Somalia&#39;s al Shabaab Islamist group launched a suicide bomb attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu on Saturday before fighters stormed inside, police and the militant group said. 
 
Police said at least seven people had died and 10 others were wounded. Gunfire echoed round the seaside city after the blast and ambulances raced to the scene. 
 
&quot;We attacked the hotel which was frequented by the apostate government members,&quot; al Shabaab military operations spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters, adding that the group&#39;s fighters were inside the building. 
 
Al Shabaab frequently carries out attacks in the capital in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. 
 
&quot;Those who died included civilians and hotel guards,&quot; police major Ali Hassan told Reuters. 
 
&quot;We have rescued many people from the back door. No one can enter the building from the front or near the front. There are snipers there,&quot; he said as fighting continued. 
 
Earlier, another police officer said the initial blast was caused by a suicide bomber before fighters stormed into the Nasahablood hotel. There was a heavy exchange of gunfire. 
 
Muslims in&nbsp;Somalia&nbsp;and around the world are observing Ramadan. In previous years, al Shabaab has often intensified attacks during the fasting month, often picking targets where people gather just before or after breaking the fast. 
 
(Reuters)

Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group launched a suicide bomb attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu on Saturday before fighters stormed inside, police and the militant group said. Police said at least seven people had died and 10 others were wounded. Gunfire echoed round the seaside city after the blast and ambulances raced to the scene. "We attacked the hotel which was frequented by the apostate government members," al Shabaab military operations spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters, adding that the group's fighters were inside the building. Al Shabaab frequently carries out attacks in the capital in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. "Those who died included civilians and hotel guards," police major Ali Hassan told Reuters. "We have rescued many people from the back door. No one can enter the building from the front or near the front. There are snipers there," he said as fighting continued. Earlier, another police officer said the initial blast was caused by a suicide bomber before fighters stormed into the Nasahablood hotel. There was a heavy exchange of gunfire. Muslims in Somalia and around the world are observing Ramadan. In previous years, al Shabaab has often intensified attacks during the fasting month, often picking targets where people gather just before or after breaking the fast. (Reuters)

Somalia Islamist group al Shabaab launch suicide bomb attack before storming inside Mogadishu hotel

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in &nbsp;Olympic Games. 
 
Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. 
 
Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. 
 
&quot;I think he said &#39;dinero&#39; (money),&quot; she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. 
 
&quot;And then he said something else, but I don&#39;t know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones.&quot; 
 
The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. 
 
&quot;It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we&#39;re both OK,&quot; said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. 
 
Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said&nbsp;the Australian Paralympic Committee . 
 
Australia&#39;s Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. 
 
&ldquo;That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,&rdquo; said&nbsp;McLoughlin . 
 
&ldquo;We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.&rdquo; 
 
The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. 
 
Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. 
 
Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. 
 
Emergency measures are needed to avoid &quot;a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management,&quot; a decree in the state&#39;s Official Gazette said. 
 
The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state&#39;s security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel on Flamengo Beach when two men attacked them

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in Olympic Games. Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. "I think he said 'dinero' (money)," she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. "And then he said something else, but I don't know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones." The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. "It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we're both OK," said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said the Australian Paralympic Committee . Australia's Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. “That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,” said McLoughlin . “We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.” The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. Emergency measures are needed to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management," a decree in the state's Official Gazette said. The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state's security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. (Reuters)

Australian paralympic sailor robbed at gunpoint in Rio

Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister said on Monday that he was shocked by the deaths of 14 security guards in a suicide bomb attack on their bus in Kabul, as his government made plans to fly their bodies back. 
 
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli said his government strongly condemned the attack, which also wounded five Nepali citizens and four Afghans. 
&quot;I express my heartfelt condolences for the victims,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
&quot;I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the suicide attack in Kabul. Nepal government strongly condemns the Kabul incident.&quot; 
 
Nepal&#39;s foreign ministry said it was working to repatriate the bodies of the victims, who were employed by the private security company Sabre International to guard the Canadian embassy in Kabul. 
 
Authorities said around 3,300 Nepalis were currently working in Afghanistan as security guards. 
 
A number of them are former soldiers with the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies. 
 
Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. 
(AFP)

The Nepalese government is working to fly back the bodies of 14 security guards who died in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul

Nepal's Prime Minister said on Monday that he was shocked by the deaths of 14 security guards in a suicide bomb attack on their bus in Kabul, as his government made plans to fly their bodies back. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli said his government strongly condemned the attack, which also wounded five Nepali citizens and four Afghans. "I express my heartfelt condolences for the victims," he tweeted. "I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the suicide attack in Kabul. Nepal government strongly condemns the Kabul incident." Nepal's foreign ministry said it was working to repatriate the bodies of the victims, who were employed by the private security company Sabre International to guard the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Authorities said around 3,300 Nepalis were currently working in Afghanistan as security guards. A number of them are former soldiers with the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies. Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. (AFP)

Nepal expresses 'shock' over killing of security guards in Kabul

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a&nbsp;suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded.&nbsp; 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives,&quot; he said in a tweet.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy,&quot; PM Modi said.&nbsp; 
 
Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital.&nbsp; 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam&#39;s holy month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month.&nbsp; 
 
Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan&#39;s northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. 
 
&quot;Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians,&quot; the Badakhshan provincial governor&#39;s spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. 
 
The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. 
 
&quot;It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province,&quot; Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. 
 
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. 
 
Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. &nbsp; 
 
AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military&#39;s authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. 
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Suicide attack and so far unclaimed motorcycle bomb devastate country as insurgency persists despite Taliban leader's recent death

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said. A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said. The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy. "We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives," he said in a tweet. "We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy," PM Modi said. Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam's holy month. It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month. Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. "Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians," the Badakhshan provincial governor's spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. "It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province," Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military's authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Twin blasts rock Afghanistan Monday morning: At least 22 dead, 26 injured

Somalia&#39;s al-Shabaab jihadists have confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenya&#39;s Garissa University that left 148 people dead. 
 
The killing of Mohamed Mohamud, aka Dulyadin, was announced by Somali officials on June 1, and Shabaab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary yesterday. 
 
&quot;We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise,&quot; it said. 
 
Shabaab said the commander, also know by the aliases &#39;Kuno&#39; and &#39;Gamadhere&#39;, was killed by &quot;US crusaders&quot;. 
 
Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo. Somalia&#39;s special forces are trained by, and receive logistical support from, the US. 
 
Mohamud, a Kenyan national and an ethnic Somali, was killed alongside three other commanders and his body later put on display by local authorities. 
(AFP)

He died earlier in June but was made official in obituary by the jihadist outfit only yesterday

Somalia's al-Shabaab jihadists have confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenya's Garissa University that left 148 people dead. The killing of Mohamed Mohamud, aka Dulyadin, was announced by Somali officials on June 1, and Shabaab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary yesterday. "We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise," it said. Shabaab said the commander, also know by the aliases 'Kuno' and 'Gamadhere', was killed by "US crusaders". Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo. Somalia's special forces are trained by, and receive logistical support from, the US. Mohamud, a Kenyan national and an ethnic Somali, was killed alongside three other commanders and his body later put on display by local authorities. (AFP)

al-Shabaab confirms commander, who allegedly organised university attack killing 148, dead

Three men have been charged with &quot;attempted terrorist murder&quot; following sweeping nationwide anti-terror raids in&nbsp;Belgium, federal prosecutors said on Saturday.
Named as Samir C., Moustapha B. et Jawad B., the trio were among 12 people detained during the raids.

They have also been charged with &quot;participation in the activities of a terrorist group&quot;, while the nine others were released after questioning, prosecutors added.
Earlier, security for 30 VIPs had been reinforced over fears of an &quot;imminent&quot; attack. 
 
The alert came as thousands of people gathered across the country in fan zones for Belgium&#39;s Euro 2016 match against Ireland. 
 
&quot;Over the coming hours we are going to take additional and updated security measures,&quot; Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after a national security council meeting called to discuss the threat. 
 
&quot;The different events planned for the next few days will go ahead,&quot; Michel added, urging people however to &quot;respect safety advice&quot;. 
 
Dozens of searches were carried out across Belgium overnight in a case that needed &quot;an immediate intervention&quot;, federal prosecutors said Saturday. 
 
Forty people were initially held and 152 garage boxes searched, they said. 
 
The raids took place in 16 communes in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia and &quot;passed off without incident,&quot; they said in a statement, adding that &quot;until now no arms or explosives were found.&quot; 
 
Flemish commercial broadcaster VTM reported that it was connected to a threat linked to Belgium&#39;s fixture against Ireland, held Saturday afternoon in Bordeaux, France. No incidents were immediately reported after the match ended with a 3-0 defeat for the Irish. 
 
The channel said the threat was against targets in Belgium, possibly fans watching the game on television in crowded places. 
 
A judge will decide later whether to detain those who have been arrested, none of whom have been named. 
 
Belgium is still reeling from the Islamic State suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the city&#39;s metro on March 22 which killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more. 
 
They came five months after jihadists, many of them from Brussels, carried out gun and bombing attacks in Paris on November 13, killing 130 people and wounding hundreds more. 
 
The latest raids targeted several areas tied to the attacks of November 13 and March 22. 
 
Officers in Flanders moved on the town of Zaventem close to Brussels National airport while there were raids in the Brussels suburbs of Molenbeek, Schaarbeek and Forest were closely associated with the perpetrators of both attacks. 
 
Molenbeek is notorious for being a hotbed of Islamic extremism where Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the 10-man jihadist team that attacked Paris, hid out for months until his dramatic arrest on March 18. 
 
One of the searches in Wallonia was conducted in the area of Fleurus close to Charleroi airport -- the country&#39;s second international air hub -- and a region that also hosts part of the country&#39;s nuclear industry. 
 
- &#39;Their actions are imminent&#39; - 
France, which is hosting the Euro 2016 football championships, is on maximum alert after an assailant previously convicted for jihadism killed a police officer and his partner on Monday. 
 
The latest raids have raised tensions in Belgium which is already dogged by the threat of terrorism. 
 
Belgian media reported on Wednesday that police had warned that Islamic State group (IS) fighters had recently left Syria to carry out attacks. 
 
&quot;They would separate into two groups, one for Belgium, the other for France, to attack in pairs. According to the information received these people are in possession of the necessary armament and their actions are imminent,&quot; an official document revealed by the La Derniere Heure newspaper stated. 
 
On Saturday, a source close to the Belgian authorities told AFP that several leading Belgian political figures have recently had their security increased. 
 
According to state broadcaster RTBF and daily Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Prime Minister Charles Michel, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens, are among a group of 30 people who, along with their families, have had their personal security stepped up since Friday. 
 
RTBF added that there is no link to the most recent raids. 
 
Despite the disclosures, Belgium&#39;s terror level remains at level three meaning that an attack is considered &quot;possible and probable&quot;. The highest, level four, would mean that the threat is &quot;serious and imminent&quot;. 
(AFP)

Alert that attack is 'imminent' was sounded as thousands of people gathered in fan zones across the country for Euro game against Ireland

Three men have been charged with "attempted terrorist murder" following sweeping nationwide anti-terror raids in Belgium, federal prosecutors said on Saturday. Named as Samir C., Moustapha B. et Jawad B., the trio were among 12 people detained during the raids. They have also been charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group", while the nine others were released after questioning, prosecutors added. Earlier, security for 30 VIPs had been reinforced over fears of an "imminent" attack. The alert came as thousands of people gathered across the country in fan zones for Belgium's Euro 2016 match against Ireland. "Over the coming hours we are going to take additional and updated security measures," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after a national security council meeting called to discuss the threat. "The different events planned for the next few days will go ahead," Michel added, urging people however to "respect safety advice". Dozens of searches were carried out across Belgium overnight in a case that needed "an immediate intervention", federal prosecutors said Saturday. Forty people were initially held and 152 garage boxes searched, they said. The raids took place in 16 communes in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia and "passed off without incident," they said in a statement, adding that "until now no arms or explosives were found." Flemish commercial broadcaster VTM reported that it was connected to a threat linked to Belgium's fixture against Ireland, held Saturday afternoon in Bordeaux, France. No incidents were immediately reported after the match ended with a 3-0 defeat for the Irish. The channel said the threat was against targets in Belgium, possibly fans watching the game on television in crowded places. A judge will decide later whether to detain those who have been arrested, none of whom have been named. Belgium is still reeling from the Islamic State suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the city's metro on March 22 which killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more. They came five months after jihadists, many of them from Brussels, carried out gun and bombing attacks in Paris on November 13, killing 130 people and wounding hundreds more. The latest raids targeted several areas tied to the attacks of November 13 and March 22. Officers in Flanders moved on the town of Zaventem close to Brussels National airport while there were raids in the Brussels suburbs of Molenbeek, Schaarbeek and Forest were closely associated with the perpetrators of both attacks. Molenbeek is notorious for being a hotbed of Islamic extremism where Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the 10-man jihadist team that attacked Paris, hid out for months until his dramatic arrest on March 18. One of the searches in Wallonia was conducted in the area of Fleurus close to Charleroi airport -- the country's second international air hub -- and a region that also hosts part of the country's nuclear industry. - 'Their actions are imminent' - France, which is hosting the Euro 2016 football championships, is on maximum alert after an assailant previously convicted for jihadism killed a police officer and his partner on Monday. The latest raids have raised tensions in Belgium which is already dogged by the threat of terrorism. Belgian media reported on Wednesday that police had warned that Islamic State group (IS) fighters had recently left Syria to carry out attacks. "They would separate into two groups, one for Belgium, the other for France, to attack in pairs. According to the information received these people are in possession of the necessary armament and their actions are imminent," an official document revealed by the La Derniere Heure newspaper stated. On Saturday, a source close to the Belgian authorities told AFP that several leading Belgian political figures have recently had their security increased. According to state broadcaster RTBF and daily Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Prime Minister Charles Michel, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens, are among a group of 30 people who, along with their families, have had their personal security stepped up since Friday. RTBF added that there is no link to the most recent raids. Despite the disclosures, Belgium's terror level remains at level three meaning that an attack is considered "possible and probable". The highest, level four, would mean that the threat is "serious and imminent". (AFP)

After nationwide raids, Belgium charges 3 men with 'attempted terrorist murder'

Britain has been left deeply shocked after&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;member of&nbsp;Parliament&nbsp;Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in&nbsp;Birstall, near Leeds,&nbsp;an eyewitness said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A second witness reported three shots&nbsp;including one &quot;round the head area&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife &quot;believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He also urged people to &quot;fight against the hatred that killed her&quot;. &quot;Hate doesn&#39;t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy&nbsp;Mair. He was described by&nbsp;neighbours&nbsp;as&nbsp;a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
British Prime Minister&nbsp;David Cameron paid tribute to the&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;politician saying, &nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0wbnxAVRDw" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp; 
Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Jeremy&nbsp;Corbyn&nbsp;said the country will be &quot;in shock at the horrific murder&quot; and said that&nbsp;Ms&nbsp;Cox was a &quot;much loved colleague&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack&nbsp;and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children
&mdash; George Osborne (@George_Osborne) <a href="https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/743478309338636288">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her
&mdash; Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) <a href="https://twitter.com/NorwichChloe/status/743487945802399745">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB
&mdash; Gordon &amp; Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeGSBrown/status/743441830713384960">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend <a href="https://t.co/LdKMlYOM0c">pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c</a>
&mdash; Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/743485648854728704">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful &amp; brilliant <a href="https://twitter.com/Jo_Cox1">@Jo_Cox1</a> has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan &amp; her children
&mdash; Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyMPowell/status/743477884531138560">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x
&mdash; Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) <a href="https://twitter.com/wesstreeting/status/743437508743172096">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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She was shot, stabbed, kicked, and left lying bleeding on a pavement

Britain has been left deeply shocked after Labour member of Parliament Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire. The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall, near Leeds, an eyewitness said. A second witness reported three shots including one "round the head area". She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife "believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life". He also urged people to "fight against the hatred that killed her". "Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous." A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair. He was described by neighbours as a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting. British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the Labour politician saying, "We've lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country will be "in shock at the horrific murder" and said that Ms Cox was a "much loved colleague". The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar. Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children — George Osborne (@George_Osborne) June 16, 2016 Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her — Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) June 16, 2016 Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB — Gordon & Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c — Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful & brilliant @Jo_Cox1 has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan & her children — Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) June 16, 2016 Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) June 16, 2016

Kingdom united in grief after death of anti-Brexit MP Jo Cox

Gold turned lower on Thursday, as Sterling bounced higher and US stock markets came well off their lows following the suspension of Britain&#39;s campaign for next week&#39;s referendum after a member of Parliament was shot dead. 
 
British Member of Parliament Jo Cox, who was killed in the street in her constituency in northern England earlier in the day, had been a vocal supporter of Britain remaining within the EU. 
 
The turnaround in bullion prices, their first drop in seven sessions, came after rallying to the highest in nearly two years, buoyed by the US Federal Reserve, which sounded a dovish note after its latest policy meeting on Wednesday. 
 
In Euro and Sterling terms, the metal turned lower after reaching three-year highs. 
 
Spot gold was down 0.4 per cent at $1,285.76 an ounce by 2:40 pm EDT (1840 GMT), after rising to $1,315.55 an ounce, the highest since August 2014. 
 
Spot prices have bounced 6 per cent this month, after the approaching June 23 referendum - when Britons will vote on whether or not to leave the European Union, dubbed &quot;Brexit&quot; - dented appetite for assets viewed as higher risk, sending investors scurrying for bonds and gold. 
 
After the attack, campaigning for next week&#39;s referendum was suspended. 
 
U.S. gold futures for August delivery settled up 0.8 percent at $1,298.40 an ounce. 
 
&quot;A rebound in the euro and sterling, and a mirrored decline in the dollar, set gold up for a retracement,&quot; said James Steel, chief metals analyst for HSBC Securities in New York. 
 
&quot;Recovery in equities may also imply some dimming in risk-off related purchases of gold.&quot; 
 
Yields on most U.S. Treasury yields rose to session highs after British campaigning for the Brexit vote was suspended following MP Cox&#39;s death. 
 
Expectations that the U.S. central bank would press ahead with interest rate increases over the summer faded earlier this month after the release of weak U.S. payrolls data for May. 
 
&quot;Brexit worries then gave us the next boost and yesterday the FOMC provided enough dovish ammunition for it to make a new high,&quot; said Saxo Bank&#39;s head of commodity research, Ole Hansen. 
 
On Wednesday, holdings in the world&#39;s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Shares, rose to the highest since October 2013. 
 
Silver fell 0.4 percent to $17.43 an ounce, platinum lost 0.1 percent to $969.67 and palladium was up 0.2 percent at $533.11. 
(Reuters)

US stock markets came well off their lows following the suspension of Britain's referendum campaign after the death of British MP

Gold turned lower on Thursday, as Sterling bounced higher and US stock markets came well off their lows following the suspension of Britain's campaign for next week's referendum after a member of Parliament was shot dead. British Member of Parliament Jo Cox, who was killed in the street in her constituency in northern England earlier in the day, had been a vocal supporter of Britain remaining within the EU. The turnaround in bullion prices, their first drop in seven sessions, came after rallying to the highest in nearly two years, buoyed by the US Federal Reserve, which sounded a dovish note after its latest policy meeting on Wednesday. In Euro and Sterling terms, the metal turned lower after reaching three-year highs. Spot gold was down 0.4 per cent at $1,285.76 an ounce by 2:40 pm EDT (1840 GMT), after rising to $1,315.55 an ounce, the highest since August 2014. Spot prices have bounced 6 per cent this month, after the approaching June 23 referendum - when Britons will vote on whether or not to leave the European Union, dubbed "Brexit" - dented appetite for assets viewed as higher risk, sending investors scurrying for bonds and gold. After the attack, campaigning for next week's referendum was suspended. U.S. gold futures for August delivery settled up 0.8 percent at $1,298.40 an ounce. "A rebound in the euro and sterling, and a mirrored decline in the dollar, set gold up for a retracement," said James Steel, chief metals analyst for HSBC Securities in New York. "Recovery in equities may also imply some dimming in risk-off related purchases of gold." Yields on most U.S. Treasury yields rose to session highs after British campaigning for the Brexit vote was suspended following MP Cox's death. Expectations that the U.S. central bank would press ahead with interest rate increases over the summer faded earlier this month after the release of weak U.S. payrolls data for May. "Brexit worries then gave us the next boost and yesterday the FOMC provided enough dovish ammunition for it to make a new high," said Saxo Bank's head of commodity research, Ole Hansen. On Wednesday, holdings in the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Shares, rose to the highest since October 2013. Silver fell 0.4 percent to $17.43 an ounce, platinum lost 0.1 percent to $969.67 and palladium was up 0.2 percent at $533.11. (Reuters)

Gold falls from two-year high as Brexit campaign suspended

British&nbsp;MP&nbsp;Jo Cox, 41, has died after being attacked in the street in her constituency today,&nbsp;police confirmed. 
 
West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman Dee Collins told reporters she was &quot;very sad&quot; to report that Cox was pronounced dead at 1.48 pm (1248 GMT). 
 
&quot;Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love. I and Jo&rsquo;s friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo.&nbsp;Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life that would exhaust most people.&nbsp;She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn&rsquo;t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.&nbsp;Jo would have no regrets about her life, she lived every day of it to the full&quot;, said Brendan Cox, husband of late British lawmaker

Leading politicians reacted over the demise of Jo Cox&nbsp;&nbsp;on Twitter 
 
(WIONews and Agencies)
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The Labour lawmaker, 41, was critically injured on Thursday after being shot and stabbed in her constituency in northern England.

British MP Jo Cox, 41, has died after being attacked in the street in her constituency today, police confirmed. West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman Dee Collins told reporters she was "very sad" to report that Cox was pronounced dead at 1.48 pm (1248 GMT). "Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love. I and Jo’s friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo. Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life that would exhaust most people. She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn’t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous. Jo would have no regrets about her life, she lived every day of it to the full", said Brendan Cox, husband of late British lawmaker Leading politicians reacted over the demise of Jo Cox on Twitter (WIONews and Agencies)

Anti-Brexit British MP dead after street attack: Police

A Pakistani woman, who allegedly threw acid on her boyfriend causing life-threatening injuries after he refused to marry her, officials said today, and was arrested in a rare case of a woman attacking a man. 
 
Momil Mai, a married mother-of-four, had been in a relationship with 25-year-old Saddaqat Ali, who was also married, for several years, police near Multan city in Punjab province told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Mai was demanding Ali make her his second wife, officials said. Polygamy is legal but rare for men in conservative Muslim Pakistan, however, a woman would have to divorce before being allowed to marry again. 
 
&quot;On Wednesday night, Ali went to see Mai as usual and she threw acid on his body after he once again refused to marry her,&quot; Bashir Ahmed, a local police official, told AFP. 
 
Ali had time to turn, he said, with the acid burning his back but not his face. 
 
Ashiq Malik, medical superintendent at the government hospital in Multan where Ali is being treated, said that the victim received burns to about 60 per cent of his body. 
 
Doctors are fighting to save Ali`s life, he said. 
 
A criminal case was registered against Mai, whose current husband is a labourer, after a complaint by Ali`s family. 
 
Acid attacks, which disfigure and often blind their overwhelmingly female victims, have long been used to settle personal or family scores in Pakistan, with hundreds of cases reported each year. It is rare for a woman to attack a man.&nbsp; 
 
Acid is readily available in agricultural southern Punjab because of its use in farming. 
(AFP)

She pressured him to take her as his second wife in spite of being married and a mother of four. Around 60 per cent of his body is burnt

A Pakistani woman, who allegedly threw acid on her boyfriend causing life-threatening injuries after he refused to marry her, officials said today, and was arrested in a rare case of a woman attacking a man. Momil Mai, a married mother-of-four, had been in a relationship with 25-year-old Saddaqat Ali, who was also married, for several years, police near Multan city in Punjab province told AFP. Mai was demanding Ali make her his second wife, officials said. Polygamy is legal but rare for men in conservative Muslim Pakistan, however, a woman would have to divorce before being allowed to marry again. "On Wednesday night, Ali went to see Mai as usual and she threw acid on his body after he once again refused to marry her," Bashir Ahmed, a local police official, told AFP. Ali had time to turn, he said, with the acid burning his back but not his face. Ashiq Malik, medical superintendent at the government hospital in Multan where Ali is being treated, said that the victim received burns to about 60 per cent of his body. Doctors are fighting to save Ali`s life, he said. A criminal case was registered against Mai, whose current husband is a labourer, after a complaint by Ali`s family. Acid attacks, which disfigure and often blind their overwhelmingly female victims, have long been used to settle personal or family scores in Pakistan, with hundreds of cases reported each year. It is rare for a woman to attack a man. Acid is readily available in agricultural southern Punjab because of its use in farming. (AFP)

Jilted Pakistani woman 'throws acid on boyfriend for refusing marriage'

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. 
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. 
&quot;The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others,&quot; said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. 
Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. 
&quot;They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police,&quot; he said. 
The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

The Taliban haven't commented on the killings so far, but the spokesman of the governor of the Kunduz province has ascertained the same.

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. "The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others," said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. "They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police," he said. The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

Taliban kill 16 bus passengers in northern Afghanistan

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