World News liveblog
Reuters live coverage of events around the world. Follow @ReutersWorld on Twitter for top news and @ReutersLive for live video events.
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Map of the western Pacific showing potential track of Typhoon Haiyan as it heads towards Vietnam and China.
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People ride against rain and wind under the influence of Typhoon Haiyan, in Qionghai, south China's Hainan province, November 10, 2013. REUTERS/China Daily
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Sky News Australia early Monday update: www.skynews.com.au
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Empty coffins lie on a street near houses damaged after super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city, central Philippines November 10, 2013. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
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hildren play under the statues of saints inside a Catholic church which has been converted into an evacuation center after super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city, central Philippines November 10, 2013. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
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Readers, here is a Facebook post from the Armed Forced of Malta that has an image reporting to show the location: www.facebook.com -
Additional reports: these are not yet confirmed independently by Reuters, we are sharing to help you understand what reports are available that are from other news organizations:
- Migrant boat capsized between Sicily and Tunisia (Malta Today)
- Location of boat is 60 nautical miles south of Lampedusa (Malta Today)
- Armed Forces of Malta and Italian boats, choppers responding (Times of Malta, Malta Today)
- "The heavily overloaded boat was first spotted by an AFM’s King Air aircraft and an AFM patrol boat was first to reach the site" (Times of Malta) -
Readers, there is an initial picture floating around Twitter but we are waiting to confirm it. It looks like a small boat, too small to fit 200 people. Note that initial reports are of at least 200 people, according to Italy's navy, but that doesn't mean the number won't change as we learn more. It's quite likely the number will change, and we will make sure to state when something is a report versus a fact.
Please let us know if you have any questions using the "comment" option on the live blog bar above.
UPDATE 1: the picture reference above was from 2011, and has been debunked. There is a second unconfirmed picture of two people being rescued from the sea, and we are working to confirm that now.
UPDATE 2: the second picture referenced in Update 1 is confirmed as being from the October 3 boat that sank off the coast of Lampedusa. -
Latest from Reuters on the Nairobi mall attack
- Militants say they are 'holding out' in Kenya mall
- Photographer's blog: Witnessing the massacre
- Pictures from Nairobi
- Possible that London bomber's widow involved in Nairobi attack
- Al Shabaab denies attackers include Americans and Britons
- White House troubled by Al Shabaab recruitment in U.S.
- Nairobi mall attack strikes at Africa's boom image -
A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) armoured military vehicle drives to the Westgate shopping centre after an exchange of gunfire inside the mall in Nairobi, September 24, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
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A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) armoured military vehicle drives to the Westgate shopping centre after an exchange of gunfire inside the mall in Nairobi, September 24, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
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A police officer walks towards the edge of a security perimeter put into place a distance from the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi, in the early hours of the morning during a standoff operation between Kenyan security forces and gunmen inside the building, September 24, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola
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UK source says possible that London bomber's widow involved in Nairobi attack
LONDON - A British security source said on Tuesday it was a possibility that the widow of a suicide bomber who attacked London in 2005 was involved in the siege of a Nairobi shopping mall where Islamist fighters killed at least 62 people.
When asked about reports that Samantha Lewthwaite, dubbed the "white widow" by the British media, was directly involved in the attack in Kenya, the source said: "It is a possibility. But nothing definitive or conclusive yet."
The security source spoke on condition of anonymity.
Lewthwaite is the widow of Germaine Lindsay, one of the suicide bombers who killed more than 50 people on London's transport system in 2005. She is thought to have left Britain several years ago.
(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Mike Collett-White) -
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Militants say they are 'holding out' in Kenya mall
By Richard Lough and Duncan Miriri
NAIROBI - Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group says there are "countless dead bodies" in a Kenyan shopping mall as security forces searched for militants still holed up in the complex after a weekend attack that authorities say killed 62 people.
Full Article -
People run from tear gas as security officers (not pictured) disperse a crowd of onlookers near the security perimeter of the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola
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The Kenya shopping mall standoff escalates with multiple gunshots fired and smoke billowing into the air on the conflict's third day. Nathan Frandino reports.
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Hours after the gunfire began, hours in which she bled on to her children as they cowered beneath her on the supermarket floor, Pauline came face-to-face with the gunmen who had brought terror to Nairobi’s Westgate mall. Read eyewitness accounts from The Independent
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Kenya Defence Forces soldiers take cover behind walls near the Westgate shopping centre after an exchange of gunfire inside the mall in Nairobi September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Noor Khamis
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Kenya Defence Forces soldiers take cover behind a wall near the Westgate shopping centre after an exchange of gunfire inside the mall in Nairobi September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Noor Khamis
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Fire engines and armoured military vehicles are pictured in front of Westgate shopping centre after explosions at the mall in Nairobi September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Noor Khamis
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Kenya's economy seen resilient to mall attack, tourism aside
By Kevin Mwanza and Joseph Akwiri
NAIROBI/MOMBASA - Security worries are nothing new in Kenya and so the country is unlikely to see long-term investors pull money out after the deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall, analysts say.
However, the tourism industry - a big earner of foreign exchange - may suffer some damage, especially if governments warn their citizens from travelling to the east African country.
This weekend's hostage crisis, in which more than 60 people have been killed, is a sharp reminder of the threat from war-ravaged Somalia on the doorstep, but Kenya's previous encounters with Islamic militancy - in 1998 and 2002 - suggest the economic impact will be limited.
"It will hit investor confidence but having said that the areas which are most likely to be impacted are tourism and in the shorter-term consumer goods," said Joseph Rohm, a portfolio manager of African equity portfolios at Investec Asset Management in Cape Town.
Click here for the full story. -
Uganda steps up security after Kenya mall attack -army
KAMPALA - Uganda, which like Kenya has sent troops to fight Islamist militants in Somalia, said on Monday it had stepped up security after a raid by Somali-linked gunmen on a Kenyan shopping mall that killed at least 68 people.
The last big attack by Somalia's al Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for the Nairobi attack, was a double bombing in Uganda in 2010, targeting people watching the soccer World Cup final on television in Kampala, killing 77 people.
"We have generally stepped up security across the board in terms of streamlining border security so that we plug all the loopholes at entry points that could be potentially exploited by these characters," said Ugandan army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Ankunda when asked about Uganda's response.
There was no obvious sign of heightened security at two of the capital's main shopping malls, beyond the usual checks by private security personnel.
"We have strengthened our cooperation with our neighbouring countries in intelligence sharing and all other ways in which we can collaborate to defeat these terrorists," Ankunda added.
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) -
The Independent compiles tweets from survivors of the shopping mall attack. ind.pn
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The operation ticks the boxes that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri listed in a message published just over a week ago.
CNN -
Nice backgrounder and observations from Martin Plaut, former Africa editor with the BBC. bit.ly
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Exclusive RAW Video Footage On The Westgate Attack ( Courtesy of CCTV).
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As details are released about the victims in the Nairobi shopping mall attack, a picture emerges of the assault's global impact. Mana Rabiee reports.
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Kenyan police officers take position during the ongoing military operation at the Westgate Shopping Centre in the capital Nairobi, September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
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Smoke rises over Westgate Shopping Centre after an explosion in Nairobi, September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
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"Tear gas wafting through the crowd at Westgate. Police evacuating crowds. Black smoke & chaos": Daniel Howden. bit.ly
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Reuters Video: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton meets Egypt's interim leaders at the start of a mediation mission to Cairo. Lily Grimes reports.
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Reuters Picture: Supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi shout slogans during a protest at the Rabaa Adawiya square where they are camping, in Cairo August 2, 2013. Tens of thousands of supporters of Mursi marched through Cairo on Friday, demanding Mursi's reinstatement amidst a looming threat that Egyptian authorities will clear out two pro-Mursi sit-ins with force. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Michael Georgy and Alistair LyonEgypt's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi understands that there must be a political solution to Egypt's crisis, Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei said in an interview published on Friday, adding that the general was not thinking of running for president.
"He understands that there has to be a political solution. But of course he has a responsibility to protect the country in terms of security. And the army is on the edge," ElBaradei told the Washington Post.
The interview was published as the European Union pursued an effort to negotiate an end to the standoff between the Muslim Brotherhood and the army-backed administration installed after President Mohamed Mursi's July 3 downfall. ElBaradei said protest camps set up by the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo should be disbanded through dialogue, following Interior Ministry warnings that steps would be taken to disperse them."I do not want to see any more bloodshed. Nobody wants that. We are doing our best," ElBaradei said.
"That’s why [I favor] a dialogue renouncing violence as part of a package for them to disband this whole demonstration and then start building the country," he added. "They need to cooperate," he added, in reference to the Brotherhood. "But they need of course to feel secure, they need immunity, they need to feel that they are not excluded. It’s things we are willing to provide."In detention since he was deposed, Mursi faces a judicial inquiry into accusations of murder and conspiring with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in 2011 when he escaped from prison during the revolt against former President Hosni Mubarak. ElBaradei said he would like to see the charges against Mursi dropped "if they are not very serious"."I would like to see a possible pardon as a part of a grand package. Because the fate of the country is much more important," ElBaradei said.
He also said Sisi was not thinking of running for president:"You see Sisi’s picture everywhere, and it’s good that he is not thinking of running for president. It’s good that he does not want to have the army run the country," he said. "But people in a national emergency look for power, and the power rests with the army right now."
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Reuters: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says U.S. government, other countries working to bring Egypt parties togetherReporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Sonya HepinstallThe United States and other nations are working hard to bring Egypt's parties together to find a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday (August 2, 2013)."Egypt needs to get back to a new normal, it needs to restore stability, to be able to attract business and put people to work," Kerry said before a meeting with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed in London."We will work very very hard together with others, in order to bring parties together to find a peaceful resolution that grows the democracy and respects the rights of everybody."
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Egyptians stage rival rallies as Mursi charges fuel tension3:20pm EDT, July 26, 2013
By Noah Browning and Shadia Nasralla
CAIRO (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets in rival mass rallies on Friday, hours after the state news agency said ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi was being investigated for charges including murder.
In Cairo, huge crowds heeded a call by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to give him a popular mandate to confront violence unleashed by his July 3 overthrow of Mursi, many of them clutching pictures of the general in full ceremonial uniform. Supporters of the deposed Islamist leader staged mass counter-demonstrations to demand his reinstatement, shrugging off fears of an imminent crackdown.
The army's move against Egypt's first democratically elected president has caused deep alarm in the West. The country of 84 million people forms a bridge between the Middle East and North Africa and receives $1.5 billion a year in mainly military aid from the United States.
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Reuters Picture: A view of a sunset over Tahrir Square during a protest to support the army, in Cairo July 26, 2013. Ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi is under investigation for an array of charges including murder, the state news agency said on Friday, stoking tensions as opposing political camps took to the streets. Confirming the potential for bloodshed, two men were killed in confrontations in Egypt's second city Alexandria and a further 19 were hurt, Mena news agency reported. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Friday's protests are in relation to charges that ousted President Mursi conspired with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to flee jail during the 2011 uprising against veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak, killing some prisoners and officers, kidnapping soldiers and torching buildings. Mursi has previously said locals helped him escape from prison during the 2011 upheavals and the Muslim Brotherhood denounced the series of accusations leveled against him.
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"At the end of the day, we know all of these charges are nothing more than the fantasy of a few army generals and a military dictatorship," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said. "We are continuing our protests on the streets."
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Two Egyptians were killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Mursi in Egypt's second biggest city of Alexandria on Friday, Egypt's MENA news agency reported. It said 19 others were injured in clashes that erupted after thousands took to the streets in response to a call by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for a popular mandate to tackle violence unleashed since the ouster of Mursi on July 3. That triggered calls for pro-Mursi rallies.
Reporting by Omar Fahmy; writing by Yasmine Saleh; editing by Edmund Blair -
"There were people who supported Sisi or didn't want the Brotherhood," said Hatem al-Dabaa, a 50-year-old owner of an antique shop in Cairo who is opposed to military rule. "But when they see what the military rule will do, they will change their minds."
Read: Egypt's generals back in power (Reuters) -
An anti-Mursi protester waves an Egyptian flag as a military helicopter flies over Tahrir square during a protest to support the army in Cairo July 26, 2013. Many of those Egyptians opposed to ousted President Mohamed Mursi say their admiration for the army has never wavered, and that any anger was always directed at the generals in charge. In the turbulent world of Egyptian politics since Hosni Mubarak, a former air force marshal, was toppled, the military is seen as an institution that offers stability. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
Putin says Russia will follow up fast after Ukraine call with Biden
MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would send ideas to Washington within a week to follow up his talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on the Ukraine crisis.
