Firefighters Go On Strike In Row Over Pensions

Firefighters across England and Wales are to go on strike later amid a bitter row over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will walk out for four hours from midday.

The union is campaigning against changes it says will mean firefighters will have to work longer, pay more into their pensions and receive less in retirement.

The move will also see firefighters having to work on frontline duties until they are 60, the union argues.

The Government maintains that the changes are fair and will still give firemen and women decent pensions when they retire.

Fire brigades have drawn up their own contingency plans to deal with the strike because military Green Goddess machines, which have been used as cover in previous disputes, are no longer available.

They have been sold by the Ministry of Defence to countries including Malta.

Some brigades, such as London and Surrey, are hiring private contractors to stand in for striking firefighters, but the public has been warned that some non-emergency calls will not be answered.

The London brigade, which is using 27 fire engines during the period of the strike, said calls about flooding, trapped animals and rubbish fires will not be answered.

Almost 80% of FBU members voted in favour of industrial action in a ballot that ended earlier this month, although union officials said they left the strike to the last possible moment to allow for the possibility of a negotiated settlement.

General Secretary Matt Wrack said: "This initial strike is a warning shot to government. Firefighters could not be more serious about protecting public safety and ensuring fair pensions. Governments in Westminster and Cardiff have simply refused to see sense on these issues.

"It is ludicrous to expect firefighters to fight fires and rescue families in their late 50s: the lives of the general public and firefighters themselves will be endangered.

"None of us want a strike, but we cannot compromise on public and firefighter safety."

Firefighters in Scotland will not be joining the strike while union officials discuss proposals put forward by the Scottish Government.

Fire minister Brandon Lewis said: "Now that the Fire Brigades Union is pressing ahead with this unnecessary and avoidable strike, maintaining public safety is our first priority.

"I can reassure the public that all fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales have robust contingency plans in place. Incidents and call-outs are at an historical low - but in the event of a fire the advice to people remains the same: get out, stay out and call 999 - you will get an emergency response.

"The Government has listened to union concerns - firefighters will still get one of the most generous pension schemes in the public sector."

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Kenya: Days Of Mourning For Terror Victims

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: Heavy Gunfire Heard Inside Mall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smoke is seen rising from the shopping centre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police and volunteers react after hearing gunshots

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

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

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

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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Kenya Siege: British Woman 'Among Attackers'

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

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

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

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

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

Samantha Lewthwaite is known to be in East Africa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenyan security forces took control of the shopping centre after a final assault on the militants.

Police are conducting a sweep of the complex following the rescue of the remaining hostages.

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Kenya: Dramatic Video Shows Moment Of Attack

Where The Victims Are From

Updated: 4:46pm UK, Sunday 22 September 2013

The attack on the upscale Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi has killed at least 59 people and wounded some 175 more. The dead include Africans, Europeans, Asians and North Americans.

KENYA
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta says he shares the grief of the nation - his nephew and nephew's fiancee are among the dead.

INDIA
Two Indians were killed and four wounded in the attack, said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesman for India's External Affairs Ministry.

BRITAIN
Britain's Foreign Office said at least three UK nationals were killed in the attack and warned  the number of fatalities is "likely to rise."

FRANCE
French President Francois Holland said two French women were killed.

SOUTH AFRICA
One South African citizen was killed, said the country's International Relations Department.

CANADA
Two Canadians - including a diplomat - died in the attack, according to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He paid tribute to the victims and noted the loss of diplomat Annemarie Desloges, who served in Canada's High Commission to Kenya as a liaison officer with the Canada Border Services Agency.

GHANA
Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor died after being injured in the attack, Ghana's presidential office said. In addition to his writings, Awoonor was a professor and a former ambassador Brazil, Cuba and the United Nations.

THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans confirmed a 33-year-old Dutch woman has died and that seven other Dutch citizens who were in the centre escaped unharmed. The victim's identity was not released.

CHINA
A 38-year-old Chinese woman was killed the Chinese Embassy in Kenya said in a statement. Her son was injured and hospitalised in a stable condition, according to the statement posted on the embassy's website.

US
The wife of a foreign service national working for the US Agency for International Development was killed, and four American citizens were reported injured, said US officials.

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Kenya Stand-Off: Explosions In Final Assault

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

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

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

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

Officials say up to 15 al Shabaab militants may still be inside the centre.

Troops gather outside the Westgate shopping centre

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

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

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

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

The Kenyan Red Cross confirmed 68 people have been killed, at least 49 remain missing and around 200 have been injured.

Kenyan soldiers enter the main gate of the shopping centre

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

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

It also said it was "looking into" unsubstantiated claims that a list of names of those purported to be linked to the attack had been published on Twitter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

:: 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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Plane Diverts To Stansted: Pair Arrested

Two men have been arrested after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport.

The Sri Lankan Airlines A330 Airbus, which was carrying 267 passengers and crew, was due to land at Heathrow Airport but was diverted to the Essex airport just after 7.30pm on Friday.

Officers boarded the plane and arrested the pair on suspicion of endangering an aircraft, Essex Police said.

A spokesman for the force said: "The passengers have been removed safely and inquiries are ongoing."

The remaining passengers are being looked after at a reception centre at Stansted and are due to be transferred to Heathrow later this morning.

A spokesman for Stansted said last night: "Stansted Airport can confirm a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A330 diverted into Stansted at approximately 19.30 this evening.

"The aircraft, which was flying from Columbo to Heathrow, landed safely with Essex Police in attendance.

"The airport is open and flights are arriving and departing as normal."

In May this year, two men were arrested on board a plane from Pakistan carrying 297 passengers that was intercepted and diverted to Stansted by RAF typhoon jets.

Police later said the incident in May was being treated as criminal rather than terrorism-related.

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Online Daters 'Need Protection' From Stalkers

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

Online dating sites are not doing enough to protect women from being targeted by stalkers and violent men, according to an anti-stalking charity.

Paladin, which was set up two months ago, says it has been contacted by people who have been abused by men after meeting them on the internet.

A lack of regulation has meant those with a violent past have been able to join dating sites.

A new code of conduct and a kitemarking system is to be introduced to the industry to help boost client confidence.

Laura Richards, from charity Paladin, is urging more websites to join up to the code.

She said: "I think there's a lot of them that are not taking it seriously enough, currently, and certainly with regards to stalking and other serious offences that may be committed by predatory individuals who are using these sites because they know that there are a pool of victims for them to fish within.

"I think the code of practice is definitely a step forward that the public know there is a standard that has to be met."

Sarah, not her real name, met her former boyfriend on a dating website but was unaware he had two previous convictions for violence.

She said: "He threatened me, followed me, made unwanted contact with me, it was extremely terrifying. When I finally left the relationship the harassment continued in an email sense."

Her ex-boyfriend was eventually convicted but Sarah says there was no interest when she initially tried to contact the dating website.

"They supposedly had buttons on there to report an abuser, block an abuser but they are not easy to find, and they generate these automatic responses. There was no help or assistance available at a time when I was completely frustrated and panicking about the whole situation."

Recent YouGov surveys show one if five relationships in the UK begin online with around nine million people using dating websites in total.

Figures from consumer website Which? reveal that two in five people using dating sites have discovered fake profiles.

So far 13 online dating sites have signed up to the new Online Dating Association including eHarmony, The Dating Lab, Oasis, Match, My Single Friend, Guardian Soulmates, Love and Friends, Dating Factory, Christian Connection, Muddy Matches, Lovestruck, FreeDating and The Single Solution.

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Assad To Destroy Chemical Weapons 'In A Year'

Syrian leader Bashar al Assad says he is committed to destroying his stockpile of chemical arms - but warned it would take a year to do so.

In an interview with Fox News, Mr Assad said he was committed to getting rid of the arsenal but conceded it would cost at least £600m ($1bn).

He also insisted that his decision to destroy the weapons was not forced upon him by the threat of US strikes.

And he said that a UN report that found "clear and convincing evidence" of a sarin nerve gas attack in Syria last month is "unrealistic" and denied responsibility.

Mr Assad denied responsibility for the gas attack (pic: Fox News)

During an interview with the US crew at the presidential palace in Damascus, Mr Assad said destroying the weapons was "a very complicated operation, technically".

"And it needs a lot of money, about a billion," he continued.

"So it depends, you have to ask the experts what they mean by quickly. It has a certain schedule.

"It needs a year, or maybe a little bit more."

Mr Assad also used the one-hour interview to criticise the American stance in the Syrian crisis.

He said that, unlike the Russians, Washington had tried to get involved in Syria's leadership and governance.

Mr Assad's comments came after a senior Russian diplomat said Damascus would stick to its commitment to eliminate its chemical weapons by mid-2014.

After talks in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said President Assad was "very serious" about the disarmament plan.

Mr Ryabkov also said that Syrian officials had shown him "material evidence" implicating rebels in the sarin attack.

And the Russian diplomat criticised the United Nations for being "one-sided" in its recent report on the attack.

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Egyptian Security Forces In Cairo Gun Battle

Egyptian security forces have fired tear gas and exchanged gunfire with armed groups on the outskirts of Cairo.

A police officer was shot dead as troops stormed into the Kerdash district to arrest people accused of torching a police station and killing 11 security officers during clashes after the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi last July, state TV said.

Security forces reportedly took control and imposed a curfew of the area, where police had effectively been banned for almost three months.

Morsi's exit was triggered by mass protests that led to counterprotests nationwide.

Violence between his supporters and security forces included large-scale attacks on police stations, individual security officers and churches.

At least 1,000 people have died in the violence with most deaths coming during the security forces' dispersal of two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo on August 14.

About 100 police officers also died in the clashes.

Nearly 2,000 Islamist activists and politicians have been arrested since Morsi was forced from office.

Kerdasah, known for producing and selling fancy fabrics is 14 km from Cairo and known to be an Islamist stronghold.

Residents of the area said on Wednesday they were not in control but do not want police there.

"We don't trust them as we know they will come to arrest people we know and respect whom they blame on the violence that we know was done by outsiders, not by our respectable sheikhs," Ahmed Aly, a resident, told Reuters.

Egyptian security forces had last Monday stormed the town of Delga in Minya province, about 300 km south of Cairo, clearing barricades set up by Morsi's supporters there who were almost in control of the town.

Some 56 residents were arrested.

More follows...

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