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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School Accountant 'Stole $2m Lunch Money'

A former school accountant has been accused of stealing more than $2m (£1.3m) of student lunch money in California.

Judith Oakes, who worked for the Rialto school district for 25 years, was allegedly caught on security video stuffing cash from the school meals programme into her bra.

Police say she may have stolen as much as $3m (£2m) over the past seven years.

Rialto Police Captain Randy De Anda told CBS-LA News: "Obviously she had access to large sums of money and she was able to possess those large sums of money and get them out of the building." 

The money was meant to feed children in the Rialto school district

He said when officers went to Oakes' house in August to arrest her, they found thousands of dollars in stolen cash.

The case is believed to be the largest white-collar crime that Rialto police have investigated, Captain De Anda added.

Oakes, 48, who earned $60,000 (£40,000) a year, has not yet been charged.

Police allegedly found thousands of dollars in cash at Oakes' home

Rialto Unified School District said in a statement: "The district is continuing to work closely with law enforcement to make sure that those criminally responsible are identified and prosecuted. 

"We are taking all appropriate steps to recover the lost funds."

Several agencies, including the federal government, are investigating because she had access to federal school funds.

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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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Kenya Attack: Sixth Briton Confirmed Dead

A sixth Briton has been confirmed dead following the Kenya shopping centre attack, as officials say the number of British casualties may rise further.

Some 67 people were killed in the attack on the Westgate shopping mall and dozens of people are still reported missing.

The number of British deaths had earlier been revised from six down to five, but on Saturday the Foreign Office revealed that another UK national had been identified among the fatalities.

The identity of the sixth victim has not been revealed.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have no information at this time that any further British nationals have been killed although we cannot rule out the potential for further British casualties and we continue to stay in close contact with the Kenyan authorities as their investigations continue."

It comes as Sky News filmed new footage from the rear of the Nairobi mall which shows the extent of the damage following the attack.

New images filmed by Sky News show the extent of the damage

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

Sky News filmed from a private property of resident Sukhbir Singh, who said 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".

"They just came in and sprayed bullets without talking," he added.

The Islamist group al Shabaab said it carried out the massacre to punish Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia to fight the al Qaeda-linked organisation.

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Woolwich Suspects Deny Lee Rigby Murder

Two men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby earlier this year.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale appeared at Old Bailey via videolink before their trial.

Drummer Rigby, a father of one, was stabbed as he returned to the Woolwich barracks in southeast London on May 22.

The soldier's widow Rebecca Rigby watched in tears as Adebolajo, 28, and Adebowale, 22, each denied attempting to murder a police officer on the day of Drummer Rigby's death.

They also denied conspiracy to murder on or before that day.

Adebolajo, from Romford in Essex, has asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, while Adebowale, from Greenwich, southeast London, has asked to be called Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

They were remanded in custody to face trial at the Old Bailey on November 19.

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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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Teen Jailed For Life Over Sibling Fire Deaths

A teenager has been jailed for life for the manslaughter of four siblings who died in a house fire in Lancashire.

Dyson Allen, 19, must serve a minimum of nine years and three months for starting the fire in Freckleton which killed four-year-olds Holly and Ella Smith and their two-year-old brother Jordan.

Their elder brother Reece, 19, died after he was overcome by fumes as he tried to rescue them. All four died from the effects of smoke inhalation during the blaze in January last year.

The charred remains of the bedroom where the children died

Allen was among a number of the teenager's friends who were regular visitors to the house in Lytham Road. 

On the night of the fire there had been a party to celebrate the birthday of the children's mother, Michelle Smith.

The court heard Allen had spent the day drinking vodka and smoking cannabis.

Ms Smith, 37, said she said remembered the lights going off and then Allen jumped down the stairs and shouted "Fire" before he ran through the kitchen and out of the back door.

Reece Smith (L) died trying to save his brothers and sisters

He was convicted in July of manslaughter having been cleared of their murders. Judge Mr Justice Males said Allen had a history of "playing with fire" and had lied during the trial "to save his own skin".

Jailing him, Mr Justice Males said Allen posed a "serious risk to the public" but added Allen had no motive to harm the children or anyone in the Smith family.

He said: "So why did you do it? In one sense, what prompted you to do this terrible thing - not only starting a fire in a room where defenceless young children were asleep but waiting for several minutes before raising the alarm - is a mystery.

"But in another sense, why you did it seems clear enough. It was because you were out of your head due to the lethal combination of alcohol and cannabis which you had taken that day and because of your fascination with fire, particularly when you are affected by drink or drugs.

"But although you were intoxicated, you were not so intoxicated that you did not know what you were doing."

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Prince George To Be Christened On October 23

Prince George - who is third in line to the throne - will be christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, on October 23, Kensington Palace has announced.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son will be baptised during the ceremony at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace - just over three months since his birth.

Kensington Palace said "close members of both families" will attend but the names of senior guests will be released at a later date.

The christening will take place at the Chapel Royal

The Chapel Royal - where Princess Beatrice was christened in 1988 - was "the couple's choice", according to Sky News sources.

Other possible choices had been at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or Kensington Palace, where the couple now live.

The first official photographs of Prince George were released last month.

The Royal baby photographed in Bucklebury

They were taken by the Duchess's father, Michael Middleton, in the garden of his home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and showed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George, and their black cocker spaniel Lupo.

Earlier, it was announced the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a new coat of arms to represent them as a married couple.

The Conjugal Coat of Arms has been approved by the Queen and combines William's coat of arms and Kate's shield from the Middleton family coat of arms.

The coat of arms combines the royal couple's individual ones

Designed by the College of Arms in London, conjugal arms traditionally show the separate shields of a royal husband and wife, side by side.

The left shield on the Cambridges' new conjugal coat of arms is taken from the coat of arms given to William by his grandmother on his 18th birthday and shows the various royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England, the lion of Scotland and the harp of Ireland.

It is surrounded by a blue garter bearing the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" - "Shame to those who think evil of it" - which symbolises the Order of the Garter, of which he is a Knight Companion.

More follows...

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April Jones Funeral: Machynlleth Says Goodbye

The family of April Jones has said a final farewell to the murdered schoolgirl as the mid-Wales town that shared their grief came to a standstill.

A white horse-drawn hearse led mourners, including the five-year-old's parents Paul and Coral and their two children from their Machynlleth home to St Peter's Church.

Crowds lined the streets and filled the church and its graveyard for the long-awaited service.

Those paying their respects were asked to wear pink, April's favourite colour.

April's body has never been found

The coffin arrived at St Peter's to Emeli Sande's Read All About It played on loudspeakers outside the church.

As it was carried inside by family members, Coral wept, holding her hand to her face, comforted by Paul, while other relatives fought back tears.

A message from April's family, written on the order of service, said they "would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their overwhelming kindness, sympathy and support during this sad, sad time".

Among the crowds were members of the mountain rescue, who helped search for April.

Beginning the service, the Reverend Kathleen Rogers said: "We know that there are no words we can say at this moment to express what we are feeling.

"No words can alleviate our sorrow or take away our pain."

Two poems by a local writer - one called April and the other called An Autumn Night - were read during the service and the words of well-known hymns were changed to suit the family.

No relatives spoke at the packed service, which was organised only after the conclusion of an inquest, 10 days after which April's remains were released.

Following the service, the funeral party left the church for a private burial.

It is almost a year to the day since the five-year-old went missing - with her murderer, Mark Bridger, jailed for his entire life in May - but reminders of the youngster are visible throughout the town.

Flowers from April's grandparents

A memorial garden has been built on the estate of Bryn y Gog, close to the home where she lived for her brief life.

Earlier April's father inspected flowers and dolls left at the garden, which has become a focal point for locals.

A bench bearing her name has been placed among the trees and next to a pink playhouse.

Up in the Welsh hills overlooking her hometown, a tree has been intricately wrapped in knitted pink patches and below in the valley pink ribbons still adorn many of the shop fronts and houses.

But the town is different now, according to Councillor Mike Williams, a friend and neighbour of April's family.

He explained: "It's the magnitude of an event in which a five-year-old girl was ripped from her family, ripped from the community, in such a vile and vicious way.

"But the town has stayed together and together we will be. We will be as one and we will be always with the family in support."

April Jones' funeral reflected the wishes of her grieving parents, who had wondered for months whether it would even be possible as their daughter's body was never found apart from fragments of bone.

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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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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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Hamzah Khan: 'He Died In My Arms', Mum Says

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The mother of four-year-old Hamzah Khan, whose mummified body was found in her bedroom almost two years after he died, told police he died in her arms, a court has heard.

Amanda Hutton, 43, is on trial accused of Hamzah's manslaughter after his remains were discovered in her Bradford home in 2011.

In her police interviews read out to the jury, she said Hamzah had been a difficult child who shouted and screamed and would only eat bananas and milk.

Hutton said her son lost a large amount of weight in December 2009 and lay in a travel cot "really silent and still and peaceful".

She claimed Hamzah told her in "the kind of gabble" that he spoke: "Oh, I love you mum, are you alright mum?"

Hutton told officers she went to a Morrisons supermarket chemist for something to build up his strength when her eldest son Tariq rang her, saying: "Mum, you need to come back, Hamzah's eyes are rolling into the back of his head."

She said she picked him up when she returned home, adding that when he died in her arms, she did not know what to do next.

The moment Hamzah's body was discovered was described to the jury by the police officer who found it.

DC Richard Dove, of the child protection unit at West Yorkshire Police, was searching Hutton's bedroom after the alarm was raised about her lifestyle and the filthy house she was living in.

DC Dove said as he stood in the bedroom looking at a travel cot, he could sense there was something wrong.

"There was clothing and shoes and bedding piled up in the cot so I started taking them off," he explained.

In the dock, Hutton buried her head in her hands as DC Dove was asked: "What did you find?"

DC Dove replied: "The body of a small child, Asian in origin."

Hutton denies manslaughter and the trial continues.

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Osborne Takes Legal Action Over EU Bonus Cap

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

George Osborne is to take legal action against Brussels over the European Union's proposed move to cap the bonuses of thousands of British-based bankers.

Sky News has learnt that Treasury officials have been considering the move for several months.

A decision to formally challenge Brussels in the courts over measures to restrict bank bonuses echoes a similar legal action launched by the Treasury in April over the EU's proposed financial transactions tax (FTT).

The details of the Treasury's complaint are unclear, although banking industry sources said they had been told that a legal challenge had been lodged by the Government with the European Court of Justice.

The move is politically risky for the Chancellor, who is likely to be portrayed by Opposition politicans as a defender of high pay for wealthy bankers at a time when Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, is positioning himself as a defender of ordinary consumers.

Mr Osborne is expected to say that the proposed cap – which would impose a ceiling on bonuses of twice the base salary of a bank employee – risks undermining the City's status as a global financial centre and the objective of creating stronger and safer banks.

He may find himself insulated from the most trenchant political attacks by virtue of the fact that his position is endorsed by independent regulators.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), an arm of the Bank of England, is also opposed to the cap, arguing that it risks increasing instability in the banking system by driving up fixed costs.

About two-thirds of those affected by the cap are said to work in the UK

British-based lenders have argued against the cap, saying that they will have little choice but to inflate basic pay if they are to compete with rivals unaffected by the new restrictions.

Andrew Bailey, the PRA's chief executive, echoed their opposition at a Treasury Select Committee hearing earlier this year.

He said that the cap would "reduce the discipline in the system but it won't reduce overall remuneration" and warned that it "will institute an unhelpful culture of banks spending their time finding ways to get around the rules".

Without a legal challenge, UK regulators have little scope to overturn or ignore the cap despite the fact that regulators and many Westminster-based politicians agree that it will be potentially counter-productive.

"There will certainly be an expression of the sentiment that the cap is likely to result in an increase in fixed costs which could expose banks to some risk when profitability is low or negative, as there would be less scope to adjust pay," said a source familiar with the PRA's thinking.

Douglas Flint, the widely-respected chairman of HSBC, has paved the way for Europe's biggest lender to increase salaries in time for the introduction of the new ceiling.

The source said the text of the consultation paper had not yet been finalised, but denied that the PRA would allow a wider array of payments, such as pension contributions, to count towards executives' base salaries when calculating the multiple allowed for bonuses.

Some senior bankers say the regulator has appeared to be receptive towards that idea during recent discussions.

The British Bankers' Association has predicted that 35,000 bank employees around the world will be affected by the cap, approximately two-thirds of whom are based in the UK.

A Treasury spokesman declined to comment.

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Seven Arrested Over Leicester Fire Deaths

Police have arrested seven people in connection with a house fire which killed four members of the same family in Leicester.

The men - aged 16, 18, 20, 21, 24 and two 19-year-olds - were held after police executed warrants at several properties on Wednesday.

They remain in custody as police enquiries continue.

Shehnila Taufiq, in her 40s, her 19-year-old daughter Zainab and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamal, 15, died as fire ripped through their home in the Wood Hill area of the city on September 13.

Their father, Muhammad Taufiq al Sattar, was working in Ireland at the time of the fire and spoke of his grief, saying he would "deeply miss" his "beautiful" wife, daughter and two teenage sons.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with four counts of murder and is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court later this year.

Detective Superintendent Kate Meynell, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: "We appreciate that a number of residents may have been concerned with the police presence this morning, and we would like to thank the local community for their understanding and patience as officers carried out these warrants.

"This morning's activity was part of the ongoing investigation into the four deaths in Wood Hill earlier this month.

"We would also like to encourage anyone with information regarding the fire who has not already spoken to the police to contact us."

:: Anyone with any information should contact Leicestershire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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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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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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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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Miliband: Labour Would Freeze Energy Prices

Ed Miliband has vowed to freeze gas and electricity bills for 20 months if Labour regains power at the next election.

The party leader told its conference in Brighton that he would pass new laws to enforce the freeze while the energy sector was overhauled.

Labour claims the move will save households £120 a year and businesses £1,800 between May 2015 and January 2017.

The dramatic announcement puts Mr Miliband on a collision course with the "Big Six" energy companies, which stand to lose £4.5bn and have not been consulted.

"The companies won't like it because it will cost them money but they have been overcharging people for too long because the market doesn't work. It's time to reset the market," he said.

He accused the coalition of allowing energy prices to spiral because David Cameron did not have "the strength to stand up to the strong".

An average family's bill has risen by almost £300 since 2010 and companies now say energy is the second biggest cost they face, after wages.

A report last weekend from consumer group Which? also estimated that flaws in the market had left consumers paying £3.9bn a year too much.

Labour has already vowed it will pass new laws to split energy companies into generation and retail arms, create more competition and replace Ofgem with a tougher watchdog.

Ed Miliband and wife Justine arriving at the hall before his conference

Aides said firms should be able to absorb the freeze because of their large profits and challenged Mr Cameron to hold bills down if they try to dodge it by hiking prices early.

But Paul Massara, the chief executive of Npower, criticised the plan and said fixing energy prices was not as straightforward as flicking a switch.

"It's very easy for politicians to come up with simple-sounding solutions to difficult problems," he said.

"But in reality there are three main factors that influence prices: fixing inefficient housing stock, the investment required to replace the UK's energy infrastructure and the cost of buying energy on the global market.

He added: "If the Labour Party can commit to reducing policy costs on household energy bills, stopping the smart meter roll-out, preventing commodity cost increases and accept that there won't be any investment in new power stations and infrastructure, then we could freeze our prices. But will this make things better for Britain?"

Consumer group Which? have welcomed the plan however, claiming it would give "hope to the millions worrying about how they can afford to heat their homes".

Executive director Richard Lloyd said: "We now look forward to seeing the detail of how this will work.

"Wholesale costs are the biggest part of the eye-watering rises to energy bills that people have faced over the last 10 years.

The Labour leader spoke for 63 minutes without notes

"Making the wholesale market competitive by separating energy generation from supply is essential to help keep prices in check."

Mr Miliband had spent weeks honing his speech, which lasted 63 minutes, after a summer of recrimination over his leadership and the party's lack of direction.

Speaking without notes, he claimed soaring energy prices were part of a "cost-of-living crisis" which had left ordinary people struggling while the "privileged few" prospered.

He repeatedly declared "Britain can do better than this" as he accused Mr Cameron and George Osborne of leading a "race to the bottom".

And he insisted he had shown his strength by standing against his brother for the top job and refusing to support British military intervention in Syria.

"Leadership is about risks and difficult decisions. It's about those lonely moments when you have to peer deep into your soul," he said.

He predicted a "big fight" between now and the next election, but insisted he would relish going up against Mr Cameron in a test about leadership and character.

Mr Miliband will hope the address will move his party on from the damaging revelations about the Blair-Brown years revealed in Damian McBride's memoir.

Seeking to flesh out Labour's economic policy, he unveiled plans for a £800m tax break for smaller firms - paid for by cancelling a 1% corporation tax cut due in 2015.

He vowed to reverse the hike in business rates due in April 2015 and freeze the levy the following year, a move worth around £450 on average over two years for 1.5 million firms.

"We have to support our small businesses, the vibrant, dynamic businesses that will create wealth in Britain," Mr Miliband said.

However, business leaders were critical of the decision to fund it by keeping corporation tax higher, accusing him of "robbing Peter to pay Paul".

Institute of Directors director general Simon Walker warned it would harm Britain's competitiveness and put off foreign investors at a time when the country had to show it was open for business.

Other measures included:

:: Confirmation that the so-called "bedroom tax" would be scrapped, which prompted a standing ovation in the hall;

:: A "route map" to take all the carbon out of Britain's energy by 2030, creating one million jobs;

:: Breakfast clubs and after-school care in primary schools, to help working parents.

Mr Miliband claimed Britons were "fed up of a Government that doesn't understand their lives and a Prime Minister who can't walk in their shoes".

He said Mr Cameron would "resume his lap of honour" about the economic recovery at the Tory conference next week, when he should be on a "lap of shame".

Borrowing a slogan from Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign in 1980, he called on voters to ask themselves in 2015 "am I better off now than I was five years ago?".

"You've made the sacrifices but you have not got the rewards. You were the first one into the recession, but you are the last one out," he said.

Delegates also loudly applauded when he attacked Tory peer Lord Howell for suggesting fracking should happen in the "desolate" North East.

Arguing that the Tories are out-of-touch, he said: "The Tories call them inhabitants of desolate areas, we call them our friends, our neighbours, the heroes of our country."

On reform of Labour's union links, Mr Miliband insisted he understood why some people were "uncomfortable" but urged union chiefs to work with him.

The Tories claimed Labour moves on decarbonisation would hike energy bills by £125 and that the "tax rise on business" would cost jobs.

Chairman Grant Shapps said: "Nothing has changed. It's the same old Labour. They still want more spending, more borrowing and more debt - exactly what got us into a mess in the first place.

"And it's hard-working people who would pay the price through higher taxes and higher mortgage rates and higher bills."

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Mummified Boy Case: House 'Smelled Vile'

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The smell in a house where the mummified body of a four-year-old boy was found almost two years after he died was "overpowering", according to a police officer.

PC Jodie Dunsmore was a community support officer when she went to see Amanda Hutton in September 2011 about a complaint that rubbish had been thrown into a neighbour's garden.

No one answered when she knocked on the door, but after spotting dead flies inside the partly-closed blinds in the front room PC Dunsmore said she peered through the letterbox.

"The smell that came was vile," she told the jury.

She said she saw food and rubbish strewn all over the floor, but did not look for long.

"The smell was so overpowering I really didn't want to breathe it in," she explained.

The body of Hutton's son, Hamzah Khan, was discovered in a cot in her Bradford home in September 2011, surrounded by rotting rubbish and faeces.

Bradford Crown Court has heard how he had died almost two years earlier, in December 2009.

PC Dunsmore said after repeated visits over several days she made contact with Hutton by phone and was suspicious about her refusal to meet in the house.

"I felt she was in the house but was choosing not to open the door," she said.

The jury was shown photographs of the inside of the house, with rubbish strewn across the floors.

PC Jayne Lax, who searched the house after the alarm was raised, told the jury the rubbish, including takeaway cartons and rotting food, was ankle deep in places upstairs.

The jury was shown that the only relatively tidy room was Hutton's bedroom, with a large mesh-walled travel cot in the centre.

It was in that cot that Hamzah's body was found.

The court also heard from a neighbour of Hutton's, Christine Latz, who told the court that the defendant smelt of alcohol and was often drunk and tearful.

Ms Latz said: "She told me she'd come out of an abusive relationship to make a fresh start down here."

Prosecutors have argued that Hamzah died because he was starved to death, but Hutton, 43, denies the manslaughter of her son.

The trial continues.

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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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Costa Concordia: Schettino Blames Helmsman

The captain of the Costa Concordia, which hit rocks and capsized off an Italian island, killing 32 people, has blamed his helmsman for the disaster.

Speaking at his trial for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship, Francesco Schettino said he ordered Jacob Rusli Bin to steer left as the cruise liner sailed perilously close to Giglio.

He claimed the crewman reacted slowly and failed to complete the manoeuvre in time.

Schettino asked for permission to speak in court while experts discussed the extent to which the helmsman may have been responsible.

The Italian told the court that "if it weren't for the delay and error ... the ship would have stopped" before slamming into the reef, which carved a 70m (230ft) hole in one side of its hull.

Some 32 people died when the Costa Concordia ran aground

His claim was disputed by Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chairman of the expert witness panel, who said: "The ship would have hit the rocks in any case."

Investigators believe language problems between the captain and his Indonesian colleague may have contributed to the crash.

The helmsman was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison in July after pleading guilty to manslaughter and causing the shipwreck.

However, a law shaving three years off jail terms to ease prison overcrowding means he is unlikely to serve any time behind bars.

Schettino, who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, says the reef the Costa Concordia struck was not on his charts and that he was thrown overboard by the angle of the leaning ship.

The cruise ship has been righted, revealing its rust-covered starboard side

He claims he is being made a scapegoat and that errors by other personnel caused the tragedy.

His lawyers also want to examine the wreck for evidence of possible technical faults with the emergency generators and pumps that may have contributed to the disaster in January 2012.

The 114,000-ton ship was hauled upright from its partially submerged position earlier this month.

More than 1,000 concrete stacks and six underwater platforms will be used to keep the vessel stable until it is towed to a port to be broken up next spring.

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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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Mummified Boy Case: Authorities 'Not Bothered'

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The father of a four-year-old boy whose mummified body was found in his mother's bedroom has told a court he had previously called social services with his concerns but they "weren't bothered".

Aftab Khan said his former partner Amanda Hutton had thrown him out of the family home after he complained about the welfare of their son Hamzah.

Jurors were also told Hamzah was seen being fed as little as half of a supermarket pasty for evening meals.

The little boy's body was discovered in a cot in Hutton's Bradford home in September 2011, surrounded by rotting rubbish and faeces.

Bradford Crown Court has heard how he had died almost two years earlier, in December 2009.

Mr Khan told the court how he had separated from 43-year-old Hutton after he was charged with assaulting her.

The mechanic and taxi driver told the court that it was his concerns about his son that had led to the arguments resulting in his arrest in 2008 and eventual conviction for battery.

He said: "She wasn't bathing him. She wasn't changing him."

Mr Khan said he would only see Hutton feeding Hamzah milk. He said his former partner drank cider and vodka heavily, especially after the death of her mother.

Amanda Hutton denies the manslaughter of her son

"She'd be absolutely out of it," he said.

Mr Khan, Hutton's partner of 22 years, told the jury he had phoned social services in December 2009 or January 2010, but that he was ignored.

"I remember ringing social services, they said it was a private matter and they weren't bothered," he claimed.

"Social services are never bothered in cases like these."

The court heard that no record exists of any such call.

He said he was initially stopped from visiting Hutton due to a court order but did start to go and see his son when they moved to a new home in Bradford in March 2009.

Mr Khan told the jury his former partner was not looking after Hamzah properly.

"I said 'look at the state of him - you're not looking after him' and she told me to get out," he told the jury.

In heated exchanges with the judge and defence barrister Stephen Meadowcroft QC, Mr Khan said he refused to be blamed for Hamzah's death.

Accused by Mr Meadowcroft of being "a violent bully" and a wife-beater, he gestured to Hutton in the dock and said: "If I am a wife-beater why am I not stood next to her?"

Mr Meadowcroft replied: "Well perhaps you ought to be."

Mr Khan said: "You've got damaging evidence against Miss Hutton but you're still trying to point the finger at me - well I'm not having it."

Also giving evidence at the trial was Deepinder Kaur, the former partner of Hamzah's older brother Qaiser, who described conditions in the Bradford house in 2009.

"Hamzah didn't have proper meals, the only meal he had was in the evening, but even then he didn't have proper meals," she said.

Asked to provide more details of what Hamzah ate in the two weeks she stayed in the house, Ms Kaur said he had "lots of milk".

She said his breakfast was half a banana and during the day he would eat biscuits "or whatever's lying around", while his evening meal would be half a cheese and onion pasty.

She said Hutton drank during the day and was drunk almost every night, while Hamzah sat on the floor watching TV or was locked in his bedroom.

"When she was drunk she wasn't a very nice person," she said.

Ms Kaur said when she picked Hamzah up he was "very small and light," and that with hindsight he was "definitely underweight".

The jury heard from a female police officer who saw Hamzah at home in April 2009 during what she called a welfare visit after concerns were raised about Hutton's parenting skills.

PC Maria Furness said Hutton opened the door at 5.15pm smelling of alcohol.

She said she spoke to Hamzah and to his older brother Tariq, who described himself to her as Hamzah's uncle.

She said she left the house "satisfied that Hamzah was fit, well, clean, healthy-looking and that there was an appropriate adult".

Hutton denies manslaughter. The trial continues.

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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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