US confirms al-Shabaab chief’s death
Washington, September 5
The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that Ahmed Godane, a founder of the al-Shabaab Islamist group, was killed in a US air strike in Somalia this week, calling it a "major symbolic and operational loss" for the Qaida-affiliated organisation.

Minsk, September 5
Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels agreed a ceasefire on Friday, the first step towards ending a conflict in eastern Ukraine that has caused the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War ended.

The deal, taking effect from 1500 GMT, was agreed at peace talks with representatives of Russia and the OSCE security and rights group in the Belarussian capital Minsk.

"The entire world longs for peace, the whole of Ukraine longs for peace, including millions of residents of (rebel-held) Donbass," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a written statement.

"Human life is the highest value. We must do everything possible and impossible to end the bloodshed and put an end to people's suffering," he said, adding that he had ordered his armed forces to cease hostilities at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT).

Sergei Taruta, the pro-Kiev governor of the Donetsk region at the heart of the rebellion, told Reuters he was hopeful the deal would hold, but a senior rebel leader said the separatists still wanted a formal split from Ukraine.

"The ceasefire does not mean the end of (our) policy to split (from Ukraine)," Igor Plotnitsky, a leader of the Luhansk region, told reporters. In a sudden breakthrough this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he and Poroshenko had broadly agreed on steps towards a resolution of the conflict, and he set out a seven-point proposal end to end the five-month-old conflict. — Reuters

Islamabad, September 5
Bogged down by over three weeks of political turmoil, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said it "is not easy" to rule Pakistan and sought the support of all parties in Parliament as several rounds of talks between the government and protesters failed to break the logjam.

"I hope the Opposition will continue on its path of supporting the government," Sharif said on the fourth day of the emergency joint session of the Parliament convened to support the Premier and discuss the crisis that has led to the cancellation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden visit to Pakistan.

"It was the Opposition which urged me not to resign...I do not care for power...being the Prime Minister of Pakistan, governing Pakistan is not easy," Sharif said calling for "unity" among parliamentary parties amid protests.

Sharif's remarks came after overnight parleys between the government and the protesting groups-the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) -- failed to break any ice on the issue of the Premier's resignation.

A key member of the PTI negotiating team dispelled an impression that the party was about to seal a deal with the government and end the political stalemate. "The two sides have only agreed broadly to our proposal of electoral reforms and establishing a judicial commission. There is no further progress on the rest of our demands," PTI leader Arif Alvi told Dawn News.

The government negotiating team also met the PTI team today but there were no indications of a settlement from either side.

Sharif also tried his best to woo back the Opposition after a verbal spat between Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and opposition leader Aitzaz Ahsan. — PTI

Lahore, September 5 
Nearly 90 persons have been killed in torrential monsoon rains that wreaked havoc across Pakistan as flash floods swept through villages, prompting authorities to call in army troops for flood relief duties.

An army helicopter hovers to rescue trapped people from a flooded area on the outskirts of Islamabad on Friday. AP/PTI

The downpour, being termed as one of the heaviest, started on Wednesday and is still continuing in parts of Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The authorities have issued an alert and army troops have been called in for flood relief duties and to evacuate people trapped in areas inundated after two-days of heavy downpour mostly in Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Gujranwala districts of Punjab province.

"At least 50 persons including women and children died and 178 injured during the last 48 hours in different parts of Punjab province in rain-related incidents," Punjab Emergency Service spokesman Jam Sajjad said.

A Pakistan army soldier also drowned in Sialkot during a rescue operation. In the mountainous PoK, nearly 38 people, including three soldiers, were killed while several others injured in landslides and flash floods which ravaged the region.

Most of the casualties occurred due to roof collapses and electric shocks. The death toll was likely to rise as floodwaters have swept through several villages in rural areas.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that there was a high risk of flooding in three towns along the Chenab river in Punjab and asked people to leave low-lying and vulnerable areas.

The army teams engaged in rescue operations in Punjab and PoK have rescued at least 350 people so far."Army troops have been moved for flood relief duties in Sialkot, Narowal, Head Marala, Wazirabad and Jalalpur Jattan.

Troops will remain standby at Shahdara, Lahore," Military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bjawa said in a statement.

An official from Meteorological Department said that some cities received heaviest rain in 30 years. Most cities received over 130mm of rain today while Lahore received a record 180mm. — PTI

Newport (UK), September 5
The United States today called for the creation of a broad international coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria by the time of the UN General Assembly this month. "There is no time to waste in building a broad international coalition to degrade and, ultimately, to destroy the threat posed by ISIL," Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a joint statement.

Britain and the United States chaired talks with defence and foreign ministers from eight other allies: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

The statement said the formation of a new Iraqi government would be critical and added the US was hopeful this could happen "over the coming days".

"We discussed in detail how NATO allies can extend immediate support to a new government," it said.

It listed some of the measures as offering military support to the Iraqi government; stopping the flow of foreign jihadist fighters; taking action against IS funding; addressing the humanitarian crisis; and "de-legitimising" IS ideology. In a transcript released by US officials of Kerry's comments at the meeting, the diplomat said: "We must be able to have a plan together by the time we come to UNGA (UN General Assembly)" later this month." — AFP