadcaster CCTV said, according to Reuters.

A summit between China and the European Union (EU) has kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, with leaders set to discuss issues ranging from trade conflict to the war in Ukraine, BBC reported.

Expectations have been tempered however by uncertainty over global trade, politics and the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping, after he had earlier reportedly declined a visit to Brussels, where the summit was originally to be held. 

China confirmed this week that Xi would meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa in Beijing.

Optimism had surrounded EU-China relations at the start of the year, with hopes that a Donald Trump presidency in the US would bring the two economic powerhouses closer, according to BBC.

At least 11 people lost their lives to wild animal attacks in Chitwan National Park in the last fiscal year 2024/2025.

The highest number of casualties was due to rhino attacks, with eight people losing their lives to the endangered animal. 

Similarly, two people lost their lives in attacks by elephants and one due to tiger attack, Park’s Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said. 

During the same period, 41 people were injured in wild animal attacks. 

Of the injured, 32 were seriously injured and nine suffered minor injuries.

The animals attacked the people, who had gone to collect green fodder, firewood and niguro or fiddlehead fern in the forest inside the Park.

In the last five years, 73 people have lost their lives to wild animal attacks in Chitwan National Park, with 169 people injured.

A woman died of a snake bike at Mohanpur in Krishnasawaran Rural Municipality-6 of Saptari on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Sangita Rai (50), wife of Indra Bahadur Rai, said Madhav Prasad Kafle, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Area Police Office, Kanchanpur. 

The meeting of the House of Representatives will be held  at 1 pm today. 

As per the agenda of the meeting, the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is scheduled to present a proposal seeking consideration of the house over the 'Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) (First Amendment) Bill, 2081'.

Similarly, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology will present a proposal seeking consideration over the Tilganga Eye University Bill, 2081, which originated in the National Assembly.

Furthermore, three parliamentary committees including the International Relations and Tourism Committee under the House of Representatives and the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee and Legislative Management of the National Assembly are holding meetings today.

The International Relations Committee is scheduled to hold deliberations on the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Bill, 2081 while a clause-wise discussion on the ‘Water Resources Bill, 2081’ will take place at the Legislative Management Committee. 

The Delegated Legislation Committee will discuss and endorse a report related to the National Parks.