US And Iran Leaders In Historic Conversation

The leaders of the US and Iran have spoken on the telephone - the first conversation between presidents of the two countries in more than 30 years.

The exchange between Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani could reflect a major step in resolving global concerns over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.

Mr Obama said he had a constructive conversation, adding: "While there will surely be important obstacles to moving forward and success is by no means guaranteed, I believe we can reach a comprehensive solution."

The fact it had been so long since American and Iranian presidents had spoken to each other reflected the "deep mistrust between our countries", the US leader said.

But it also indicated the opportunity for moving forward, he went on. "I do believe there is a basis for a resolution," he said.

Both leaders will now direct their teams to work quickly to find an agreement after the first direct verbal communication between the nations' presidents since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Earlier, Mr Rouhani said he hoped talks with the US and other world powers over its nuclear programme will lead to results in "a short period of time".

He said Iran would present its plan for a resolution to the nuclear issue at discussions with the six countries scheduled for Geneva on October 15 and 16.

The six are the five permanent UN Security Council members - Britain, China, France, the United States and Russia - and Germany, known as P5+1.

Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is a peaceful attempt to generate electricity but America and its allies including Israel have long demanded a halt to Tehran's uranium enrichment, fearing it could secretly build nuclear warheads.

Mr Rouhani addressed the UN General Assembly

Uranium enriched to low levels can be used as fuel for nuclear energy but at higher levels it can be used to make a nuclear weapon.

Mr Rouhani vowed his country would not build a nuclear bomb, adding his government would be transparent and had the backing of authorities at home to handle the nuclear issue.

And earlier this week, he said he would like to see a deal with world powers in three to six months.

In his latest comments, he said: "We say explicitly that we will be transparent; we say explicitly that we will not build a bomb. Through the P5+1 we want to provide even more assurances."

He added: "I think that any result this government reaches, it will have the support of other powers (power centres) in Iran. On the nuclear issue, the government has total discretion."

It comes after the highest-level talks between Iran and the US in a generation, and Mr Rouhani said the atmosphere was "quite different from the past".

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met US Secretary of State John Kerry along with representatives from the other P5+1 powers. That was followed by a brief bilateral meeting between Mr Zarif and Mr Kerry.

The two sides said the tone was positive but they remained cautious about resolving the long-running stand-off over Tehran's nuclear programme.

John Kerry of the US meets Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

The Iranian president, who came to power last month, said he hoped nuclear talks "will yield, in a short period of time, tangible results".

But he also slammed "illegal" sanctions crippling his country's economy, saying they were just a means by some nations to pursue a "short-sighted" foreign policy.

Mr Rouhani and Mr Zarif, both in New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly, have said they are eager to clinch an agreement quickly that could bring relief from sanctions.

The sanctions have slashed Iran's vital oil exports by more than half, restricted its international bank transfers, devalued its currency and sent inflation surging.

On Friday in separate talks, Iran and the UN nuclear agency IAEA held "constructive" discussions and made plans to meet again on October 28, adding to momentum for a negotiated end to the nuclear standoff.

The talks would be nearly two weeks after the P5+1 discussions, as European Union foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton called it an "ambitious timetable" to address Western concerns.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Chemical Weapons: UN Resolution Passed

A "historic" resolution to destroy Syria's chemical weapons has been passed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council.

All 15 members of the council voted in favour of the resolution, which was widely seen as a compromise between the US and Syria's key ally, Russia.

The vote after two weeks of intense negotiations marks a major breakthrough following two and a half years of paralysis that has gripped the council since the Syrian uprising began.

More than 100,000 Syrians have been killed during that time while millions have been displaced.

Russia's Sergei Lavrov votes in favour of the resolution

Russia and China previously vetoed three Western-backed resolutions pressuring President Bashar Assad's regime to end the violence.

Speaking immediately after the vote, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council: "Today's historic resolution is the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time."

Foreign Secretary William Hague described the development as "ground-breaking".

"The failure of the council to tackle the crimes committed on a daily basis has resulted in a culture of impunity in which a brutal regime believed it could get away with murdering its own men, women and children," he said.

"So it is vital that the council now builds on the consensus we have reached today to make progress today towards a sustainable resolution of the crisis.

UN chemical weapons experts carried out inspections in Syria

"With renewed purpose and resolve, we need to achieve a political transition."

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the "strong, enforceable, precedent-setting" resolution showed diplomacy can be so powerful "that it can peacefully defuse the worst weapons of war."

He said the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile would begin in November and be completed by the middle of next year.

For the first time, the council endorsed the roadmap for a political transition in Syria adopted by key nations in June 2012 and called for an international conference to be convened "as soon as possible" to implement it.

Mr Ban said the target date for a new peace conference in Geneva was mid-November.

The resolution calls for consequences if Syria fails to comply, but those will depend on the council passing another resolution in the event of non-compliance.

That will give Assad ally Russia the means to stop any punishment from being imposed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the resolution does not automatically impose sanctions on Syria.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Chemical Weapons: UN Resolution Agreed

A draft resolution to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons arsenal has been agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant revealed the UK, France, the US, Russia and China had agreed on a "binding and enforceable draft ... resolution".

The US and Russia had been at odds on how to enforce the resolution and a senior American official described the deal as "historic".

It is understood the text contains no mention of military intervention and Mr Lyall said compromise was crucial.

"The United Kingdom would've liked a direct reference to the international criminal court," he said.

"We would've liked much stronger language on the abuse of human rights, human rights violations by the regime but what this resolution does do is for the first time for many months it brings together in a strong message of unity of the Security Council and for that it was worth making some compromises."

Mr Assad said Syria was prepared for a US attack irrespective of a deal

The agreement by the permanent members, whose differences have prevented action on Syria, represents a major breakthrough in addressing a conflict that began two and a half years ago and has killed more than 100,000 people.

The text of the draft resolution was due to be presented to the 10 other members of the Security Council at a meeting on Thursday night - with a vote expected on Friday.

A senior US official said: "This is a breakthrough arrived at through hard-fought diplomacy.

"This is historic and unprecedented because it puts oversight of the Assad regime's compliance under international control."

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the accord without giving details of the text.

"We reached an understanding with the United States on a draft resolution," he said.

Meanwhile, Syria's President Bashar al Assad said in an interview with Venezuelan TV that the US may still attack despite an agreement on chemical weapons.

"Maybe we should put that possibility into consideration, in every place of the world (meaning of an outside military attack)," he said.

"We ask ourselves whether there is a possibility of an attack. There may not be one at the moment, but no one knows for sure when that possibility could become a reality. There will always be that possibility and we should not discard it."

The flurry of diplomatic activity is in response to a poison gas attack on August 21 that killed hundreds of civilians in a Damascus suburb, and President Barack Obama's threat of US strikes in retaliation.

US Secretary of State John Kerry subsequently said Mr Assad could avert US military action by turning over "every single bit of his chemical weapons" to international control within a week.

Russia, Syria's most important ally, agreed and Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov signed an agreement in Geneva on September 13.

Mr Assad's government quickly accepted the broad proposal, but there have been tough negotiations on how its stockpile will be destroyed.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Global Warming '95% Certain', Say Scientists

By Thomas Moore, Science Correspondent

Climate scientists will today attempt to shore up flagging public confidence in measures to control greenhouse gases with a crucial assessment of global warming.

The International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) is expected to warn that it is now 95% certain that global temperatures are rising and that human activity is to blame.

It says carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere will rise to double pre-industrial concentrations by the middle of this century, and that will result in a global temperature rise of between 1.5C (34.7F) and 4.5C (40.1F).

The report claims human activity is accelerating climate change

The report is a comprehensive analysis for policymakers, written and reviewed by some 900 scientists who looked at more than 9,000 studies on climate change. 

Dr Richard Allan, a climate scientist at Reading University who contributed to the report, told Sky News that unless there is action to curb carbon emissions, they would cause serious changes to the planet's climate

"It would mean an increase in the frequency of hot extremes," he said.

"In 2003, there were extreme temperatures and a lot of people died in France. We can expect a lot more of these events because of warming.

"We can also expect marked changes in rainfall patterns, with impacts on agriculture."

The report authors insist the planet is at risk of rising sea levels

The IPCC is under pressure from governments to explain why the rise in global surface temperatures has stalled over the last 15 years.

Sceptics argue it is evidence computer models of the climate are wrong.

But scientists counter that the planet warms in fits and starts. They point to evidence that an upwelling of cold water in the Pacific Ocean has absorbed heat from the atmosphere - but that is only temporary.

While scientists are increasingly confident in the evidence, some polls suggest the public is becoming less certain.

According to YouGov, the proportion of people who believe human activity is making the world warmer has fallen from 55% in 2008 to 39% in 2013.

Sceptics argue trends prove there is no evidence of global warming

Over the same period there was a sharp rise in people who believe there has been no global warming - up from 7% to 28%. 

Professor Chris Rapley, climate scientist at University College London, said the evidence is clear. Although the climate has always varied, human activity is accelerating the changes.

"This is unwelcome news so people want to shoot the messenger," he said.

"What people tend to do is look at some little piece of the jigsaw and say 'look this demonstrates that it's not real or it's not happening' and then they feel better because they don't have to worry about it.

"But the whole exercise that the IPCC is going through is to look at the whole picture and see the general patterns that emerge. It's the pattern in the reduction of snow and ice and increasing temperature that says there is something odd going on here."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

OFT: Children Pressured To Buy Online Games

Warning Over Smartphone Kids' Apps

Updated: 5:56am UK, Thursday 26 September 2013

By Niall Paterson, Media Correspondent

I've always tended to view video-gaming as something of a solitary pursuit, or at the very least one enjoyed with friends in my bedroom, out of sight of Mum and Dad.

This wasn't always necessarily to do with the violent or graphic content of the titles my parents unwittingly purchased - although if they'd seen the brutality of Speedball 2, the adult content of Leisure Suit Larry, or even the hundreds of mammals sacrificed as I attempted (in vain) to complete Lemmings, I imagine I'd have been shoved outside and back on the Space Hopper quicker than I could say "carpal tunnel syndrome". 

But at least the financial costs of my sweaty-palmed play were limited to the cost of the game itself (and, perhaps, the occasional copy of Computer & Video Games magazine).

Not so nowadays.

The Office of Fair Trading's investigation into in-game purchases of bolt-ons and bonus items makes for distressing reading if you've ever handed your iPad to an ankle-biter.

In essence, it concludes children are being encouraged or even made to feel pressurised into paying over and above the cost of the app, even in games which are specifically targeted at kids.

It also finds a blurring of the distinction between real-world and in-game currency; and unfair and aggressive commercial practices "to which children may be particularly susceptible".

There's also prima facie evidence consumer protection laws may already have been broken.

The industry will now mull over the OFT's eight key recommendations. But I imagine some will choose to resist.

After all, given the profusion of free apps and games, many people are increasingly unwilling to pay even a quid for what might, ultimately, only prove to be a couple hours of entertainment.

So, understandably, developers are seeking other revenue streams - and some will argue that encouraging kids to ask their parents for an in-game item is no different to the advertising campaigns that turn kids into pester-factories every Christmas.

And what of the parents in all of this? Isn't this just more evidence that mum and dad need to be a little more aware of what their kids are up to online?

There's a degree of validity in that argument, as there is when the case is made that parents need to educate their kids a lot better about when and where not to click.

But I know as well as any 1980s gamer that they can't always know what we're up to; nor are most sufficiently tech-savvy to educate their kids about the dangers, fiscal or otherwise, of life online.

But let's be clear - those behind these titles are savvy enough for all of us.

And, although not literally coin-operated, clearly many developers are so cash-motivated that they've chosen to turn a blind eye to the dangers of in-game purchasing.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya Survivor 'Smeared Herself In Blood'

A survivor of the Nairobi mall attacks has described how she smeared herself with a victim's blood to play dead and fool the terrorists.

Radio presenter Sneha Kothari Mashru said a teenage boy lying next to her died of his wounds as they hid from the gunmen at the Westgate shopping centre in the Kenyan capital.

"I realised he was shot, because he was bleeding," she said.

"So I pulled out (his) phone slowly and I tried to switch it off, it was all full of blood, and I tried to switch off the phone so that it could stop ringing (in case it alerted the attackers).

"So I took a lot of his blood, (as) much (as) I could and I tried to put it on myself. I put it on my arm, a lot of the teenager's blood, and while I was trying to put it on my hand I just realised that he had stopped breathing at that time.

"So I put it on my arm, as much as I could, and I covered my face with my hair, because my hair was let loose even then, just to pretend that I'm dead or probably badly injured.

"I would still love to know who he is and everything, because his blood probably protected me from getting probably more injured or attacked."

Meanwhile, terror group al Shabaab has claimed its militants carried out a "meticulous vetting process" to separate Muslims from non-Muslims before killing dozens of men, women and children in the mall.

Witnesses had described how the gunmen rounded up those inside centre before asking them questions about Islam.

The attackers then allowed those they deemed to be Muslims to leave the shopping complex.

In an email exchange with the Associated Press, the al Qaeda-affiliated terror group confirmed its fighters specifically targeted foreigners during the attack.

"The Mujahideen carried out a meticulous vetting process at the mall and have taken every possible precaution to separate the Muslims from the Kuffar (disbelievers) before carrying out their attack," the group said.

It added: "Our targets have always been disbelievers, invaders and the apostate governments officials/troops who are allied with them."

Miraculous tales of survival have emerged since the attack

The number killed in the attack is expected to rise from the current figure of 67, with speculation there could be additions to the six British dead.

Five terrorists were also killed in the four-day siege at the shopping centre, while 10 suspects remain in custody in relation to the incident.

Former prime minister Tony Blair told Sky News that terrorists are a "cancer" who will only be defeated by better education.

Speaking outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, the current envoy to the Middle East said Islamist ideology had created an enemy that was "insidious and venomous, but also difficult to beat".

"Unless we are educating people to a tolerant and respectful and open-minded approach to the world, then this cancer of these terrorist groups will continue," he said.

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud has warned that such attacks may become more frequent as al Shabaab tries to reassert its dwindling power base.

"Some people sometimes mix the issues that Shabaab want an Islamic state in Somalia - that's not true. Shabaab want a unified state all over the world," he told Channel 4 News.

"They do not believe in borders, they do not believe in sovereignty, so their theme is global, it's not even regional. They may do this act again and again."

Experts from countries including the UK, the US and Israel are helping Kenyan authorities with the forensic investigation at the mall. Explosives experts and sniffer dogs are searching for booby traps in the wreckage.

Newly-released pictures show a gaping hole in the mall's roof and mounds of rubble.

The devastation was caused after soldiers fired rocket-propelled grenades and knocked out a support column.

A Kenyan government official said the soldiers fired to distract a sniper so that hostages could be evacuated.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya: Days Of Mourning For Terror Victims

Kenya has begun three days of mourning for the victims of Nairobi's shopping centre attack, as authorities prepare to retrieve the bodies of victims still trapped inside.

At least 67 people have been confirmed dead in the attack, including 61 civilians and six security officials.

Kenyan authorities say the number of dead may rise further, as bodies are feared to be trapped beneath rubble in the mall after three levels collapsed.

Six Britons - including an eight-year-old girl - are among the dead, and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has warned there may be further British victims.

A Western embassy official said the number of additional dead could reach as high as 100. Morgue workers are preparing to receive further victims.

Smoke rises from the Westgate mall in Nairobi

"They're just seeing dead bodies. They've found no survivors, no live hostages," a Nairobi resident, who did not wish to be named, told The Associated Press.

About 175 people were also wounded when al Shabaab militants stormed the Nairobi mall on Saturday afternoon.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta announced in a televised address that troops had "shamed and defeated" the militants following a four-day siege.

"Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed. These cowards will meet justice as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are," Mr Kenyatta said.

Some 11 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack, and a further five died during the siege at the complex.

Kenyan troops stormed the shopping complex

Police have confirmed that the attackers are either dead or in custody.

The Foreign Office has confirmed the arrest of a Briton, and say they are making contact to offer standard consular assistance.

"Now it is for the forensic and criminal experts," said police spokesman Masoud Mwinyi.

Explosives experts are searching for possible booby traps in the wreckage.

"They are checking for any potential explosive devices left behind," a security source told the AFP news agency, adding that specialist remote-controlled demining robots were on hand.

Teams of sniffer dogs have been taken into the building to check for explosives and to find bodies.

Workers wore face masks and some soldiers wrapped scarves around their mouths to cover what they said was an overpowering stench inside the centre.

Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay said that police have come across a large number of booby traps, and a large explosion was heard at the centre on Wednesday morning.

"Any suspicious objects they'll blow up," he said. "There's a security fear here still that maybe some of the gunmen are still alive."

The attackers marched into the four-storey, part Israeli-owned mall at midday on Saturday, shooting dead shoppers with machine guns and tossing grenades.

Al Shabaab has claimed it carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenya's military intervention in Somalia.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Warns Energy Firms After Backlash

Ed Miliband has warned energy firms they will be "part of the problem" unless they support his move to freeze gas and electricity prices.

The Labour leader has now written to the "Big Six" energy companies after pledging on Tuesday to hold prices for two years if he wins power at the next election.

Firms have warned the move could lead to energy shortages and power cuts as the industry is starved of the investment it needs and business chiefs have also been critical.

But Mr Miliband insists it is time to "reset the market" and warned the industry he would not help guarantee funding for its development if it does not fall in line.

Ed Miliband insists it is time to "reset the market"

His plans would see a price freeze from 2015 until 2017 while the sector is reformed, with watchdog Ofgem axed, firms split into generation and retail arms and competition increased.

In his letter, the Labour leader wrote: "I appreciate that you will not welcome all aspects of this package but it is my firm view that without resetting the market we are not going to see the public consent that is required to underpin the scale of taxpayer backed guarantees for which you have argued.

"I am prepared to make the case for sharing the risks of such investment, but that must be against the backdrop of a market that customers believe works for them.

"You and I know that the public have lost faith in this market. There is a crisis of confidence. We face a stark choice.

"We can work together on the basis of this price freeze to make the market work in the future. Or you can reinforce in the public mind that you are part of the problem not the solution."

Mr Miliband announced the 20-month price freeze in his conference speech as he sought to show only his party could tackle a "cost-of-living crisis".

Energy firms argue they need money to overhaul UK power stations

Pitching the next election as a battle between Tories representing the "privileged few" as ordinary families and small businesses suffer, he repeatedly declared: "Britain can do better than this."

"I will lead a government that fights for you," he vowed as he insisted he would relish a contest with David Cameron based on leadership and character.

Labour claims the freeze, to last from May 2015 until January 2017, would save the typical household £120 and an average business £1,800.

The party leader will be quizzed about the policy today as he tours television studios and later answers activists' questions before the conference closes.

Consumer group Which? has said it will "give hope to the millions worrying about how they can afford to heat their homes" but the CBI warns it will damage Labour's "pro-enterprise credentials".

The energy sector's umbrella group, Energy UK, accused Mr Miliband of "posturing to no purpose" and warned the freeze could have drastic consequences.

Chief executive Angela Knight said: "Freezing the bill, may be superficially attractive, but it will also freeze the money to build and renew power stations, freeze the jobs and livelihoods of the 600,000 plus people dependent on the energy industry and make the prospect of energy shortages a reality, pushing up the prices for everyone."

Energy giant Centrica blamed price rises on higher commodity costs, increases in regulated transport and distribution charges and environmental cost and taxes.

A spokesman said: "If prices were to be controlled against a background of rising costs it would simply not be economically viable for Centrica, or indeed any other energy supplier, to continue to operate and far less to meet the sizeable investment challenge that the industry is facing.

"The impact of such a policy would be damaging for the country's long term prosperity and for our customers."

SSE claimed price freezes would lead to "unsustainable loss-making retail businesses" and suggested the Government's energy policy costs be put into general taxation instead of on bills.

"This would wipe £110 off the average person's bill and shift the cost away from those who can't afford to pay and on to those who can," a spokesman said.

Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors, said: "We should think very, very carefully before piling more distortion on an already grossly distorted energy market. Price controls only add greater uncertainty to companies who we need to take the financial risks of energy investment.

Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "When the government fixes prices, it always ends in a disaster for consumers.

"Ed Miliband is sticking by the green taxes and expensive subsidies that drive up the price of energy, so at best this new policy would just store up massive price hikes for another day. At worst it could create a crisis and force the government to bail out the sector."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya Siege: British Woman 'Among Attackers'

A British woman and "two or three Americans" are among the militants who took part in an attack on a shopping centre in Nairobi.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed confirmed al Shabaab fighters were responsible for the attack.

In an interview with the PBS Newshour programme, Ms Mohamed said: "Both the victims and the perpetrators ... came from Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"From the information that we have, (there are) two or three Americans, and I think so far I have heard of one Brit."

Asked about the British woman, Ms Mohamed added: "A woman, woman, and I think she has done this many times before."

Samantha Lewthwaite is known to be in East Africa

The announcement will fuel speculation that British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to the July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, was involved in the Kenya attack.

Ms Lewthwaite, dubbed the "White Widow", is known to be in East Africa and is wanted by Kenyan police over alleged links to a terrorist cell that planned to bomb the country's coast.

In March last year officials said she had fled to Somalia and that officers were hunting a woman who used several identities, including hers.

On Monday night, Ms Lewthwaite's grandmother, Elizabeth Allen, 86, of County Down in Northern Ireland, was said by a friend to be "deeply distressed" by suggestions her granddaughter had been involved in the attack.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed spoke to the PBS Newshour programme

Ms Lewthwaite has gained "semi-mythical status" since travelling to East Africa, according to terrorism expert, Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Mr Pantucci said: "There has been a lot of speculation about it. Samantha Lewthwaite, since she appeared in East Africa, has been elevated in some ways to a semi-mythical status.

"I don't think we've had any concrete evidence of her being involved in this incident, but the fact of her being mentioned in this context is not surprising because of her connections, and it is known that she is somewhere in East Africa."

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "Aware of the Foreign Minister's comment, we continue to liaise very closely with the Kenyan authorities and to support their investigation into this attack.

"The UK will do everything it can to support the Kenyans bringing everyone responsible for this vicious attack to justice."

Ms Mohamed said the Americans involved in the shopping centre attack are aged about 18 or 19 years.

"The Americans, from the information that we have, are young men. About between 18 and 19, of Somali origin or Arab origin, but ... lived in the US in Minnesota and one other place," she said.

"I think that just goes to underline the global nature of the war that we're fighting."

FBI sources are investigating claims that the terrorists involved in the attack were recruited in the Midwest in a Somali community known as "Little Mogadishu" in Minneapolis, according to The Times.

Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which began on Saturday.

Kenyan security forces claim they have taken control of the shopping centre after a final assault on the militants, however, heavy gunfire can still be heard coming from the complex.

Some security sources say some of the terrorists could still be hiding.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya Siege: Heavy Gunfire Heard Inside Mall

Heavy bursts of gunfire have been heard from inside a Nairobi shopping centre where gunmen have killed at least 62 people.

It comes only hours after Kenya's interior ministry said security forces were "in control" of the Westgate mall following a three-day siege.

All hostages trapped by the attackers have been evacuated from the Nairobi complex, according to government spokesman Manoah Esipisu.

But he cautioned that some of the insurgents could still be hiding after up to 15 of them stormed the building on Saturday in a grenade and gun attack targeting shoppers.

Troops have been combing the building overnight, going from floor to floor looking for "anyone left behind", said the interior ministry.

Kenya's Citizen TV was suggesting that troops had killed six of the remaining attackers.

Victims: Ross Langdon, Eliv Yavus and eight-year-old Jenah Bawa

According to Sky News sources the British military is now giving assistance to Kenyan forces at the mall and has offered further assistance.

On Monday, the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, said: "As the Prime Minister made clear, we have said we will provide them with any assistance which they request. We haven't yet been asked to provide any assistance beyond broad background advice."

The gunmen were believed to be members of al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group al Shabaab which said the assault was in retaliation for Kenya's military helping the government in Mogadishu.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said a British woman and "two or three Americans" were among the militants.

Six British nationals are believed to have been killed in the terror attack. Among the dead were eight-year-old Jenah Bawa and 33-year-old Ross Langdon.

Smoke is seen rising from the shopping centre

Almost 200 people were hurt in the attack, and 63 others had been recorded missing by the Red Cross - a figure thought to include hostages as well as those possibly killed.

Mr Esipisu said: "Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. Obviously it's a very, very big building.

"We think that everyone, the hostages, have been evacuated but we don't want to take any chances. The special forces are doing their job and yes, I think we are near the end."

He also told AFP: "The special forces call this sanitising. It's a very complex and very delicate operation.

"At the moment they have not met any resistance, but of course we are not ruling out the possibility that there are a couple of them hiding in a remote room or corner."

Earlier, Islamist militants were reported to be "running and hiding" in stores as security forces closed in.

Kenyan police said three terrorists had been killed and others were hurt after the military launched a major assault.

Police and volunteers react after hearing gunshots

Eleven soldiers from the Kenyan Defence Force were wounded in the fighting, and more than 10 people have been arrested over Saturday's attack.

Interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku said there was "no way out" for the militants and "no room for escape".

Around lunchtime on Monday, four huge explosions were heard followed by a barrage of gunfire at the shopping complex in the Kenyan capital.

Black smoke poured from the top of the building as troops lay siege to the mall while military and police helicopters circled above.

Security officials at the scene said the explosions had been caused by Kenyan forces who set off blasts to get in through the roof.

However, Mr Lenku said the smoke had been down to the al Shabaab fighters setting fire to mattresses as a decoy.

US President Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said the United States stood with Kenyans against "this terrible outrage."

"We will provide them with whatever law enforcement support that is necessary. And we are confident that Kenya will continue to be a pillar of stability in eastern Africa."

The atrocity is the worst in Nairobi since an al Qaeda bomb attack on the US embassy in 1998 that killed more than 200 people.

The Kenyan Red Cross has set up a webpage for anyone worried about friends or relatives who might be caught up in the siege.

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merkel Romps To Victory In German Election

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Angela Merkel has triumphed by securing a third term as German Chancellor but she will have to find new coalition partners to govern Europe's largest economy.

Her conservative Christian Democratic Union and its sister party the Christian Social Union saw their combined share of the vote rise by 8% in an unexpectedly strong endorsement of her austerity policies.

Ms Merkel told supporters it was "a super result" but she did not immediately speculate about the shape of the next government.

Ms Merkel will have to forge alliances with traditional opponents

"I see the next four years in front of me and I can promise that we will face many tasks, at home, in Europe and in the world," she said during a television appearance on Sunday night.

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can already celebrate tonight."

Preliminary official results showed that overall the CDU/CSU won 41.5%, seeing off the main opposition Social Democrats who managed 25.7%.

It was a poor night for the liberal Free Democratic Party, which was Ms Merkel's coalition partner since 2009, and saw its support plummet by nearly 10% to 4.8%.

It fell beneath the 5% threshold of national support and so is barred from the Bundestag, the national parliament.

Its humiliation almost handed Ms Merkel an absolute majority, as its exclusion lowered the number of seats the CSU would have needed to control the chamber.

But she is just shy of that total, so will need to forge alliances in order to govern.

It seems most likely she will seek a "grand alliance" with the SDP, which will be expected to seek promises in return for its support.

They could include a greater emphasis on growth across the eurozone, rather than austerity, and the introduction of a minimum national wage.

But Ms Merkel's support from the electorate is so strong, it will strengthen her hand in any negotiation.

It is unlikely there would be an obvious sea-change in the government's political trajectory.

That will be welcomed by many in the EU and leaders around the world who know that a change of direction might spook the markets and raise borrowing costs for indebted nations.

It will also cheer Prime Minister David Cameron, as Ms Merkel appears to share his conviction that the EU could be strengthened if power flows from Brussels back to member states.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya Stand-Off: Explosions In Renewed Assault

Kenyan troops are carrying out a major assault in an attempt to end the stand-off with al Shabaab gunmen inside the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi.

At least three loud explosions and heavy gunfire have been heard coming from the complex where 68 people, including three Britons, have died since the siege began on Saturday.

There have also been reports of ambulances being driven at high speed from the scene.

One of the Britons killed in the attack has been named in reports as Ross Langdon, who had dual nationality with Australia.

Ross Langdon is feared to be among those killed

An architect, he apparently died alongside his girlfriend who was heavily pregnant, according to Australian media.

The Kenyan Defence Force said on its Twitter feed this morning that it was making every effort to bring the situation "to a speedy conclusion".

It said it has secured most of the shopping centre, and most of the hostages have been rescued.

Officials say up to 15 al Shabaab militants may still be inside the centre. They have threatened to kill the remaining hostages.

Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna told Sky News: "We cannot reveal the numbers of gunmen we suspect are there, but we estimate the operation will end very soon.

Kenyan soldiers enter the main gate of the shopping centre

"We do not negotiate with terrorists and that position has not changed. Everyone who has been rescued is being checked to make sure none of the terrorists escaped during the dragnet."

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said there have been "numerous offers of assistance from friendly countries" to help end the stand-off, but that for now it remains a Kenyan operation.

However, a Kenyan security source has confirmed that Israeli agents "are rescuing the hostages and the injured". The Westgate shopping complex is part Israeli-owned.

Britain's SAS is also reportedly helping out in an advisory role.

The Kenyan Red Cross confirmed 68 people have been killed. At least 49 remain missing and around 200 have been injured. Five of these are said to be from the US.

A Kenyan army soldier takes cover behind a wall near the centre

Police have conceded the number of dead could be "much, much higher", after reports emerged that there are multiple fatalities still inside the shopping centre.

The Foreign Office confirmed three Britons were among those killed and warned that number was likely to rise.

Prime Minister David Cameron is cutting short a visit to Balmoral to chair a meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra in London later today. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond will chair an earlier Cobra meeting this morning.   

Mr Cameron has described the attack on the shopping complex as "despicable" and an act of "appalling brutality".

Also killed were two Canadians, two French citizens, two Indian citizens, a South Korean, a South African, a Dutch woman and the former UN envoy Kofi Awoonor.

Briton Samantha Lewthwaite: Is she involved

The Foreign Office is investigating claims that a female British terror suspect nicknamed the "White Widow" could be linked to the plot.

Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, is wanted by Kenyan police over links to a suspected terrorist cell

In March 2012 it was reported that Lewthwaite, 29, who is originally from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had fled across the border from Kenya to Somalia.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, in Nairobi, said: "We know that she'd been in the area. She has been linked to a number of attack in east Africa and they have been trying to capture her.

"Interestingly she has been used in the past with planning and propaganda, not actual assaults, although there is some evidence she has been linked to at least one.

Onlookers watch as the stand-off continues at the Westgate complex

"It is difficult to know whether or not it is her. The government have said there have been reports of more than one woman involved.

"The president himself has said the women appeared to have command positions in al Shabaab, which does appear to be extremely well organised.

"It is thought to consist of foreign nationals as well as people from Somalia. I've heard reports of one Briton being involved and someone from Canada as well."

Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the shopping complex, and an army spokesman told Sky News they were trying to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.

Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.

The Somalia-based al Shabaab militant group has claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.

Mr Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his nephew's fiancee were among the people confirmed killed.

"They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts," the president said in an emotional speech to the nation. "We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully."

The attack is the worst in Nairobi since an al Qaeda bombing at the US embassy killed more than 200 people in 1998.

Judges at the International Criminal Court have adjourned the trial of Kenyan vice president William Ruto for a week to allow him to return home and help deal with the hostage crisis.

Ruto and Mr Kenyatta face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to their role in coordinating a wave of violence that swept Kenya in the aftermath of the country's contested 2007 elections.

The Kenyan Red Cross has set up a webpage for anyone worried about friends or relatives who might be caught up in the siege.

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya: 'If You Were Muslim They Let You Go'

A witness to the attack by al Shabaab militants on a shopping centre in Nairobi has told Sky News the gunmen killed anyone who was not Muslim.

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi, said: "We heard three explosions outside the building then all of a sudden we heard gunshots and people ducked down.

"A lot of people were shot while they were trying to escape. I saw one of the gunmen with an AK-47 and later two of them were talking and it sounded like Somali or Arabic."

Ms Ahmed said the attackers released people who were able to prove they could speak Arabic.

Armed police search customers taking cover in a washroom

"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.

"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don't understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."

Hannah Chisholm, a Briton visiting Nairobi, said she and 60 others barricaded themselves into a large storeroom.

"We kept running to different places but the shots were getting louder so we barricaded ourselves along with about 60 others into a large storeroom," she said.

"There were children hiding with us as well as someone who had been shot. The gunfire was loud and we were scared but at that point we thought the gunmen were thieves so we assumed they wouldn't try to reach the storeroom."

Satpal Singh, who was in a cafe when the attackers struck, said he ran downstairs before he was shot near the exit.

"A Somali guy shot at me," he said. "He was carrying a rifle, an AK-47."

A witness, who gave only his first name, Jay, said: "They were not speaking Swahili. They spoke something that seemed like Arabic or Somali."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya Attack: Hostages Held In Terror Strike

Gunmen are holding hostages inside a Nairobi shopping centre where dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a terrorist attack.

Several children were among those massacred by al Qaeda-linked terrorists armed with guns and grenades at the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya's capital.

Kenyan Red Cross chief Abbas Gullet told the AFP news agency that at least 43 people were killed and 200 injured.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said British nationals were caught up in the "callous and cowardly and brutal" attack.

Hundreds of shoppers were caught up in the attack

The Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre said the number of hostages still being held by al Shabaab gunmen inside the complex remains unknown.

The lower and upper floors of the centre have been secured but witnesses reported hearing fierce gunfire and explosions on Sunday morning, more than 20 hours after the siege began.

A Kenyan security officer at the scene said: "We will free all those inside and stop this.

"We cannot give details of the operations except to say that everything that can be done is being done."

Security staff rescued those unable to walk

Gunmen wearing bullet-proof vests opened fire and detonated grenades inside the shopping centre, which is popular with expatriates and wealthy Kenyans.

Some of those killed were executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.

Two Canadians have been confirmed dead in the attack, while two French citizens are understood to be among those killed.

The US State Department said American citizens have reportedly been injured but not killed.

The Westgate shopping centre is located in the centre of Nairobi

The Somalia-based al Shabaab terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of more attacks.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has spoken to the nation in a televised address, saying Kenya had "overcome terrorist attacks before, and we will defeat them again".

"Our security forces are in the process of neutralising the attackers and securing the mall," he added.

"Terrorism is a philosophy of cowards. They want to cause fear and despondency in our country, but we will not be cowed.

Armed security staff went from shop to shop looking for the attackers

"I ask God to give you comfort. My government will provide the support needed in the days to come."

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, told Sky News how the attack began.

"We heard three explosions outside the building then all of a sudden we heard gunshots and people ducked down," she said.

"A lot of people were shot while they were trying to escape. I saw one of the gunmen with an AK-47 and later two of them were talking and it sounded like Somali or Arabic."

Police rescued hostages as they searched for the gunmen

Ms Ahmed said the attackers released people who were able to prove they were Muslim.

"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.

"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don't understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More