The Berlin attack suspect has been killed in a shootout with police in Milan, Italian security sources say.
Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian, has eluded capture since the attack on Monday that killed 12 people and injured another 48.
Italian reports say a man was killed in the shootout near the train station in Milan after he was stopped by police on a routine patrol. The Italian interior minister will hold a news conference later in the morning.
The reports said the man pulled out a gun after he was stopped and shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is Great" in the firefight.
Earlier, Danish police said a man matching his description was seen in Aalborg, about 450 miles north of the German capital.
Police in the North Jutland region said the man was between 20 and 30 years of age, with a black beard, and was wearing a black knitted hat and glasses, and carrying a black shoulder bag.
Police urged people to stay away from the area as officers have an ongoing operation there.
Authorities in Germany and elsewhere have been hunting for Amri, who is believed to be the driver of the truck that rammed through the crowd of shoppers at the market.
It comes after footage emerged showing Amri at a Berlin mosque just hours after the attack.
The video, published by German public broadcaster RBB, was taken by police officers on a regular stake-out at the mosque, but Amri was not a suspect at that time.
Friday, December 23, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
'IS-inspired' Melbourne Christmas Day terror plot foiled
A plot to attack prominent sites in Melbourne with a series of bombs on Christmas Day has been foiled by Australian security services.
Five men, aged between 21 and 26, are being held over the alleged plot, which has been described as "an imminent terrorist event" inspired by Islamic State.
Victoria state Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said four of those being held were born in Australia and the fifth was Egyptian-born with Egyptian and Australian citizenship.
He added: "Certainly (there was the) potential for quite a number of people to be injured or killed in this attack."
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said: "We do believe ... that we have removed this threat in its entirety."
The plot targeted high-profile locations in Australia's second largest city, including Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral "possibly on Christmas Day".
Two other people arrested in raids on Thursday night and Friday morning in Melbourne - a 26-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman - have been released without charge.
Several teenagers have been arrested in Australia in recent years and charged with terror-related offences, including five young men who police alleged were planning an attack at last year's centenary ANZAC Day commemorations.
Five men, aged between 21 and 26, are being held over the alleged plot, which has been described as "an imminent terrorist event" inspired by Islamic State.
Victoria state Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said four of those being held were born in Australia and the fifth was Egyptian-born with Egyptian and Australian citizenship.
He added: "Certainly (there was the) potential for quite a number of people to be injured or killed in this attack."
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said: "We do believe ... that we have removed this threat in its entirety."
The plot targeted high-profile locations in Australia's second largest city, including Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral "possibly on Christmas Day".
Two other people arrested in raids on Thursday night and Friday morning in Melbourne - a 26-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman - have been released without charge.
Several teenagers have been arrested in Australia in recent years and charged with terror-related offences, including five young men who police alleged were planning an attack at last year's centenary ANZAC Day commemorations.
'You can't let terrorists win,' visitors say as Christmas market reopens
Visitors are slowly returning to the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market in Berlin, saying they are determined not to "let terrorists win".
The tourist attraction has reopened following the lorry massacre which killed 12 people and injured dozens more on Monday evening.
After standing empty for three days, stalls are picking up trade and the familiar sounds and smells of sizzling Bratwurst sausages and sweet gluhwein linger in the air once again.
:: Armed police carry out raids as suspect sought
"You have to strike a balance between protection and freedom," says Amy Duricka, a US-born journalist who has lived in Germany for the past 20 years.
"And there is a need for freedom, freedom to walk wherever you want - that's important.
"Opening the market is one of those simple things; despite the security measures in place we're going to continue to live our lives."
:: Berlin suspect's brother: 'Turn yourself in'
The markets are less popular with Germans than they are with British people and tourists of other nationalities, many of whom travelled to Germany in the run-up to Christmas.
Londoner Robyn Greene, visiting Berlin for a few days, said the attack had not put her off.
"You can't let the terrorists win," she said. "And if you cancel plans and stay in your hotel room, then they have won.
"It's heartening to see the market reopening and I think it shows a huge amount of courage."
Despite the efforts to return to business as usual, the marks left by the atrocity remain.
Candles and flowers have been left at a memorial to the victims, while surrounding the market is a ring of concrete blocks that have been lowered on to the pavement to prevent any further attacks.
The market is open again - but it is a very different place.
Investigation launched after mass unrest at Swaleside jail
A police investigation has been opened into a mass "disturbance" at a prison in Kent.
Some 60 inmates took control of a landing on a wing at HMP Swaleside at 7pm on Thursday, prompting the dispatch of a specialist "Tornado" squad trained in advanced control and restraint techniques.
During the unrest fires were lit at the Isle of Sheppey jail, according to the Prison Officers Association.
The Prison Service said that those involved in the incident "surrendered and were back in cells by 1am with no injuries to staff or prisoners".
Video:'Disturbance' at Swaleside prison
In a statement it added that Justice Secretary Liz Truss "is committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholescale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending".
:: British prisons: Five major incidents in 12 months
The disturbance comes a week after a riot at HMP Birmingham that involved up to 600 prisoners and was described by experts as the worst for 25 years.
Riot officers managed to win back control of the jail after 12 hours of violence in which inmates set fires and stole keys and equipment.
Image Caption:HMP Swaleside is part of a cluster that includes HMP Elmley and HMP Standford Hill
The Swaleside incident is the fourth disturbance at an English prison in less than two months.
A damning report this year by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called HMP Swaleside "dangerous" and said levels of violence were "far too high".
Many staff were also "demotivated and overwhelmed", with half of the prisoners claiming it was "easy or very easy" to get drugs.
The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to recruit 2,500 extra prison officers to make jails safer and crack down on the use of drugs and phones, which are increasingly being dropped using drones.
Image Caption:Inmates went on the rampage last week at HMP Birmingham
A task force has also been set up to "manage down potential flashpoints of unrest".
But the Prison Officers Association says it will be difficult to retain and recruit people given existing levels of pay and conditions inside jails.
It says prison officer numbers have fallen by 7,000 since 2010.
The POA's Mike Rolfe told Sky News: "We were warning then it wouldn't be safe and wouldn't take long before things started to fall apart and we're seeing that now."
Some 60 inmates took control of a landing on a wing at HMP Swaleside at 7pm on Thursday, prompting the dispatch of a specialist "Tornado" squad trained in advanced control and restraint techniques.
During the unrest fires were lit at the Isle of Sheppey jail, according to the Prison Officers Association.
The Prison Service said that those involved in the incident "surrendered and were back in cells by 1am with no injuries to staff or prisoners".
Video:'Disturbance' at Swaleside prison
In a statement it added that Justice Secretary Liz Truss "is committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholescale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending".
:: British prisons: Five major incidents in 12 months
The disturbance comes a week after a riot at HMP Birmingham that involved up to 600 prisoners and was described by experts as the worst for 25 years.
Riot officers managed to win back control of the jail after 12 hours of violence in which inmates set fires and stole keys and equipment.
Image Caption:HMP Swaleside is part of a cluster that includes HMP Elmley and HMP Standford HillThe Swaleside incident is the fourth disturbance at an English prison in less than two months.
A damning report this year by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called HMP Swaleside "dangerous" and said levels of violence were "far too high".
Many staff were also "demotivated and overwhelmed", with half of the prisoners claiming it was "easy or very easy" to get drugs.
The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to recruit 2,500 extra prison officers to make jails safer and crack down on the use of drugs and phones, which are increasingly being dropped using drones.
Image Caption:Inmates went on the rampage last week at HMP BirminghamA task force has also been set up to "manage down potential flashpoints of unrest".
But the Prison Officers Association says it will be difficult to retain and recruit people given existing levels of pay and conditions inside jails.
It says prison officer numbers have fallen by 7,000 since 2010.
The POA's Mike Rolfe told Sky News: "We were warning then it wouldn't be safe and wouldn't take long before things started to fall apart and we're seeing that now."
Severe warnings as UK braces itself for arrival of Storm Barbara
Britain is braced for the arrival of Storm Barbara, which is expected to bring winds of up to 90mph to some parts of the country.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for much of the UK, with Scotland expected to bear the brunt of the storm.
An amber "be prepared" wind warning is in place for northern and western parts of Scotland for Friday afternoon, evening and overnight into Christmas Eve.
Two separate yellow "be aware" wind warnings are in also place, while flood alerts have been issued for the Highlands and Western Isles, as well as Skye and the Scottish Borders.
The Scottish Government said it is being regularly updated on the expected impact on travel across the country.
Meanwhile, Scotrail has withdrawn a small number of services and placed speed restrictions on others as a safety precaution.
South of the border, councils were said to be "fully prepared" for the onset of harsh conditions over Christmas.
The Local Government Association, which represents hundreds of councils in England and Wales, said it was issuing renewed advice on how to deal with flash floods.
Environment spokesman Martin Tett said: "Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption caused by Storm Barbara and other potential bad weather such as snow and flooding.
"Council staff will be out in force clearing roads of any debris and damage."
Storm Barbara's arrival comes on what is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period.
The AA predicts about 12 million cars will be on the roads due to a combination of people visiting loved ones, shopping trips and holidaymakers, as well as those travelling to and from work.
An amber "be prepared" wind warning is in place for northern and western parts of Scotland for Friday afternoon, evening and overnight into Christmas Eve.
Two separate yellow "be aware" wind warnings are in also place, while flood alerts have been issued for the Highlands and Western Isles, as well as Skye and the Scottish Borders.
The Scottish Government said it is being regularly updated on the expected impact on travel across the country.
Meanwhile, Scotrail has withdrawn a small number of services and placed speed restrictions on others as a safety precaution.
South of the border, councils were said to be "fully prepared" for the onset of harsh conditions over Christmas.
The Local Government Association, which represents hundreds of councils in England and Wales, said it was issuing renewed advice on how to deal with flash floods.
Environment spokesman Martin Tett said: "Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption caused by Storm Barbara and other potential bad weather such as snow and flooding.
"Council staff will be out in force clearing roads of any debris and damage."
Storm Barbara's arrival comes on what is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period.
The AA predicts about 12 million cars will be on the roads due to a combination of people visiting loved ones, shopping trips and holidaymakers, as well as those travelling to and from work.
Berlin attack suspect's family: 'He deserves every condemnation'
The brother of a Tunisian man being hunted over the Christmas market attack in Berlin has urged his sibling to hand himself in.
Anis Amri's family, speaking from his hometown of Oueslatia, Tunisia, said they were shaken to discover he was the prime suspect in Monday's attack, in which 12 people were killed.
His brothers, Abdelkader and Walid, said Anis left Tunisia after the 2011 revolution and lived in Italy for three years.
He was in regular contact with his siblings on Facebook and on the phone.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Abdelkader said Amri did not talk to them about his life away from Tunisia.
He said: "When he left Tunisia he was a normal person. He drank alcohol and didn't even pray. He had no religious beliefs.
"My dad, my brother and I all used to pray and he didn't, maybe he got into this when he was in prison where he met Algerians, Egyptians and Syrians.
"The last time I spoke to him was 10 days ago, we had a brief conversation. He never used to answer with much but he did mention that he would be coming home soon.
"We expected more from him, we wanted him to develop himself and depend on himself and then help our family.
"He went into prison with a mentality and when he came out he had a total different mentality."
:: Armed police carry out raids as suspect sought
Speaking to Associated Press, Abdelkader said: "If he's guilty, he deserves every condemnation. We reject terrorism and terrorists - we have no dealings with terrorists.
"I ask him to turn himself in to the police. If it is proved that he is involved, we disassociate ourselves from it."
Walid added he wanted to blame him "for what he has done".
A neighbour of the family said he left Tunisia at the age of 16 or 17 after he was accused of stealing. He was sentenced in his absence to five years in jail in Tunisia, before fleeing to Italy.
:: Reward of €100,000 to find Berlin lorry attack suspect
Italian media has said Anis Amri served time in prison for setting fire to a school.
He arrived in Germany in July 2015, but his application for asylum was rejected in June this year.
His deportation, however, got caught up in red tape with Tunisia, which had denied he was a citizen for several months.
Amri's father told Tunisia's Radio Mosaique that his son left Tunisia seven years ago as an illegal immigrant.
Anis Amri's family, speaking from his hometown of Oueslatia, Tunisia, said they were shaken to discover he was the prime suspect in Monday's attack, in which 12 people were killed.
His brothers, Abdelkader and Walid, said Anis left Tunisia after the 2011 revolution and lived in Italy for three years.
He was in regular contact with his siblings on Facebook and on the phone.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Abdelkader said Amri did not talk to them about his life away from Tunisia.
He said: "When he left Tunisia he was a normal person. He drank alcohol and didn't even pray. He had no religious beliefs.
"My dad, my brother and I all used to pray and he didn't, maybe he got into this when he was in prison where he met Algerians, Egyptians and Syrians.
"The last time I spoke to him was 10 days ago, we had a brief conversation. He never used to answer with much but he did mention that he would be coming home soon.
"We expected more from him, we wanted him to develop himself and depend on himself and then help our family.
"He went into prison with a mentality and when he came out he had a total different mentality."
:: Armed police carry out raids as suspect sought
Speaking to Associated Press, Abdelkader said: "If he's guilty, he deserves every condemnation. We reject terrorism and terrorists - we have no dealings with terrorists.
"I ask him to turn himself in to the police. If it is proved that he is involved, we disassociate ourselves from it."
Walid added he wanted to blame him "for what he has done".
A neighbour of the family said he left Tunisia at the age of 16 or 17 after he was accused of stealing. He was sentenced in his absence to five years in jail in Tunisia, before fleeing to Italy.
:: Reward of €100,000 to find Berlin lorry attack suspect
Italian media has said Anis Amri served time in prison for setting fire to a school.
He arrived in Germany in July 2015, but his application for asylum was rejected in June this year.
His deportation, however, got caught up in red tape with Tunisia, which had denied he was a citizen for several months.
Amri's father told Tunisia's Radio Mosaique that his son left Tunisia seven years ago as an illegal immigrant.
Gambia’s Chief Judge Is Secretly Working To Keep President Yaya Jammeh In Office
Justice Emmanuel Oluwasegun Fagbenle, a Nigerian and incumbent Chief Justice of The Gambia, is working behind the scenes to provide legal support for President Yaya Jammeh’s bid to perpetuate himself in office after being defeated at the polls, SaharaReporters has learnt.
President Jammeh, who has ruled the country for 22 years, conceded defeat to the opposition candidate, Mr. Adama Barrow, but turned around to reject and unconstitutionally nullify Gambia's free and fair presidential election. His action has provoked widespread condemnation from the international community, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatening to militarily evict him from power if he fails to respect the democratic wishes of Gambians.
President Jammeh used the excuse of errors in the vote tally, ignoring the insistence of the country's Independent Electoral Commission that the winner remains Mr. Barrow, who won with a revised count of 227,708 votes to President Jammeh's 208,487.
President Jammeh’s party, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), subsequently filed a legal challenge against the election results, a constitutional move complicated by the fact that Gambia's Supreme Court is not known to have a panel.
The Gambia Bar Association (GBA), in a statement dated December 12, described President Jammeh’s declaration of the poll results a nullity as an act of treason and rejected his party’s announcement of its readiness to file an election petition against the result.
The GBA contended that given that the country’s Supreme Court has not had a sitting since May 2015 because of the absence of a panel, there is no legitimate legal mechanism available in The Gambia to hear and determine the election petition filed by President Jammeh. The association warned that it would be against the principles of natural justice for President Jammeh to appoint Supreme Court judges to hear a petition filed by him or on his behalf and called on him to respect the wishes of the Gambian people as expressed in the results of the election. It noted that a Supreme Court empaneled by President Jammeh for the purposes of his election is tainted
“That would be tantamount to one being a judge in his own case, considering that the outgoing President has already pre-empted the outcome of the court process by declaring the election results as a nullity,” the GBA wrote.
The GBA is, however, unaware that President Jammeh had been working in the background, with the support of the country’s Chief Justice, Nigeria’s Justice Fagbenle, to impanel the Supreme Court.
President Jammeh said top Gambian judiciary sources, since October, had secretly appointed judges to his country’s Supreme Court from Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The appointments made, said sources, was kept as top secret by Justice Fagbenle.
Of the six judges appointed, impeccable sources told SaharaReporters, five are Nigerians. They are Justices Habeeb A.O Abiru, Abubakar Datti Yahaya, Abubakar Tijani,
Obande Festus and Akomaye Angim, a former Chief Justice of The Gambia. The sixth judge is Justice Nicholas Colin Brown, Sierra Leonean. The appointment of the Nigerian judges was based on request from Justice Fagbenle to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar.
It remains unclear whether they have all accepted their appointment to seat on appeals before the Gambian Supreme Court.
The judges were originally slated to sit from January 11 to 19, 2017, but the current political developments, disclosed sources, have forced them to start considering a request for deferment of the sitting or rejection of their appointment.
A top source told SaharaReporters that Justice Abiru has decided to reject the appointment and already scheduled a meeting with other members who share his view so that they can communicate their position to the Chief Justice of Nigeria this week.
Justice Fagbenle did not just start working hand-in-gloves with President Jammeh. In a letter dated 12 December and exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the GBA called for Justice Fagbenle’s resignation from office, citing his conduct during the country’s presidential campaign as the basis.
“The position of the Chief Justice is a constitutional position, and as head of the third arm of government, you are expected to maintain and uphold certain standards. You have, in our considered view, woefully failed to adhere to these standards,” wrote the GBA.
Specifically, the GBA noted that Justice Fagbenle is in President Jammeh’s pocket, a situation that has brought disrepute to his office.
The GBA observed that before and during the campaigns, Fagbenle was appearing at the rallies of President Jammeh’s party.
“On the day of the nomination of the incumbent president, you were seen in front of the court premises waving and dancing in support of the incumbent presidential parade. Several members of the Bar saw you wearing APRC apparel on court premises. You were distributing APRC apparel to the court staff and making preparation for the victory celebration of the incumbent president,” stated the GBA.
In addition to these, the GBA said Justice Fagbenle’s tenure has been principally devoted to President Jammeh’s scheme to perpetuate himself in office. Notably, explained the lawyers’ association, Justice Fagbenle caused the dismissal of judicial officers presiding over cases involving the government of President Jammeh when they made decisions considered unfavorable to the state.
“In the case of the State v Ousainou Darboe & Ors, you caused the presiding judge to expedite the hearing of the case and their conviction. You transferred the case of the State v Lamin Sonko & Ors to the High Court sitting at Mansakonko. There was no basis for the transfer of the case, as the Mansakonko court had no jurisdiction to hear the case. This action was calculated to ensure that the defendants could not get legal representation, thus easing their conviction. You further failed to respond to the letter from the counsel representing the defendants protesting the transfer. You gazetted new rules for the Supreme Court without following due process. You further failed to respond to the GBA when it protested the action,” said the lawyers’ association.
President Jammeh, who has ruled the country for 22 years, conceded defeat to the opposition candidate, Mr. Adama Barrow, but turned around to reject and unconstitutionally nullify Gambia's free and fair presidential election. His action has provoked widespread condemnation from the international community, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatening to militarily evict him from power if he fails to respect the democratic wishes of Gambians.
President Jammeh used the excuse of errors in the vote tally, ignoring the insistence of the country's Independent Electoral Commission that the winner remains Mr. Barrow, who won with a revised count of 227,708 votes to President Jammeh's 208,487.
President Jammeh’s party, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), subsequently filed a legal challenge against the election results, a constitutional move complicated by the fact that Gambia's Supreme Court is not known to have a panel.
The Gambia Bar Association (GBA), in a statement dated December 12, described President Jammeh’s declaration of the poll results a nullity as an act of treason and rejected his party’s announcement of its readiness to file an election petition against the result.
The GBA contended that given that the country’s Supreme Court has not had a sitting since May 2015 because of the absence of a panel, there is no legitimate legal mechanism available in The Gambia to hear and determine the election petition filed by President Jammeh. The association warned that it would be against the principles of natural justice for President Jammeh to appoint Supreme Court judges to hear a petition filed by him or on his behalf and called on him to respect the wishes of the Gambian people as expressed in the results of the election. It noted that a Supreme Court empaneled by President Jammeh for the purposes of his election is tainted
“That would be tantamount to one being a judge in his own case, considering that the outgoing President has already pre-empted the outcome of the court process by declaring the election results as a nullity,” the GBA wrote.
The GBA is, however, unaware that President Jammeh had been working in the background, with the support of the country’s Chief Justice, Nigeria’s Justice Fagbenle, to impanel the Supreme Court.
President Jammeh said top Gambian judiciary sources, since October, had secretly appointed judges to his country’s Supreme Court from Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The appointments made, said sources, was kept as top secret by Justice Fagbenle.
Of the six judges appointed, impeccable sources told SaharaReporters, five are Nigerians. They are Justices Habeeb A.O Abiru, Abubakar Datti Yahaya, Abubakar Tijani,
Obande Festus and Akomaye Angim, a former Chief Justice of The Gambia. The sixth judge is Justice Nicholas Colin Brown, Sierra Leonean. The appointment of the Nigerian judges was based on request from Justice Fagbenle to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar.
It remains unclear whether they have all accepted their appointment to seat on appeals before the Gambian Supreme Court.
The judges were originally slated to sit from January 11 to 19, 2017, but the current political developments, disclosed sources, have forced them to start considering a request for deferment of the sitting or rejection of their appointment.
A top source told SaharaReporters that Justice Abiru has decided to reject the appointment and already scheduled a meeting with other members who share his view so that they can communicate their position to the Chief Justice of Nigeria this week.
Justice Fagbenle did not just start working hand-in-gloves with President Jammeh. In a letter dated 12 December and exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the GBA called for Justice Fagbenle’s resignation from office, citing his conduct during the country’s presidential campaign as the basis.
“The position of the Chief Justice is a constitutional position, and as head of the third arm of government, you are expected to maintain and uphold certain standards. You have, in our considered view, woefully failed to adhere to these standards,” wrote the GBA.
Specifically, the GBA noted that Justice Fagbenle is in President Jammeh’s pocket, a situation that has brought disrepute to his office.
The GBA observed that before and during the campaigns, Fagbenle was appearing at the rallies of President Jammeh’s party.
“On the day of the nomination of the incumbent president, you were seen in front of the court premises waving and dancing in support of the incumbent presidential parade. Several members of the Bar saw you wearing APRC apparel on court premises. You were distributing APRC apparel to the court staff and making preparation for the victory celebration of the incumbent president,” stated the GBA.
In addition to these, the GBA said Justice Fagbenle’s tenure has been principally devoted to President Jammeh’s scheme to perpetuate himself in office. Notably, explained the lawyers’ association, Justice Fagbenle caused the dismissal of judicial officers presiding over cases involving the government of President Jammeh when they made decisions considered unfavorable to the state.
“In the case of the State v Ousainou Darboe & Ors, you caused the presiding judge to expedite the hearing of the case and their conviction. You transferred the case of the State v Lamin Sonko & Ors to the High Court sitting at Mansakonko. There was no basis for the transfer of the case, as the Mansakonko court had no jurisdiction to hear the case. This action was calculated to ensure that the defendants could not get legal representation, thus easing their conviction. You further failed to respond to the letter from the counsel representing the defendants protesting the transfer. You gazetted new rules for the Supreme Court without following due process. You further failed to respond to the GBA when it protested the action,” said the lawyers’ association.
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