Sharif makes suggestions at UN on resolving Kashmir issue

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday offered to hold peace talks with India built around a ceasefire along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, and the demilitarisation of the state. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Sharif said he was proposing a new four-point peace initiative with India “starting with measures that are the simplest to implement”. The points include expanding the UN military observer group in India and Pakistan to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire, steps to demilitarise Kashmir, and an “unconditional mutual withdrawal” from Siachen. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will address the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Nepal accuses India of breaking international law

A senior Nepali lawmaker, tipped to be the next prime minister, on Wednesday accused neighbouring India of breaking international law by deliberately halting cross-border trade, forcing the landlocked nation to ration fuel. Massive protests and a diplomatic confrontation between India and Nepal over the mountain-country's new constitution resulted in trucks carrying goods and fuel from India to halt at various checkpoints at the Nepalese border.

Russian parliament unanimous on bombing Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received permission from the parliament for Russian forces to participate in bombing raids in Syria, two days after he spoke to the United Nation and called for an international coalition against terrorism to fight Islamic State. The federation council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, held a swift, closed session on Wednesday morning in which it unanimously approved Putin’s request. Shortly after, Russia launched its first air strikes. Russia has also sent military experts to the recently established centre in Baghdad which is coordinating air strikes and ground troops in Syria.

France opens war crimes inquiry against Assad regime

French authorities have launched an investigation against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for alleged war crimes committed between 2011 and 2013, officials said. Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary war crimes inquiry on September 15. The investigation is focusing on evidence provided by a former Syrian army photographer known by the codename Caesar, who defected and fled the country in 2013. He brought with him around 55,000 photographs of scenes from the brutal conflict.

Israeli air raids hit Gaza

Israeli air raids have bombed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave. There were no reports of injuries from the rocket fire or the Israeli raids, which the military said targeted four terror sites. Witnesses and Palestinian security officials said that four training camps of Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, were hit in the raids.

Search for MH370 to continue despite change in Australian PM

Despite Australia getting a new prime minister, the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft, flight MH370, would still continue, said Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai. Australia’s new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull assumed office on September 15. Liow said they hoped to have a tripartite meeting in China next week to discuss the details of the search strategy. We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in