Xinhua. Srinagar
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy fire here on Friday, and targeted each other’s positions and civilian areas, officials said. The two sides exchanged fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in frontier Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
“Pakistani army today morning resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and firing along targeting some Indian positions and civilian areas in Gulpur and Nakarkote sectors,” a local government official said. “The firing is going on intermittently.”
S Korea, US discuss Korean Peninsula nuclear issue
Xinhua, Seoul
Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States discussed the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear issue, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday. Lee Do-hoon, South Korea’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with Joseph Yun who represents the United States at the currently stalled six-party talks to discuss the denuclearization of the peninsula.
They met in South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju on the sidelines of a UN conference on disarmament and nonproliferation, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.
Japan in UN bid to save Syria gas attacks probe
AFP, United Nations
The UN Security Council was expected to vote, probably on Friday, on a 30-day extension of a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria to allow for negotiations after Russia vetoed a renewal of the probe. Japan on Thursday presented a draft resolution that would give the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) another 30 days as the United States and Russia work to reach a compromise on the future of the panel.
Israel PM offers quake aid to Iran
AFP, Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered aid to victims of the deadly earthquake in Iran, insisting enmity between the two governments does not prevent humanitarian sympathy. The offer was made in a video conference with the Jewish Federations of North America.
It comes as many of the tens of thousands left homeless by the quake have vented anger at the Islamic regime for what they say has been the slow response of the charitable foundations set up after the revolution of 1979.
Iran says biased French stance threatens
regional stability
Reuters, Ankara
Iran accused France of fueling tension in the Middle East by taking a “biased” stance on Tehran’s regional policy, state TV reported on Friday.
“It seems that France has a biased view toward the ongoing crises and humanitarian catastrophes in the Middle East Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.
