Kenya Terrorists 'Were Dressed Up As Women'

Men dressed as women were among the attackers who massacred shoppers at a mall in Kenya, it has been claimed.

A government minister said that the terrorists who attacked the shopping complex in Nairobi were all men, but added that some were dressed as women.

Earlier, a white woman wearing a veil was reportedly spotted shouting orders to gunmen in Arabic during the attack on the Westgate complex in the Kenyan capital.

Some reports linked Samantha Lewthwaite, the English widow of 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, and the attack.

She is wanted by Kenyan police over links to a suspected terrorist cell.

Soldiers are moving in on the terrorists at the shopping centre

However the Foreign Office later said it was not linking the two.

Sky News' Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said: "I saw a picture of a white woman wearing a balaclava and carrying a weapon."

Security sources say the group of attackers are from several different countries.

A commander of the group believed to be behind the attack has reportedly denied that any of militants are from the UK or US.

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Rolf Harris In Court On Child Sex Charges

Rolf Harris has appeared briefly in court charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child.

The 83-year-old entertainer arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court with his wife Alwen at his side.

Wearing a dark suit, striped shirt and patterned tie, he said nothing to reporters as he walked into the building flanked by security guards.

He left court around 30 minutes later, surrounded by a throng of reporters and photographers as he climbed into a waiting car.

Harris, 83, said nothing as he walked into court

Harris is accused of assaulting two alleged victims, who were aged 14 and 15 at the time, between 1980 and 1986.

The charges of making indecent images of a child date back to last year.

During the hearing, Sonia Woodley QC, defending, said Harris had indicated he would plead not guilty.

The Australian-born artist, musician and TV presenter was questioned under caution last November by officers working on Operation Yewtree, the investigation into abuse claims against Jimmy Savile.

He was arrested in March and charged in August.

The allegations against him have no connection to Savile.

Harris, who has lived in Bray, Berkshire, for more than 50 years, has been in the public eye for decades.

He fronted the popular TV programme Animal Hospital and had several musical hits, many of which featured his famous wobble board.

He painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year.

His next court appearance will be at Southwark Crown Court on October 7.

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Esme Smith Found Safe After 11-Day Search

Missing 14-year-old Esme Smith, from Surrey has been found safe in north London, say police.

The schoolgirl disappeared 11 days ago.

She was last seen by friends after school in her home town of Farnham on Thursday, September 12. She told them she was going to Woking 16 miles away and then on to a party.

But instead the teenager, described as "extrovert, vivacious, (and) normal", changed out of her school uniform and caught a train from Aldershot just after 4pm and arrived at London Waterloo about an hour later.

The secondary school pupil was pictured on CCTV as she walked down steps near Charing Cross station in London at about 5.30pm that day.

Esme's safe return is thought to be as a direct result of media appeals

A police spokesman said: "A call was made to Surrey Police by the Metropolitan Police around 9.40am today to say that the 14-year-old, who went missing on September 12, was at a north London police station.

"Her safe return is thought to be as a direct result of the media appeals, and the media and public are thanked for their assistance."

Her father Mark Smith, who works at Nato's Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, said the family had been "worried sick" by her disappearance.

More than 4,000 people had "liked" a Facebook page called Find Esme Smith, dedicated to raising awareness of her disappearance and her sister Sian released a video appeal asking her to return.

In it, Sian said: "We just want her back. I think she's maybe met somebody out there or planned to meet somebody. We just don't know at the moment, and that's the worrying thing. She's not in trouble. We just want her back. We are incredibly worried."

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Kenya Stand-Off: Major Explosions And Gunfire

Four huge explosions have been heard followed by a barrage of gunfire at the Westgate shopping complex in Nairobi where 62 people, including four Britons, have died in a raid by Islamic militants.

Black smoke is pouring from the centre as Kenyan troops lay siege to the four-storey building while military and police helicopters circle above.

A security official told reporters at the scene: "It is us who caused the explosion, we are trying to get in through the roof."

However, a Kenyan minister said the smoke had been caused by the al Shabaab militants setting fire to mattresses as a decoy.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay said he had been told that some of the terrorists had blown themselves up while others has been "taken out" by special forces.

He added: "Things have heated up a lot. This appears to be the op trying to get to those hostages but it's going to be very difficult and very dangerous."

Aerial view of the smoke rising from the shopping centre

Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said he expected security forces to end the siege soon. Two of the attackers had been killed in the assault and several injured, and there was no way out for the others.

"We think the operation will come to an end soon," he told a news conference. "We are in control of all the floors, the terrorists are running and hiding in some stores ... there is no room for escape."

Kenya's police chief David Kimaiyo admitted some hostages had still not been rescued, but insisted: "We're increasingly gaining advantage of the attackers."

Defence chief General Julius Karangi said the militants were "a multinational collection from all over the world".

One of the Britons killed in the raid, which began on Saturday, has been named as Ross Langdon, who had dual Australian nationality.

Mr Langdon and Eliv Yavus. Pic: Windgrove: Life on the Edge blog

The 33-year-old architect died alongside his Dutch wife Eliv Yavus who was pregnant and due to give birth in two weeks.

Colleagues of Mr Langdon told Sky News: "We were shocked at the news. Ross was the kind of guy who restored your faith in humanity - what a senseless waste."

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

It said it had secured most of the shopping mall, and many of the hostages had been rescued.

Officials said up to 15 attackers were still inside the building. They have been using the hostages as human shields and have threatened to kill them.

Kenyan troops take cover as they await developments

Al Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage warned the hostages would "bear the brunt of any force directed against the mujahedeen".

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

However, a Kenyan security source confirmed that Israeli agents were "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, along with US agents.

The Kenyan Red Cross says 62 people have been killed, at least 63 remain missing and around 200 have been injured. Five of these are said to be from the US.

Troops make their way to the shopping mall

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

The Foreign Office, which confirmed four Britons were among those killed, warned that number was likely to rise.

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.

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 chaired a Cobra meeting this morning.

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

Samantha Lewthwaite: Is she involved?

Meanwhile, some reports are linking a female British terror suspect nicknamed the "White Widow" to the plot, although the Foreign Office has denied it is investigating these claims and the Kenyan authorities say all the attackers are male.

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.

Stuart Ramsay 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.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay reporting on the siege

"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.

"Al Shabaab 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."

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 bomb attack on the US embassy in 1998 that killed more than 200 people.

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 crisis.

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. 

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

Al Shabaab Behind String Of Attacks

Updated: 8:12am UK, Sunday 22 September 2013

The Somali militant group al Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for the attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi, is behind a string of terrorist atrocities across eastern Africa.

Formed in 2006, the al Qaeda-linked group can trace its roots to the Islamic Courts Union that once ran the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

It was eventually driven out of the city by African Union troops from Uganda and Burundi, who were later joined by soldiers from Kenya.

Al Shabaab uses guerrilla tactics to battle the Somali government and the troops brought in to maintain security.

It has attracted hundreds of foreign fighters, including some Britons.

Samantha Lewthwaite, from Buckinghamshire, the so-called "white widow" of 7/7 bomber Germaine Lindsay, is thought to have links to the group.

She has been on the run since Christmas 2011, when police foiled a plot to bomb buildings used by Western tourists in Mombassa.

Although al Shabaab has lost control of key towns and cities it once controlled, the group still claims vast swathes of rural Somalia, including land near the Kenyan border.

It has claimed responsibility for several deadly suicide bombings, including one in February 2009 which killed 11 Burundian soldiers on an African peacekeeping mission.

It carried out its first international attack in July 2010, killing at least 74 people in a bomb blast in the Ugandan capital Kampala, before gaining global notoriety by blocking aid from Western relief agencies during the 2011 famine in Somalia.

According to the US National Counterterrorism Centre, the group is also behind the assassinations of peace activists, aid workers, community leaders and journalists.

It was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US government in February 2008.

Al Shabaab, whose name means "the youth" in Arabic, had threatened to strike Nairobi before.

In a message posted on Twitter, it said it had repeatedly warned the Kenyan government that failure to remove its forces from Somalia "would have severe consequences".

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Sutton Hit-And-Run: PC Trying To Stop Car Dies

A police officer who was run over while attempting to stop a car in Sutton, south London, on Friday has died.

PC Andrew Duncan, known to colleagues as Andy, was hit after signalling to a driver to pull over in the early hours.

The father-of-two was taken to hospital following the collision in Reigate Avenue at around 1am, but died on Sunday morning.

Tributes have been issued by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

He said: "I was so sad to hear that PC Andrew Duncan died this morning.

"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his wife and children, parents, family and friends.

"Andy was a hard working and courageous policeman. He served the community as both a police officer and as a Scouting volunteer.

"The night he was injured, he was doing a job that he loved and we all had every right to expect he would return safely to his home and family - tragically that was not the case.

"We will continue to professionally and objectively investigate this incident under the oversight of Her Majesty's Coroner.

"I would urge anyone with information to contact us."

A map showing Reigate Avenue and Rose Hill

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said PC Duncan was married with a son and a daughter. He was 47 years old.

He had joined the force on March 19, 1990, and was originally posted to Battersea.

Six years later he transferred to the South-West Territorial Support Group where he served for almost seven years before moving to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough.

He subsequently joined the South-West Traffic Unit on 17 May 2004.

On Friday, the officer was working on a speed enforcement operation with a colleague, when they noticed a car driving at speed along A217 Reigate Avenue, close to its junction with Rose Hill.

A Met spokesman said PC Duncan attempted to stop the car by signalling for the driver to pull over but the driver collided with the officer and drove off towards Rosehill.

The car was found abandoned nearby, and officers are continuing to appeal to anyone who was a passenger in the car at the time to come forward.

Reigate Avenue is a residential area and officers are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the incident to get in touch.

A 25-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury whilst dangerous driving on Friday after attending a south London police station remains in custody.

He has now been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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Pakistan: Suicide Bombing At Peshawar Church

More than 60 people have been killed in a double suicide bomb attack on a church in northwest Pakistan, officials say.

A man cries over the death of his brother in the blast Around 400 people were at the service

Another 120 people were wounded when the two bombers blew themselves up as worshippers left the church in Peshawar city, which had been offering a free meal of rice.

Nazir John, one of those at the church, said: "There were blasts and there was hell for all of us.

"When I got my senses back, I found nothing but smoke, dust, blood and screaming people.

"I saw severed body parts and blood all around."

Peshawar's commissioner Sahibzada Anees told reporters the bombers struck when the service had just ended.

"Most of the wounded are in critical condition," he said, adding that special security had been in force to protect the church.

"We are in an area which is a target of terrorism and within that area there was a special security arrangement for the church.

Islamic militants are thought to be behind the attack

"We are in a rescue phase and once it is over we will investigate what went wrong," 

Witnesses said they heard two blasts, the second more powerful than the first.             

Najeeb Bogvi, a senior police officer, said: "After the service ended, people started to come out and the suicide bomber rushed towards them."

An injured person is taken away from the scene of destruction

Schoolteacher Nazir Khan, 50, said: "A huge blast threw me on the floor and as soon as I regained my senses, a second blast took place and I saw wounded people everywhere."

Doctor Mohammad Iqbal of Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital said 61 people had been killed and 120 wounded. 

Sher Ali Khan, another doctor at the hospital, confirmed the numbers and said the dead included several women and children.

A woman mourns a victim of the attack

It is the country's deadliest ever assault on Christians.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said in a statement: "The Prime Minister said that terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions.

"He added that such cruel acts of terrorism reflect the brutality and inhumane mind set of the terrorists."

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will likely fall on one of the country's many Islamic militant groups.

Islamic militants have been blamed for previous attacks on the Muslim country's Christian minority, and other Muslim groups they consider heretics.

Christians make up about 4% of Pakistan's population of 180 million

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Kenya Terror Attack: Brits Among Dead In Mall

Up to 15 gunmen remain inside a Kenyan shopping centre after a terrorist attack left dozens of people dead, including at least three Britons.

Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said 59 people are known to have been killed by attackers who burst into the upmarket Westgate mall in the capital Nairobi armed with guns and grenades.

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.

A Foreign Office spokesman said three Britons were among those killed and warned the number is likely to rise.

Hundreds of shoppers were caught up in the attack

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the "despicable attack", saying it was an act of "appalling brutality".

"Because the situation is ongoing, we should prepare ourselves for further bad news," he added.

More than 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the shopping centre but an unknown number remain inside.

Security forces took control of the upper and lower levels of the building, as well as its CCTV cameras, but an army spokesman told Sky News they were yet to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.

Some of the injured were carried from the mall on shopping trolleys

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

Witnesses reported hearing fierce gunfire and explosions on Sunday morning, as police and the military tried to reach the remaining hostages.

The mall, in western Nairobi, is popular with both expatriates and wealthy Kenyans.

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

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

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

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

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

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, said the attackers released people who were able to prove they were Muslim.

People took cover behind cars as the stand-off continued into the night

"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."

Tales of survival continued to emerge as the siege entered its second day.

Nahashon Mwangi said he was at work when he received a desperate telephone call from his son from inside the mall.

The Westgate shopping centre is located in the centre of Nairobi

"Dad, I have been shot in the neck and hand. I am bleeding. Come and help me please," his son told him.

When he called later, his son, who survived the attack, replied: "Don't call me again. I just want you to get me out of here. If they hear me talking, they are going to kill me."

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

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India: Briton Trampled To Death By Elephant

A British national has died after being trampled to death by an elephant in India.

The man, who has been named as Colin Manvell died at the Masinagudi National Park, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Local police said Mr Manvell and two other men - a guide and an acquaintance - had entered an area of the forest that was out of bounds to tourists so they could take photos.

It was here the elephant attacked, the police said.

Mr Manvell was seriously injured and treated at the local Masinagudi hospital before being transferred to Gudalur Government Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The two men with him at the time of the attack have been taken into custody for questioning.

Local guides sought help from the nearby Sagadevan resort, where Mr Manvell was staying.

The Foreign Office confirmed the death, saying: "We are aware of the tragic death of a British national in southern India and we are providing consular assistance at this difficult time."

His family has been informed.

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Boy's Broom Attack On Teacher Caught On Video

Footage of a boy violently attacking a teacher at a South African high school has led to government calls for the youngster to be punished.

A video posted on YouTube shows the student kicking and hitting the male teacher with a broom in a classroom of the Glenvista school in Johannesburg.

Other pupils can be heard cheering, laughing and egging the boy on during the assault, which reportedly happened on Wednesday.

"Get him," one boy is heard saying.

The teacher is seen walking away from his attacker and leaving the building, but the pupil - still armed with the broom - follows him into the street.

The boy chases the teacher

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said she was "disturbed" by the attack.

She has called for the boy and those cheering him on to be punished.

"This incident must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and the relevant punishment must be met out," she said.

"The student responsible together with the other learners who were cheering him on should all be disciplined accordingly."

Mrs Motshekga has recommended that anyone who was there during the attack receive trauma counselling.

She said such violence would "not be tolerated" by either pupils or teachers in South African schools.

"Schools should remain a no-violence zone where educators and learners can feel safe and secure in order for teaching and learning to take place," she said.

Sky News has tried to contact Glenvista school about the assault.

The attack comes as South African police unveiled crime statistics which lobby groups say are the worst in a decade.

The figures showed increases in some of the crimes that most frighten and upset South Africans.

Murder and attempted murder rates were both up - albeit minimally (0.6% and 6.5%) despite a decline over the past nine years - and car-jacking is up alongside residential robberies (2% and 3.6% respectively).

The statistics prompted criticism from Gareth Newman at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), who said: "This shows that government's approach to crime is not working."

But the police took a different view, saying the statistics showed that police interventions were having the desired results, although there was still a long way to go to rid South Africa of crime.

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