Cairo, September 13
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Egypt's capital Cairo Saturday in a bid to build up a coalition to counter and defeat the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

The visit is the latest leg of his Middle East tour that has taken him to Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Before his arrival, the top US diplomat managed to secure the support of 10 Arab nations for a global drive to clamp down on the terrorist group.

At a conference in Jeddah Thursday, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged to "do their share" in the global fight against IS militants.

However, Kerry ruled out the possibility of including Iran in the coalition, saying it was "not appropriate" for Tehran to join talks on combating IS militants.

He also said it was "premature" to say what tasks individual coalition partners would have to perform.

In Cairo, Kerry is going to meet with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi and brief the secretary-general on the results of the Jeddah conference, Xinhua reported.

Islamabad, September 13
Signs of a possible solution to end the political crisis engulfing Pakistan looked bleak today as anti-government protest leaders suspended talks with the Nawaz Sharif government following a crackdown on demonstrators with opposition leader Imran Khan asserting that there was no room for negotiations any more.

The Pakistani police arrested several dozens of anti-government protestors and a court ordered that 100 opposition activists be sent to jail for holding illegal protests and other violations, triggering tense confrontation between demonstrators and police in the centre of the capital.

Addressing his supporters on the completion of one month of protest, Imran Khan announced to continue protests in front of Parliament till Sharif stepped down. — PTI

Edinburgh, September 13
About 12,000 Protestant unionists, including contingents from Northern Ireland, marched through Edinburgh's Old Town on Saturday in an emotional show of support for keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom.

With fife and drum bands, bowler hats and orange sashes, the marchers said the referendum on Scottish independence, which takes place this Thursday, threatened their culture and history.

"It's your own history being taken away from you. What will you tell your grandchildren?" said Jim Prentice, a gardener, wearing a Rangers soccer club shirt, who had travelled from south of Glasgow to watch the march.

Organised by the Orange Order of Scotland, the march demonstrated that the anti-independence campaign could count on a solid, substantial, bloc of votes in Glasgow, Scotland largest city and the main battleground of the campaign.

But it also injected a sectarian element with a bitter and sometimes violent history into the campaign. The Order is linked to the Northern Ireland Protestant "loyalist" organizations and many lodges had crossed over the Irish Sea for the event.

Rivalry between Catholics and Protestants - famously manifested by supporters of Glasgow's Celtic and Rangers soccer clubs - has often been a blight on Scottish society.

The decision to march has been controversial. The official pro-union Better Together campaign had said the parade had nothing to do with them. However, spectators displayed signs, badges and stickers bearing the campaign's slogan - "No Thanks". Some marchers chanted "No Surrender" — a slogan from the conflict in Northern Ireland.

A Scottish vote for independence could force force England and Northern Ireland to reassess their own constitutional relationship, an issue which haunts the delicate peace between Catholics and Protestants in the British-controlled province.

But the atmosphere on Saturday was generally festive as marchers filed through Edinburgh's Old Town which dates back to the Middle Ages. Many people on the march or lined up along the streets carried Union Jacks as well the Scottish saltire flag. — Reuters