News brief: Big stories of the day

India today lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over blocking of access of visiting Sikh pilgrims to Indian diplomats in that country and even "compelling" the Indian envoy to return while on way to a prominent gurudwara there.

The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has accepted the resignation of BJP state ministers Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh. 

Two Pakistani soldiers were killed in cross-border fire from Afghanistan while working on a fence intended to cover nearly all of the disputed 2,500km border separating the countries, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.

Pope Francis called on world leaders on Sunday to renew efforts to bring peace to Syria, saying he was deeply troubled by their failure to agree on a joint plan to end the bloodshed.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the residence of Pakistan's Supreme Court judge Ijaz ul Ahsan here in two separate incidents only hours apart, media reports said today.