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.

UN chemical weapons experts carried out inspections in Syria

"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.

"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.

Volunteers in Aleppo at a class on how to respond to a chemical attack

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.

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China: Dozens Of Kidnapped Children Freed

Chinese police have rescued 92 children and two women kidnapped by a human-trafficking gang and arrested 301 suspects.

In one of the biggest operations of its kind in years police simultaneously swooped on locations in 11 provinces after a six-month investigation.

Police also found sleeping pills used for the babies in the process of trafficking.

The raids were reported by China Central Television and state news agency Xinhua, quoting the Ministry of Public Security.

Police investigations started in March with a child trafficking case in central China's Henan Province.

They found members of the network followed a clear pattern, with kidnappers collecting children in southwest China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

They were then driven to other regions into the hands of sellers, according to the statement released by the Ministry.

Armed police prepare to raid premises where children were held

The freed children have been sent to hospitals for checkups and some of them have been handed over to a children's home in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Zhang Wenli, head of Zhengzhou Children's Welfare Home, said: "Our childcare workers have been professionally trained, so they know how to communicate with the babies, and know how to comfort and rear them. 

"Meanwhile, we are working together with hospital staff to cure these children's diseases."

Before their biological parents are identified, the freed children will stay at the home, Ms Zhang added.

A traditional preference for boys, especially in rural areas, and a strict one-child policy have contributed to a rise in the trafficking of children and women in recent years.

State media did not give a breakdown of how many boys and girls were taken.

Kidnapped women are sold to men in remote areas who are unable to find brides because of a shortage of women blamed on the one-child policy.

The government will impose harsh punishments on people who buy kidnapped children, as well as parents who allow them to be sold, state television said.

China has trumpeted the success of an intensified crackdown on the kidnapping and sale of children and women.

In 2011, police said they had rescued more than 13,000 abducted children and 23,000 women over the past two years or so.

The latest arrests happened on September 11 but no reason was given for the delay in reporting the operation.

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Kenya Attack: New Video Shows Aftermath

Sky News has filmed pictures from the rear of the Nairobi shopping mall showing the devastating aftermath of last Saturday's terror attack.

Hundreds of tons of masonry, debris and metal fell down several floors after part of the roof collapsed where the car park was.

The scene has been described as a 'mini Ground Zero' by one forensic expert who spoke to Sky News.

It comes as the Foreign Office said a sixth British national had been confirmed dead following the atrocity. The figure had earlier been lowered to five.

Burned out cars were filmed hanging precariously over the edge of the pit and the tin roof of the supermarket atrium was severely damaged.

Below the hole in the roof was where a cookery competition was taking place involving adults and children when the gunmen began shooting at them.

The air conditioning system on the left of the picture was burnt out

Some people said the roof collapse was caused by the terrorists starting a fire, others said it was the military who detonated explosives or fired rocket propelled grenades that set off the blaze.

The pictures were filmed from a private property of resident Sukhbir Singh who told Sky News he heard "really loud blasts" and "several gunshots".

He said at the part of the roof which has now fallen down he saw two or three gunmen opening fire towards children, adding "it was really really bad".

He went on: "They just came in and sprayed bullets without talking."

Sky News filmed from the rear of the shopping centre

Meanwhile, new footage from the Kenyan Red Cross shows the organisation's staff helping shoppers as they emerged from Westgate Mall during last week's terror attack.

The video was filmed on September 21 - the first day of the siege and just hours after gunmen attacked the mall with assault rifles and grenades.

The organisation's secretary general, Abbas Gullet, is a prominent figure in the footage, not just overseeing the medical care of the injured, but also providing direct medical assistance himself at times.

Mr Gullet's team of medics regularly risked their own lives to bring people out of the shopping centre.

Resident Sukhbir Singh witnessed the terror attack

One man can be seen with is hand on a body covered with a red blanket weeping, while medical teams look on.

Stretchers were repeatedly run in and out of the mall despite the ongoing attack by gunmen.

The Red Cross also helped to transport those who lost their lives in the deadly assault.

Seven days after the attack which left at least 67 people dead, there is still no clear word on the fate of dozens who have been reported missing and no details on the gunmen who carried it out.

Shoppers were told to leave the mall with their hands up

Al Shabaab said it carried out the massacre to punish Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia to fight the al Qaeda-linked militant group that had seized large parts of that country for years before being dislodged from the capital, Mogadishu.

The Kenyan Red Cross has said 59 people are unaccounted for, raising fears of bodies in the debris.

President Uhuru Kenyatta's government is facing tough questions after the reported leaking of an intelligence report dated September 13 which warned of an elevated risk and which some top officials said was treated too casually.

Senior security officials told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that an intelligence report warning of an attack had been sent to the treasury, interior, foreign affairs and defence ministers, as well as the army chief.

"Briefs were made to them of increasing threat of terrorism and of plans to launch simultaneous attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa around September 13 and 20, 2013," according to the report, quoted in the Nation newspaper.

The report also apparently said Israel, which has close security ties with Kenya, had warned of plans to attack Israeli property in September, a month which included several Jewish holidays.

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Iran Leader Met With Protests After US Trip

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has been met with protesters chanting "Death to America" as he arrived from New York after a historic phone call with Barack Obama.

Shoes and eggs were thrown towards his motorcade as it left Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, as some 60 hardline Islamists also chanted "Death to Israel".

They were outnumbered by 200 to 300 supporters of the president who shouted: "Thank you Rouhani."

Mr Rouhani, who was returning from a UN General Assembly meeting in New York, stood up through his car's sunroof to acknowledge the crowds.

Mr Rouhani's supporters outnumbered his opponents as he arrived home

He did not appear to have been hit by any of the projectiles. Throwing shoes is considered deeply offensive in the Middle East.

Mr Rouhani's 15-minute telephone conversation with Mr Obama on Friday was the first contact between leaders of the two countries in more than three decades.

The exchange 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."

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".

Surrounded by tight security, Mr Rouhani waved to crowds at Tehran airport

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 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.

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."

Around 60 hardliners waved anti-US placards at Mehrabad Airport

Earlier 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.

Mr Rouhani and Mr Zarif, both in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, have said they are eager to clinch an agreement quickly that could bring relief from what the president called "illegal" 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.

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Pakistan Earthquake: At Least 12 Killed

A powerful earthquake in Pakistan has killed at least 12 people just days after hundreds were killed by a quake in the same area.

The 6.8-magnitude quake hit the region of Balochistan in the south west of the country on Saturday morning, sending people running into the streets in panic.

On Tuesday a 7.8-magnitude tremor rocked the same impoverished Awaran district killing 359 people, razing hundreds of mud-and-brick homes to the ground and leaving tens of thousands homless.

People still recovering from injuries sustained in the first disaster fled the hospital where they were being treated fearing the building would collapse.

The epicentre was 90 miles west of Khuzdar

The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 6.8 magnitude, however, Pakistan's Meteorological Department said it measured 7.2.

The department said the epicentre was located 90 miles west of the town of Khuzdar, a short distance from the epicentre of the earthquake earlier in the week.

A number of people were wounded, and officials fear the number of dead could significantly increase.

There have been reports that homes still standing after Tuesday's earthquake had collapsed on Saturday.

Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but least populated province. The rough terrain and the lack of good roads have made it difficult for rescue staff.

People visit an island formed by Tuesday's tremor

The Pakistani Air Force has been making air drops of supplies and using helicopters to ferry injured people to medical care.

However, the aid efforts have been hampered by militants who want to overthrow central government and establish a hard-line Islamic state. The separatists have fired at the military aircraft helping with the aid and rescue mission.

Around 300,000 people were affected by Tuesday's earthquake which was so strong it is believed to have caused a small island to emerge just off the coastline in the Arabian Sea.

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Spain Mulls Turning Back The Time Zone Clock

Spain is considering changing its time zone to reverse a World War Two decision that put the country in sync with Nazi Germany.

Until the 1940s, Spain was in the same zone as Britain and Portugal, which are on roughly the same longitude.

But when Nazi-occupied France switched to German time, Spain's Franco dictatorship followed suit.

Now there are calls for the decision to be reversed - on the grounds that it would help boost Spaniards' quality of life.

Switching to British time might bring Spain some family-friendly British customs, parliament's Equality Commission suggested.

Its study said: "The fact that for more than 71 years Spain has not been in its proper time zone means ... we sleep almost an hour less than the World Health Organisation recommends.

"All this has a negative effect on productivity, absenteeism, stress, accidents and school drop-out rates."

The time change was "a foundation stone" of a series of recommendations aimed at making work and school hours more flexible  and work and family life more compatible, said commission president Carmen Quintanilla.

She said: "We drag out the morning and extend our lunchtime. We lose time and have to work more hours in the afternoon. Eating later, we have to start work later, which means we get off work later."

Moving clocks back by one hour could have a profound effect on the eating, sleeping and working habits of Spaniards, whose culture is famed for long lunches, siestas and late shifts at work.

For example, if it gets dark earlier companies would likely readjust work schedules that see Spaniards working well into the evening, the commission said.

That might move Spain closer to the 9-to-5 working tradition more commonly seen in Britain - and hence encourage earlier meals and more family time.

Although working hours in Spain vary greatly, the typical working day is divided in two, with lunches sometimes lasting up to two hours. Many workers take this opportunity to dine at home - something health experts believe is beneficial - and this in turn allows them to enjoy the famous Spanish tradition of the siesta.

But as a result, many workers do not get off until after 7pm and shops stay open up to 10pm, when bars begin to fill for what are often lengthy nights of socialising.

"Our time schedules have serious effects on the daily life of Spaniards," said Nuria Chinchilla, a business school executive who helped write the study.

"We live in permanent jet lag."

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UN Probes More Syria 'Chemical Attack Sites'

The UN has said it is investigating seven potential chemical attacks in Syria, including three after the deadly strike on August 21.

Its inspectors plan to file a report by late October that will give more details of the assault in the capital, Damascus, which caused international outrage and nearly precipitated US air strikes.

The announcement comes as a car bomb killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens more in Rankus, north of the capital.

Activists said the blast occurred in front of a mosque soon after Friday prayers.

Seven sites are being investigated by the UN

The UN has already concluded the nerve agent sarin was used in last month's attack in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, which killed hundreds of people.

It was previously thought the UN probe would only look into three locations in Syria.

However, in addition to the August 21 attack on Damascus, the UN says it is also probing incidents in:

:: Bahhariyeh, east of Damascus, on August 22 

:: Jobar, also east of the capital, on August 24

:: Ashrafiat Sahnaya, southwest of Damascus, on August 25

:: Sheikh Maqsoud, in the Aleppo district, in April

:: Saraqeb,  in the northern province of Idlib, in April

:: Khan al Assal, in northern Syria, in March.

The inspectors expect to finish their work on the ground on Monday.

The UN said: "In the course of performing their task, the experts have received several documents and samples and have conducted many interviews."

A separate team from the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is due to begin its work inspecting the country's chemical weapons on October 1.

Hundreds of people were said to have been killed in the August 21 assault

The OPCW is overseeing the implementation of a US-Russian deal under which Syria has agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal.

Both the Syrian regime and the rebels seeking to overthrow it have regularly accused each other of using chemical weapons.

But the August 21 attack prompted renewed international concern and condemnation.

In the wake of the attack, the United States threatened military action against the Syrian regime, which it accuses of responsibility for the incident.

President Bashar al Assad's government denies involvement and blames the rebels for the assault.

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Kenya Mall Massacre: New Footage Of Survivors

Footage has emerged showing people being rescued by Kenyan forces in the aftermath of the terror attack at Nairobi's Westgate mall.

It comes as the country's interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku announced that eight suspects were being held over the massacre, and three others had been released after questioning.

The video was filmed by civilian security guards who went to the site to help.

They found a group of people hiding from the armed gang in a walk-in fridge in the building's supermarket.

"We are civilians," the guards can be heard saying. "Put your hands up, put your hands up."

The first of the group to emerge from the giant appliance then turns to the others and says, "police, police", to reassure them.

The collapsed multi-storey car park at Westgate mall

One person is heard saying, "it's ok", as all three men walk out of the fridge to safety with their hands above their heads.

It is one of dozens of incredible stories of survival that have continued to emerge since Saturday's attack, which al Shabaab, the Somali militant group, has claimed responsibility for.

Mr Lenku said the country would not bow to its demands for Kenya to pull its troops out of Somalia, adding: "We went to Somalia because al Shabaab was a threat to national security. 

"We will continue to take action on that front until our security and interests in the court are protected."

Al Shabaab chief Ahmed Abdi Godane has described the attack as a "message to Westerners", who had "backed Kenya's invasion" which he said had "spilled the blood of the Muslims for the interest of their oil companies".

The group has threatened "more bloodshed" if Kenya refuses to withdraw its troops.

Speaking at the funeral of his nephew on Friday who was killed in the attack, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, said if the perpetrators thought "they could deter the spirit of an open, free society" by their actions, they had "failed miserably".

"This only emboldens us and tells us how great a spirit and a nation we have," he said.

Mr Kenyatta at the funeral of his nephew Mbugua Mwangi

Investigators from Britain, America, Germany, Canada and Israel are assisting Kenyan detectives with the probe into the attack.

Earlier, a car believed to have been used by the terrorists was recovered from outside the shopping centre by investigators, as forensic teams continued their examination of the bullet-scarred and scorched crime scene.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, in Nairobi, said the suspects arrested included part of the group of attackers, as well as their accomplices.

"The first group appeared to have arrived at the shopping centre and split. Some went in and were not to come out, others, we think, may have attacked security guards and made sure that the other group could get inside," he said.

"There is then a separate group made of people who have been working on the logistics and the support for the terror group to get inside the shopping mall and perhaps pre-position weapons - that includes renting a flat nearby, and perhaps renting a shop."

Investigators are also building the profile of a man who warned a pregnant woman at the mall to flee for her own safety moments before the attack.

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Mumbai Building Collapse: Toddler Found Alive

A toddler has been found alive in the rubble of a collapsed multi-storey building in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Onlookers cheered as the girl - found 11 hours after the building crumbled to the ground - was pulled out through a small tunnel.

Rescuers continued to search for survivors, having already pulled out 27 others who were immediately rushed to hospital by waiting ambulances.

Rescue workers pull out a survivor from underneath the rubble

The residential building in India's financial capital, which is said to be home to up to 22 families, collapsed shortly after dawn, killing at least eight people and leaving dozens more trapped.

Several diggers were immediately called into action to lift some of the larger slabs of concrete, allowing teams of rescuers to begin the task of searching for survivors, some of whom could be heard calling for help.

"Approximately 80 to 90 people are believed to be left behind in the building and trapped," said Alok Awasthi, local commander of the National Disaster Response Force.

Relatives gathered around the flattened site waiting for news about their loved ones.

Housewife Shanta Makwana, whose daughter and grandchildren were trapped inside the building, said: "My heart is thumping with fear. I'm just hoping."

Mithi Solakani, 62, said: "My son is inside. I'm waiting for them to get him out."

Firefighters at the scene look through a gap in the collapsed structure

Neha Jagdale, a receptionist, rushed to the scene after hearing the news on TV.

"My uncle and aunt have been staying here for years," she said. "The police are not telling us anything. We are just waiting."

The building is owned by the city's civic administrative body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

It said the building was for employees and their families who had been asked to leave earlier this year, but did not say why.

Spokesman Vijay Khabale-Patil said: "The building was around 30 years old. We had issued a notice to them in April to vacate the building, but they did not act."

Five other apartment blocks have collapsed in or around Mumbai in recent months, including one illegally constructed building in April that killed 72 people.

A few weeks later a section of a hospital collapsed, injuring at least eight people.

In June, 10 people, including five children, died when a three-storey building crumbled.

Building collapses have become relatively common across India.

Massive demand for housing around India's fast-growing cities combined with corruption often result in builders using substandard materials or adding extra floors without permission.

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Arturo Diaz: Texas Executes Man For 1999 Death

A Texas death row inmate who tied his victim with shoelaces, stabbed him 94 times and robbed him of $50 has been executed.

Arturo Diaz, 37, was killed by lethal injection after the Supreme Court refused a last-ditch appeal to stay his execution.

Diaz had been convicted of killing Michael Ryan Nichols in April 1999 near the Mexican border.

Police said at the time that Diaz had stabbed his victim in the chest with a knife found at Mr Nichols' home.

Diaz smiled and blew a kiss to witnesses watching through a window to the death chamber, including his mother and grandmother.

Turning to the father of his victim he said: "I hope this can bring some relief for you and your family."

He spoke in Spanish to his own friends and relatives, telling them: "I am with God."

Diaz had said he was high on drugs and alcohol during the attack on Mr Nichols, and moments before the execution he said he hoped his fate would serve as an example to young people.

"Think about it before you do drugs," he said.

It was the 13th execution this year in Texas, the nation's most active capital punishment state.

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India: Militants Attack Police And Army Bases

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Asia Producer

India's prime minister has condemned a "heinous terrorist attack" on a police station and nearby army base in which nine people were reportedly killed.

Militants dressed in army uniform stormed a police station in the Samba region of Jammu, where they shot dead six people and hijacked a truck.

They then drove to a nearby army base where they killed the truck driver and began shooting at soldiers inside the camp, two of whom are thought to have died.

The attack triggered calls for planned talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawz Sharif to be cancelled.

However, Mr Singh suggested the meeting would go ahead as planned.

"This is one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions by the enemies of the peace," he said.

The attack happened in India's northwestern Jammu district

"We are firmly resolved to combat and defeat the terrorist menace that continues to receive encouragement and reinforcement from across the border.

"Such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue."

Mr Singh had been under pressure not to agree to talks while attacks near the India-Pakistan border continue.

India has accused Pakistan of 120 ceasefire violations since the start of the year.

Pakistan denies arming or training militants but says it offers moral support to Kashmir's Muslim population, which it claims faces human rights abuses at the hands of Indian forces.

There has been no meaningful dialogue between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai attacks in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.

The Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the attack on the landmark Taj Mahal Hotel and other targets.

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Kenya Attack: 'Killers Sat With Fizzy Drinks'

A butcher who survived the terrorist attack on Nairobi's Westgate mall by hiding behind his counter has described how gunmen sat sipping fizzy drinks before continuing their deadly rampage.

Fred Bosire's tale of survival came as the Foreign Office revised down the number of British nationals who died in the Kenyan capital from six to five.

It also emerged that Interpol has issued an arrest warrant for British woman Samantha Lewthwaite following the attacks.

As a new picture was released showing two of the attackers walking through the shopping centre, Mr Bosire described catching a glimpse of five of the terrorists as they took a break from their murderous campaign.

The 35-year-old, who works in the Nakumatt supermarket, said: "I heard them open what I knew to be the soda fridge when I heard that spurt of gas that's released when you pry open a soda can or bottle.

Two further explosions have been heard at the shopping centre in Nairobi

"I could see their feet dangling from the deep freezers when they sat down for what I took to be a break from the killing.

"There were five pairs of feet. Their hems and shoes were covered in blood."

Mr Bosire said the attackers were soon stalking the supermarket once more, shouting to survivors: "If you're still alive, we'll let you go."

"I heard some ladies call out," he said.

"I wish they hadn't. I wish they'd held on, because I heard them get shot in cold blood."

Kenyan troops continue to patrol the area around the shopping mall

Mr Bosire said that during the early stage of the siege, shoppers were "still walking around, pushing their shopping carts slowly, trying to figure out what was going on".

"I didn't think we were the targets but then I heard the shooters speak," he said.

"It was hard to make out what they were saying at first because they spoke in a mix of English, Kiswahili and what I think was Arabic. But I knew we were in trouble."

Mr Bosire heard the gunmen shouting: "You have invaded our country, you have raped our women and killed our elderly. It is time we got some retribution."

He remembered hearing the "squishy sound of meat" and how he thought the bullets had struck the meat on his counter.

It was only later he realised he had been shot through his leg.

Miraculous tales of survival have emerged since the attack

He also recalled an emotional phone call with his wife as he waited for his ordeal to end, during which he asked her to not to tell their son about his death until after the youngster's primary school exams in October.

"I told her not to call me again because I was dying," he said.

Mr Bosire spent hours lying on the supermarket floor, drifting in and out of consciousness as the terrorists moved around the building, killing 67 people.

Eventually, he spotted army boots and heard a soldier saying he had "never seen so many bodies".

"He shook my leg to see if I was still alive," he said.

Troops helped rescue hostages and those trapped inside the mall

"I tried to call out but all that came out was a guttural sound. But it was enough."

Other survivors caught up in the atrocity continue to describe the terror they endured as they waited to be freed.

Radio presenter Sneha Kothari Mashru described how she smeared herself with a victim's blood to trick the attackers into thinking she was dead.

Another survivor, Rafia Khan, said she taught the Muslim practice of the shahada to nine others as they hid together in a ceiling in a desperate attempt to save their lives.

"If (the gunmen) ever got to us, we were going to say, 'No, no, we know the shahada'," she said.

Al Shabaab, the Somali militant group which claimed responsibility for the attack, recently confirmed witness accounts that those able to prove they were Muslim were allowed to leave the mall.

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Costa Concordia: Divers Find Human Remains

Divers have found human remains in the sea where the Costa Concordia cruise liner sank last year off the Italian island of Giglio.

The huge ship was carrying more than 4,000 holidaymakers and crew when it capsized after striking rocks, killing 32 people, including two whose bodies were not recovered.

The remains were "absolutely consistent" with the two missing people, an Indian man and an Italian woman, said Franco Gabrielli, the head of the government agency overseeing the vessel's salvage.

However, their identities can only be definitively confirmed only after DNA testing, he added.

Schettino is on trial for alleged manslaughter

Relatives of the two victims have been notified of the discovery, Mr Gabrielli said.

Recovering the submerged bodies after 20 months under the weight of the 114,500-ton vessel was "almost a miracle," he added.

The side of the ship where the remains were found is badly smashed in after lying submerged since it capsized in January 2012.

Specialised police divers would remove the remains, which will be examined by forensic experts on the mainland in Tuscany.

DNA testing could take a few days, authorities said.

Experts also plan to go inside the ship to retrieve some of the Concordia's computers, so they can try to determine why backup generators and other equipment failed to work immediately after the collision.

The Costa Concordia was hauled upright last week in a complicated 19-hour salvage operation.

The ship is due to be towed away from the Mediterranean holiday island, probably by next spring, and eventually broken up for scrap.

The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for alleged manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship during a confused and delayed evacuation. 

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Brits To Face Russia Court Over Oil Rig Protest

By Katie Stallard, Russia Correspondent

Six British citizens are among 30 Greenpeace activists expected to appear in court in Russia later facing allegations of piracy.

Six Greenpeace activists and a photographer have already been remanded in custody for two months after being formally arrested.

They will be held in a pre-trial detention centre while investigations continue.

Simultaneous hearings were held in multiple rooms of Murmansk's tiny district courthouse in the Arctic port city in an attempt to process all 30 cases.

The activists were led into the dock in handcuffs in the same clothes they were wearing when they were taken from their ship.

Activist Paul Ruzycki inside a defendants' box

Several made statements pleading that they had children and asking to stay in the city until and during any trial, but bail was repeatedly refused.

Their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, was boarded on September 19 by an armed task force of Russia's FSB border control.

Masked men rappelled onto the vessel from a helicopter, reportedly corralling the activists into the mess hall at gunpoint.

When the captain refused to steer the ship, it was taken under tow by a Russian coastguard ship to the port of Murmansk, home of Russia's northern fleet.

Four activists had attempted to scale the Russian oil rig, Prirazlomnoye, in the Barents Sea 24 hours earlier using climbing ropes thrown from high-speed inflatables, but were forced to abandon their ascent after security forces fired a series of warning shots and brandished knives.

Photographs have emerged showing a man in a balaclavas pointing a gun at an unarmed activist with his hands up, another shows an officer clearly holding a knife.

Video footage released by Russia's Investigative Committee shows gunshots being fired into the water close to the protesters' craft, and the climbers' safety ropes being pulled despite audible shouts from those above that they are coming down.

Russian coastguard point weapons at the activists

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the activists were clearly not pirates, but defended their detention, stating that they had violated international law and endangered people's lives.

Greenpeace insists the protest was entirely peaceful, and that the only danger is from Russia's plans for arctic oil exploration.

They maintain their ship was in international waters at the time and there were no legal grounds to board it.

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said: "The Russian authorities are trying to scare people who stand up to the oil industry in the Arctic, but this blatant intimidation will not succeed.

"We are resolute in our commitment to protecting the Arctic environment and the world's climate.

"We call on people in Russia and around the world to stand with our activists and defend their right to peaceful protest."

The Arctic Sunrise sails under the Dutch flag

Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven added: "We are deeply concerned by the decision of the judge to refuse bail ... Greenpeace and its supporters in the UK will work together to support the activists and their families at this time."

A spokesperson for the British Embassy in Moscow told Sky News that consular staff were in Murmansk providing assistance.

The 30 detained activists are from 18 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Russia, the US and the UK.

The Arctic Sunrise sails under the Dutch flag.

Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans has reportedly spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov about the incident on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and The Netherlands has called for Russia to release the ship and its crew immediately.

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Kenya: Samantha Lewthwaite Hunted By Interpol

Interpol has issued an arrest notice for British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite at the request of Kenya.

The agency issued a Red Notice, or internationally wanted persons alert, following the massacre at a shopping mall in Nairobi.

Muslim convert Lewthwaite, 29, is wanted by Kenya on charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a crime dating back to December 2011.

She has been dubbed the 'white widow' because she was married to 7/7 London suicide bomber Jermaine Lindsay.

Samantha Lewthwaite may have lived in South Africa

Circulated to all 190 Interpol member countries, the Red Notice represents one of the agency's most powerful tools in tracking international fugitives.

"By requesting an Interpol Red Notice, Kenya has activated a global 'tripwire' for this fugitive," said Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

"Through the Interpol Red Notice, Kenyan authorities have ensured that all 190 member countries are aware of the danger posed by this woman, not just across the region but also worldwide," he added.

Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said that the arrest notice actually made "very little difference indeed" in the search for Lewthwaite.

"There is nothing to suggest that she was in the shopping complex - she might have been - but there is nothing to suggest she was," Marshall said.

Samantha Lewthwaite's fake passport

"She is wanted for fundraising and now that Kenya has made the request to Interpol it is normal form that they will issue the red notice."

There has been intense speculation linking Lewthwaite to the Nairobi shopping mall attack by Islamist militants from the al Qaida-linked al Shabab group.

The Kenya authorities have said forensic experts are working to establish if any of the attackers was female after receiving reports that a British woman was involved.

Lewthwaite is also known as 'Natalie Webb'

Lewthwaite - who uses the alias "Natalie Webb" - had previously only been wanted at national level for the  possession of a fake South African passport.

Mr Noble said her case highlighted the "invisible threat"' posed by terrorists and criminals travelling internationally using illicit passports.

"Every year hundreds of millions of individuals are boarding international transport and crossing borders without having the authenticity of their travel or identity document checked," he said.

"This dramatically compromises our ability to effectively screen and identify at airports and land crossings those individuals who could be suspected criminals and terrorists."

Earlier it was reported that Lewthwaite used her South African identity - Natalie Faye Webb - to take out bank loans and rent property in Johannesburg.

She rented at least three properties and ran up debts of £5,600, according to the eNews Channel Africa (eNCA).

Although she signed rental leases it was unclear whether she lived at any of the premises.

According to credit records released by eNCA, she was listed as living in the city's predominantly South Asian neighbourhood of Mayfair for four years.

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Kenya Siege Survivors Tell Of Brush With Death

Survivors of the Nairobi shopping centre terrorist attack have spoken of their attempts to hide from the gunmen as they fired indiscriminately at shoppers.

The attack at the Westgate Shopping Mall, which began on Saturday, has so far killed at least 67 people.

Eleven suspects are in custody and five of the attackers - thought to be members of Somalia's al Shabaab group - have been killed, but it is still unclear whether the four-day siege has been ended.

Ben Mulwa had just got out of his car after arriving at the mall for lunch with a friend.

He described running from his vehicle into the mall to escape the shooting when he saw four men armed with automatic weapons.

"There was a security guard who came to seek safety right next to where I was," he told Sky News after returning to hospital.

"He was the first to be shot dead because I remember they shot him right through the head.

"Before I could come to terms with that, that's when I saw the second gunman pointing a gun in my direction. All I remember is I heard a very loud bang.

"I think I almost passed out for a couple of seconds. A bullet grazed over my forehead - how he was able to miss me - and he was only three or four metres away from me - is a miracle somehow."

Kenyan security forces outside the Westgate mall

Mr Mulwa was also hit in the knee, and hid in a flowerbed before he was rescued.

Syed Ibrahim was shot by the gunmen and pleaded for his life, before the terrorists let him go.

He said: "I just told them to leave me alone, I've been injured, so they let me go and said we won't do anything to you because you have been shot already.

"The memory, you can't forget, you usually see it on TV or in movies. You wouldn't expect to see it in reality.

"It's not yet over, let's pray for the best."

Meanwhile, a five-year-old bravely confronted one of the gunman in the mall, telling him: "You're a very bad man, let us leave."

The Sun newspaper reported the little boy stood up to one of the terrorists after he shot his mother Amber in the leg.

The gunman then gave the boy and his six-year-old sister Mars bars, before letting them escape from the mall.

The children's father, Dan Prior, said: "I am very relieved that my family have survived and my thoughts go out to those families that are not as fortunate as my own. 

"My children are traumatised and my wife is very unwell as a result of this senseless atrocity."

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New Law To Protect Celebs' Kids From Paparazzi

Paparazzi and others who harass the children of public figures will face stiffer penalties under new legislation in California.

A bill signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown boosts penalties for actions that include taking photographs and a video of a child without consent and in a harassing manner.

Media organisations, including the California Newspaper Publishers Association, had opposed the move, which increases penalties for harassing children because of their parents' job, on the grounds that it was overly broad and could restrict the legitimate newsgathering activities of reporters and photographers.

However, Mr Brown, who dated rock singer Linda Ronstadt during his first stint as California governor in the 1970s, approved the measure without comment on Tuesday.

Justin Bieber has called for new measures

It means those caught breaking the restrictions now face a maximum sentence of one year in jail - up from six months- and a fine of up to $10,000 (£6,252) instead of the current £1,000 (£625) financial penalty.

The bill was given a boost when Hollywood mothers Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner gave it their support at a California legislative hearing in August.

Berry told of how her daughter had been intimidated by aggressive photographers who followed them daily, often shouting as they snapped pictures.

Welcoming the legislation, she said in a statement: "I started this fight with a great deal of hope and a bit of uncertainty so I cannot express my immense gratitude that Governor Brown has recognised, and acted to remedy, the plight of children who are tormented because of the identity or prominence of their parents.

"On behalf of my children, it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end for those overly aggressive paparazzi whose outrageous conduct has caused so much trauma and emotional distress."

Garner, who has three children with actor-director Ben Affleck, said she and her children were followed everywhere they went.

"How often do we see a tragedy unfold and say, 'Oh, there were so many warning signs. Why didn't anybody pay attention?'" Garner said at the time. "I am asking you as a parent to pay attention."

Nicole Kidman was knocked down by a cycling paparazzo earlier this month

The measure also will help protect the children of police officers, judges and others who might be susceptible to harassment or unwanted attention due to their parents' occupations.

The hounding of celebrities by paparazzi has long been identified as a risk in Los Angeles.

Actress Nicole Kidman said she was left "shaken" after being knocked to the ground by a cycling paparazzo in New York earlier this month.

Pop star Justin Bieber called for new laws to protect people from the paparazzi earlier this year after a photographer was killed taking pictures of his sports car in Los Angeles.

A 2010 law increased penalties for reckless driving by people trying to get photos for commercial gain.

Two charges against photographer Paul Raef, who became the first person to be charged under the 2010 law in connection with a high speed chase of Bieber in July 2012, were thrown out by a judge who ruled the legislation was overly broad and violated the First Amendment.

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Senator Fights Obamacare with Dr Seuss Rhyme

Republican Ted Cruz has been speaking on the floor of the US Senate for over 21 hours so far in an attempt to block funding for President Barack Obama's healthcare bill.

While not technically a filibuster, as he has given way for "questions" - allowing other Republicans to speak as well - he is yet to relinquish control of the floor.

One of the questions is understood to have lasted 45 minutes.

The potential presidential contender and Tea Party favourite from Texas has vowed to speak in the Senate for as long as he can.

"I rise today in opposition to Obamacare," said Mr Cruz, as he took to the floor of a largely empty chamber at 2.41 local time on Tuesday.

"And anyone who is trying to make this a battle of personalities is trying to change the topic from the topic that should matter: whether or not Obamacare is helping the American people.

The Senator's children listen to him reciting Dr Seuss Pic@jasonjohnson

"Mr President, if you focus on the substance, the evidence is overwhelming. This law is a train wreck."

Last week, the Republican majority in the House approved legislation that would defund the healthcare law as part of a bill to keep the government running past September 30.

However, the Democrats have the majority in the upper chamber, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to easily get the 51 votes needed to strip the healthcare provision from the bill.

Senator Cruz's marathon speech is a bid to stop the bill from advancing to that stage, with a vote due at lunchtime in Washington. The senator must yield control of the floor at noon.

At one point Mr Cruz read out Dr Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, quoted actor Ashton Kutcher as well as lines from a TV show called Duck Dynasty.

He also brought up children's book, Little Engine That Could, during his argument that the Democratic-controlled Senate is a place where legislation like the Republican bid to defund Obamacare or shut down the government, goes to die.

"That little engine can't," he said, apparently aware of the futility of his efforts.

Mr Cruz is not the first US politician to recently give a marathon speech in an attempt to impact legislation.

Rand Paul of Kentucky spoke non-stop for almost 13 hours earlier this year to block the appointment of John Brennan - President Obama's pick for CIA director.

Wendy Davis filibustered in the Texas State Senate for 11 hours to block an abortion bill in June.

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Syria: Rebel Groups Split Away From Coalition

Several Syrian rebel groups including a powerful al Qaeda-linked faction have broken away from the Western-backed opposition coalition - as UN inspectors return to continue their probe into chemical weapons attacks.

In a joint statement, 13 rebel groups led by the Nusra Front criticised the Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition, saying it no longer represents their interests.

The statement reflects the lack of unity in the exiled political opposition and the rebel groups fighting President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The rebel groups' statement called on all those trying to topple Assad's government to unite under a "clear Islamic framework" - an apparent reference to the al Qaeda faction's aspirations to create an Islamic state in Syria.

It said the rebels do "not recognise" any future government formed outside Syria, insisting that forces fighting on the ground should be represented by "those who suffered and took part in the sacrifices."

But the rebels themselves are also deeply divided, with many groups blaming jihadis and al Qaeda militants in their ranks for the West's reluctance to intervene militarily in Syria or give them the advanced weapons they need.

There is also growing concern that the dominant role the extremists are playing is discrediting the rebellion.

Meanwhile, a team of UN chemical weapons inspectors arrived in Damascus on Wednesday to continue investigating what officials have described as "pending credible allegations" of the use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war.

UN weapons inspectors arrive in Damascus

The visit of the six-member team, led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, follows a report by the inspectors published after their previous trip in September, which said nerve agent sarin was used in an August 21 attack near the capital, Damascus.

The US and its allies say Mr Assad's regime was behind the attack, which Washington said killed 1,400 people.

Damascus blames the rebels for the attack. Russia, a close ally of Mr Assad, said the UN report did not provide enough evidence to blame the Syrian government.

The United States and Russia brokered an agreement for Syria to give up its chemical weapons but UN diplomats say they are at odds on details of a Security Council resolution spelling out how it should be done and the possible consequences if Syria fails to comply.

Meanwhile, three boats carrying more than 700 asylum-seekers - some of whom were Syrian refugees - landed in Italy on Wednesday, the Coastguard said.

The new arrivals reflected a sharp increase in boats landing with people fleeing conflict-torn parts of the Mediterranean region and the Horn of Africa.

Two of the boats arrived on the island of Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point and a major gateway for undocumented migration into the European Union.

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Kenya: UK And US Helping Probe Of Mall

Could Al Shabaab Launch UK Attack?

Updated: 2:10pm UK, Tuesday 24 September 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

The UK's intelligence services have been following the trickle of British-based men heading for the al Shabaab group in Somalia for "many years".

It is of obvious concern to them but not a priority and the possibility of the group carrying out a major attack in the UK is thought to be unlikely.

However, the current link between the group and al Qaeda is concentrating minds.

A Whitehall source tells Sky News that "There's actually fewer men going to Somalia to join Shabaab now because the Syrian conflict has attracted a lot more attention for would be jihadists".

Nevertheless, the security services will be checking their records of people in the UK with a connection to al Shabaab and it's likely the Kenyan authorities have asked for any information which may be of help. What London can tell Nairobi is that over the past decade tens of men have gone to Somalia on al Shabaab-related activities and that "most of them stay there".

The authorities in Britain cannot rule out an al Shabaab attack in the UK but it is a scenario considered unlikely.

Given limited time and resources they cannot target the al Shabaab threat as a priority, the core al Qaeda affiliates are still considered a bigger problem along with the rumblings of increased extremist activity in Northern Ireland.

One source told Sky News: "The al Shabaab threat is most acute in Somalia. A secondary threat is in the East African region. There's always a threat of copycat attacks here, and could al Shabaab mount a UK attack? It's possible, but it's not their focus, and besides they are under a lot of pressure in East Africa right now."

What has attracted attention is the al Qaeda-style attack in Nairobi. This summer al Shabaab's top leader Abu Zubayr, also known as Ahmad Abdi Godane, moved against some of his lieutenants who controlled factions within the group. Several of these have subsequently been killed.

Godane then swore loyalty to the al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri and is thought to have been in contact with him. This will have pleased those in the al Shabaab ranks who, along with Godane, have a more international jihadi outlook and do not just want to concentrate on Somalia.

So while an al Shabaab attack in the UK is thought to be unlikely, the pressure on it to build on its now global brand with an attack even further from its base is something the security authorities will be looking at.

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Sofa Bed 'Suffocates' Three-Year-Old Girl

A New York man has been charged over the death of a three-year-old girl who apparently suffocated after she became trapped inside his sofa bed, officers said.

Mohamed Barry, 50, was arrested for allegedly failing to supervise Aissante Diallo, the daughter of his live-in girlfriend.

He is accused of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the youngster's death.

Barry told police he had briefly gone out on Sunday evening, reportedly for about 10 minutes, leaving Aissante and two older siblings, aged five and 10, in his Harlem apartment.

Officers found the three-year-old girl unconscious, and she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The three children were playing on the sofa bed when one of the folds came down, trapping the little girl inside, CBS reported, citing sources.

Investigators were awaiting confirmation of the cause of death from the medical examiner, the network added.

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Kenya Siege: British Woman 'Among Attackers'

A British woman and "two or three Americans" are said to be 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 at the Westgate building.

In an interview with the American 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, and I think she has done this many times before."

Her comments have been dismissed by an al Shabaab spokesman who said: "Those who describe the attackers as Americans and British are people who do not know what is going on."

Ms Lewthwaite is known to be in East Africa

Ms Mohamed's remarks have, however, fuelled speculation that British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to the July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, was involved.

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 Ms Lewthwaite, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 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, was said by a friend to be "deeply distressed" by suggestions her granddaughter had been involved in the attack.

Councillor Raj Khan, whose family knew Ms Lewthwaite's family socially in Aylesbury, said he was surprised at speculation she was involved in the attack. He called her an "average, British, young, ordinary girl".

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: "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."

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

However, Professor David Anderson, an expert in African terrorism at the University of Warwick, said Ms Mohamed's remarks must be taken with a "pinch of salt".

He said: "It would be very unusual if a female, and a British female at that, was involved in an al Shabaab operation."

Britain's Foreign Office would not confirm claims about the involvement of a British woman, while US officials said there was no evidence of the nationalities or identities of the attackers.

Speaking in Pakistan, Home Secretary Theresa May told the BBC she would not be commenting on reports that a British woman was involved.

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

Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which began on Saturday and has left at least 62 people dead.

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

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Greenpeace Activists Face Piracy Charges

Russia has filed piracy charges against Greenpeace activists who tried to climb onto an offshore drilling platform.

The protesters are on a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, which was seized last week by the Russian coastguard and towed into a port near Murmansk on Tuesday.

It was unclear how many of the 30 activists on board face piracy charges, which carry a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 500,000 rubles (£9,800).

The Investigative Committee, Russia's federal investigative agency, said it would question all those who participated in the protest and detain the "more active" among them.

Arctic Sunrise, Greenpeace's ship

Two activists tried to climb onto the Prirazlomnaya platform in the Arctic on Thursday and others assisted from small inflatable boats. The platform is owned by state-controlled gas firm Gazprom.

The Greenpeace protest was aimed at calling attention to the environmental risks of drilling for oil in Arctic waters.

Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said: "When a foreign vessel full of electronic technical equipment of unknown purpose and a group of people calling themselves members of an environmental rights organisation try nothing less than to take a drilling platform by storm, logical doubts arise about their intentions.

"Such activities not only infringe on the sovereignty of a state, but might pose a threat to the environmental security of the whole region."

Greenpeace insists that Russia had no right under international law to board its ship.

One activist claims coastguard officers hit and kicked some activists when they stormed the vessel.

The Arctic Sunrise was anchored on Tuesday in a small bay near Severomorsk, the home port of Russia's Northern Fleet, 15 miles north of Murmansk.

Greenpeace said the 30 activists were from 18 countries.

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Kenya Siege: Heavy Gunfire Heard Inside Mall

Heavy bursts of gunfire have been heard from inside a Nairobi shopping centre as Kenyan soldiers fight with terrorists to rescue hostages.

At least 10 hostages remain inside the mall on the fourth day of the siege in which 62 people have been killed, including six Britons - among them an eight-year-old girl.

Medics who have been inside the complex warned that the numbers of dead are significantly greater than have been confirmed, and the city morgue is preparing for the arrival of a large number of bodies.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to make an announcement to the nation later, a spokesman said.

It was not clear whether he would announce an end to the operation.

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

In a new Twitter feed claiming to be run by Somalia's al Qaeda-linked rebel group, al Shabaab, a post said that "the mujahideen are still holding their ground".

It warned "there are countless number of dead bodies still scattered inside the mall" and said it was "far greater than how the Kenyans perceive it".

Another post said that they were still holding hostages who were "still alive looking quite disconcerted but, nevertheless, alive".

In an audio broadcast on a pro-militant website, the al Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamoud Rage threatened that unless Kenya pulled its troops out of Somalia it could expect further terror attacks.

Bullet holes around a window of the Westgate mall

The Kenyan police responded with a Twitter message in which it told people to ignore enemy propaganda and said: "Troops now in mop up operations in the building. More to follow. Be calm."

They also said that they had been defusing bombs set up by the militants inside the mall, as part of the building's roof has now collapsed.

The army has confirmed that three soldiers have been killed in the fighting.

The Kenyan government insisted early on Tuesday that it was "in control" of the mall and that all hostages trapped by the attackers had been evacuated.

Kenyan forces at the shopping centre early on Tuesday

Government spokesman Manoah 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."

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said: "The government has said it's all over … but that seems to conflict with what we are hearing both from the military sources here - one of them told me that there were at least maybe two gunmen still holed up - and indeed al Shabaab itself."

Bodies arrive at the city morgue

He said that he had spoken to a medic who had been inside the building and they had said the numbers of dead were "huge" and warned that the official figures would rise.

The developments came as Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said that a British woman and two or three Americans were among those who had attacked the centre.

Her comments have led to increasing speculation that the Briton could be the 29-year-old widow of the 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, Samantha Lewthwaite.

However, a leading terrorism expert has said her involvement is unlikely and al Shabaab has denied the claim that Britons and Americans are involved.

The extremists also appeared to verify a picture that has been circulating on the internet claiming to be taken from the shopping centre CCTV and showing the gunmen.

Smoke is seen rising from the shopping centre

The two figures in the picture are seen in black headscarves, ambling past a children's sweet stall in the mall.

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, 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."

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

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.

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Earthquake Measuring 7.8 Hits Rural Pakistan

At least 39 people have been killed after a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit a remote area of south western Pakistan.

The quake struck a remote mountainous part of the country at 4.29pm local time (12.29BST) around 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of the city of Khuzdar in Balochistan province, at a depth of 15 kilometres.

It was felt as far away as the Indian capital of New Delhi, hundreds of miles to the east, where buildings shook.

Early reports said dozens had died, but many of the buildings in that part of the country are made of weak materials and there were fears of more casualties.

Abdul Qadoos, deputy speaker of the Balochistan assembly, told Reuters that 30 people and at least 30 percent of houses in the impoverished Awaran district had been destroyed.

The United States Geological Survey issued a red alert for the quake, warning that heavy casualties were likely, based on past data.

Tremors were felt across the province as well as in the sprawling port city of Karachi, residents said. People in Ahmedabad in India, hundreds of miles from the epicentre, ran out of buildings and into the street.

A senior Pakistani meteorologist, Muhammad Riaz, told Dunya TV station it was a "major" earthquake and "heavy destruction" was likely.

Mumtaz Baluch, an official in Awaran district, 350 kilometres southwest of Quetta, said: "There are reports of houses being collapsed in the district. We also have initial information about injuries to people as a result of the collapse of houses.

"We have dispatched our teams to the affected area to ascertain the losses."

Office workers in Karachi rushed out of their buildings and sat on the footpaths along the roads or stood away from structures.

Noor Jabeen, a 28-year woman working for an insurance company, said: "My work table jerked a bit and again and I impulsively rushed outside."

In 2005, a 7.6 magnitude quake centred in Kashmir killed at least 73,000 people and left several million homeless in one of the worst natural disasters to hit Pakistan.

The epicentre is in a remote, sparsely-populated mountainous area of Balochistan.

More follows...

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Pakistan Protests At Deadly Church Bombings

Angry Christians have been demonstrating across Pakistan in protest at Sunday's church bombings as the number of dead climbed overnight to 81.

In the country's deadliest attack against the minority faith, a pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up amid hundreds of worshippers outside an historic church in Peshawar, north-western Pakistan.

Christian protesters have blocked roads around the country in protest at the attack.

Christian men in Quetta shout anti-government slogans after the bomb attack

On one of the main roads coming into the capital, Islamabad, demonstrators burned brush and tyres and demanded government protection for the members of the Christian minority.

"We are a peaceful nation. We are loyal citizens of Pakistan," said Simon Jalal, a priest. "We want our rights, we want security. Security should be provided to our churches to stop more incidents like yesterday's."

Members of the Christian community in Lahore hold placards and candles

The attack on the All Saints Church in the city of Peshawar, which also wounded more than 140 people, occurred as worshippers were leaving.

A wing of the Pakistani Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying they would continue to target non-Muslims until the US stops drone attacks in the remote tribal region of Pakistan.

The bombings also raised new questions about the Pakistani government's push to strike a peace deal with the militants to end a decade-long insurgency that has killed thousands of people.

Within hours of the attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's toughened his stance, but fell short of calling for outright military action against insurgents holed up in tribal areas on the Afghan border - an option supported by Pakistan's army.

Christians are a minority in Pakistan, where roughly 96% of the country's 180 million people is Muslim. The rest is made up of other religions, including Christianity.

Christians have often been attacked by Sunni Muslim militants, who view them as enemies of Islam because of their faith.

Christians are also in a precarious position in Pakistan.

Protests have been held across Pakistan

While many Pakistanis condemned the Sunday bombings, Christians have often faced discrimination across the country.

They find it difficult to get access to education or better jobs and are known for having to contend with menial labour such as rubbish collecting or street cleaning.

It comes as police confirmed a bomb has also exploded near a patrol in southwest Baluchistan province, killing four people, including three officers.

No one has said they carried out the attack. Baluchistan is home to both Islamic militants and nationalists who have been fighting an insurgency against the government for decades for a greater share of the province's natural resources.

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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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Merkel Romps To Victory In German Election

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Angela Merkel has joined her jubilant supporters in song and dance after winning a third term as German Chancellor.

Speaking at a post-election party to chants of "Angie, Angie, Angie", she hailed a "superb result" for her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Together with sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), it saw its combined share of the vote rise by 8%.

Ms Merkel will have to forge alliances with traditional opponents

German newspaper Der Spiegel said the country was now a "Merkel republic", such was the returning Chancellor's dominance at the polls.

However, Ms Merkel's celebrations are unlikely to continue for long, as she begins the task of securing new coalition partners to govern Europe's largest economy.

The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) her coalition partner since 2009, saw its support plummet by nearly a tenth to 4.8%.

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

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can celebrate tonight," Ms Merkel said.

"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."

Officials results show the CDU/CSU won 41.5% of the vote, seeing off the main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) who managed 25.7%.

The humiliation of the FDP 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 fell just five seats short of that total and 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.

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Missouri Woman Held For 'Kidnapping Grandson'

A 60-year-old woman has been arrested in Missouri for allegedly kidnapping her grandson 13 years ago.

The boy disappeared as an infant in 2000.

Police in Missouri's Livingston County started investigating after a school official grew suspicious about the boy's background and alerted officers.

Police started looking into the boy's history and located his biological father in the southern US. 

Further investigation "gave probable cause to support the allegation the juvenile was abducted about 13 years ago in the state of Florida when the victim was a very small child," a police statement said.

Police then moved to arrest Sandy Hatte on allegations of child abduction. US news reports say the woman is the boy's grandmother.

She is being held on a $25,000 (£16,000) bond.

"The dad was working, come home from work and she was gone with the baby," Detective Eric Menconi told WDAF-TV, Fox 4.

"And he hasn't been able to find them since."

The station said Hatte was homeless until a man offered them a place to stay in Chillicothe, a city in Livingston County.

The boy has since been reunited with his father, and Mr Menconi said "they hit it off pretty well". 

The police thanked the school official who tipped them off.

"Had she not been paying attention and concerned about the safety and well-being of every child then this may have continued for who knows how long," the statement said.

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Kenya Siege: Gunmen 'Running and Hiding'

Islamist militants who have killed at least 62 people in a Nairobi shopping centre are reported to be "running and hiding" in stores as security forces close in.

Two of the "terrorists" have been killed and several others injured after the military launched a major assault, said Kenya's interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku.

He added there was "no way out" for the other fighters and "no room for escape" in the three-day-long siege.

And he claimed security forces were in control of all floors of the four-storey building following Saturday's raid by gunmen from Somali militant group al Shabaab - linked to al Qaeda.

Aerial view of the smoke rising from the shopping centre

Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from the scene, said a source told him around six or seven gunmen were still fighting the military in the shopping mall.

Mr Lenku said most hostages had been freed, without giving specific numbers.

Four British nationals were among the dead, including Ross Langdon, who had dual Australian nationality.

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."

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

Earlier in the day, four huge explosions were heard followed by a barrage of gunfire at the Westgate 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. Hours later, as night fell, the smoke was still billowing.

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

Kenyan troops take cover as they await developments

He said he expected security forces to end the siege soon and two of the attackers had been killed.

"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".

Sky's Stuart Ramsay reporting on the siege

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 the attackers have been using the hostages as human shields and have threatened to kill them.

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

Troops make their way to the shopping mall

The group said the shopping mall attack was in retaliation for Kenyan military action in Somalia that is helping to support the Mogadishu government.

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. 

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