money." nairobi. where they are being held by a number of attackers. israeli forces are involved and are helping the kenyan army come up with a plan to rescue the hostages. hundreds are donating blood to help hospitals cope with dozens of wounded. we are expecting president uhuru kenyetta speak. we heard from the interior minister, who said security forces are doing everything they can. >> i want to assure kenyans that our security agencies are fully in control of the situation. for now we want to thank you and keep you posted.

possibly in an hour or so we'll come back to you. please allow us to plan the next stage of the operation. >> let's go live to al jazeera's correspondent outside the westgate mall in nairobi. what has been happening out there, what is the scene like right now? >> the gun men are still at the mall. the siege continues. they are still holding hostages. questions are coming about about the security operations and the security in this country, really - how could heavily armed gunmen access the mall. it's in an affluent area, well protected. how could this happen? to explain this is francis, who is a security analyst. please, tell us - we are told that it took 30 minutes for the police to respond to this.

do you think the situation could have been averted if they had responded earlier? >> if they responded within the first three minutes, in the international police time line, arresting the situation, instead of going to the extreme it has gone to, it would have been a bit normal. by the time - in about 10-15 minutes they were trying to engage people, the hostages themselves. if the police came in the first 10 minutes they would have been able to engage them in a firefight which would have led people to walk out, getting loose. some would be injured of course, because of firefight, but it would have loosened the situation. the problem we have is the response - the police is more of walking. what we have in this country is not pat rolling, the response when they have to come in.

>> this also puts questions as to the level of security in the country. a lot of these malls have been targets of al-shabab since kenya went to somalia, engaged in somalia in 2011. are we really prepared, looking at the incident that happened here. >> we are not prepared. the security personnel of the mall, those that check - they are there to check on people who are very much often - the criminals made deferral dry run. what i mean is they have come in, tested, seen what they can do, seen the loopholes, see how we are not prepared - nobody notices them. on that perspective their own security of the mall needs to check on people coming in. they are always getting through. it is not very kind that it has happened.

nobody seems to be in control of it. it is the second day, and you see people are taken hostage. that's where they are committed today. at the end of the day, they don't care, they are committed. they have written the will. i was in the u.s. on september 11th. they bring the plane down into a building. they have no interest to leave tomorrow. my bet is it is better to storm. you can't keep people that are hostage. >> al-shabab says they are not going to negotiate. that is a problem. >> and the fact is we have very few - we don't have negotiator, a security person who is trained as a negotiator in that time trying to build up the momentum for an operation. so you see, you bring in heavy weapons, and you are not in. what i would like to ask the government is after this one, we need to sit down and put

security on the fast number. these guys came to the boiling point - they give money. you see the money that has been given, that is how far they have taken us. >> thank you very much. it is a very dicey situation, very difficult situation, indeed. >> thank you so much for brings us the latest -- for bringing us the latest from the westgate mall. the somali group al-shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on the mall in nairobi, saying it's in retaliation for kenya's involvement in the african union mission in somalia. joining us on the line is a spokesman for the african union mission in somali, on the line from mombasa. thank you for speaking to al jazeera. al-shabab seemed to be on the back food in somalia. clearly they are a force to be reckoned with. did you expect such an attack to

happen in kenya? >> late night we cannot predict any al-shabab attack. even experiencing some of the different attacks. it's unfortunate this happened in kenya. we were not expecting it. you know, it's the... >> sorry to interrupt you. you say you were not expecting it. al-shabab warned that they would strike inside kenya. we saw a recent attack - not in nairobi necessarily but violence in suburbs in somalia - really, you were not expecting this attack? there'd been no prior intelligence, no warnings whatsoever on an attack? >> i cannot speak for the

kenyans, their security forces - i'm not part of the kenyan authority. i am sure that the kenyan authorities - i am sure they have been working diligently on such issues. i told you they are some of the most powerful nation on this planet. even though al-shabab gave some heads up before, so, you know, they have been working hard trying what they can do to prevent such things. it is unfortunate. i'm not sure what the kenyan authorities do in terms of security. >> what is the current situation - well, in what state is al-shabab now, if i can ask you, within somalia? i know

african union troops have rooted them out from several areas. they seem to be, once again, a force to be reckoned with. are you sure that the threat of al-shabab is no longer as strong in somalia itself, today? >> i cannot say that al-shabab has been completely eliminated in somalia. as you know, we have made some strikes. a few years ago mogadishu was a no-go zone. the somali national forces, in col aberration with other -- col abboration forces with others have expelled them. the government, as you know, the fall of those from al-shabab, and now they are resorting to

what people call a blending in with the population and committing such acts. we are aware of that. we'll do what it takes to make sure that the situation is stable in somalia. it's a work in progress, as i told you at the beginning of this interview. there have been areas across the world, there have been many international - afghanistan, iraq, et cetera. eliminating them completely is a long process. if you defeat al-shabab physically, others will remain and you will always have sympathisers. >> thank you very much for speaking to us and taking the time to be on the program, eloi

yao, a spokesman from the african union mission in somalia. >> now, let's turn to other world news. suicide bombers killed at least 60 people on an attack on a church in pakistan. hundreds left sunday mass in pas pas pasha pashawa when the attacks happened. >> dozens are killed and 120 wounded when two suicide bombers dettonated their devices and blew themselves up outside a main church in pesh. the attack on the all saints church happened when over 500 were present for sunday service. people were coming out of the church at the time of the attack. there were heavy casualties, including women and children. an emergency was declared in the

leading hospital in pashawa, where there were calls for blood donations. no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. the military issued a statement saying the combined military hospital was treating some of the more seriously wounded, that all leave of doctors had been cancelled. however, so far there was no claim of responsibility for this deadly attack. >> all right. still ahead on the newshour. we'll return to kenya, where the president uhuru kenyetta is due to address the nation shortly from the estate house in nairobi. also ahead - university students in egypt are going back to school and back to the streets. details ahead. and - rains in taiwan and the philippines as the eye of the biggest storm informant year so far hits china. >> a former rising star of the

chinese communist party has been sentenced to life in prison for bribery and corruption, bo xilai is the most high profile leader to be convicted under the anticorruption campaign. the verdict was handed down in jinan. >> it was the verdict that all of china waited for. bo xilai is sentenced to life imprisonment and cleared of all his personal assets for committing bribery crimes. >> the fate sealed for political prince and leader of the commae communist party. he was forced to pay the government and loses his villa in france. many feel his heavy sentence is due to his defiance and because he pled not guilty. it's to set an example. the government led by jiangxi is

cracking down on corruption and made it an important task, looking to tap the support of chinese angered by corrupt politicians. high level feelings accused of corrosion admit gilt. not bo xilai. his downfall was set in motion by his wife's murder of a british businessman. she testified against him. he called her a mad woman. he admitted failure to the county. it is expected that bo xilai will appeal the decision, and a higher court will hear the case, a process taking a few months, giving bo xilai more time in the spotlight. >> >> german chancellor angela merkel has cast her vote. opinion polls suggest she'll be

returned to power. she may struggle to keep the coalition's government numbers. >> nick spicer joins us live. the voting is underway. what is the turn out like, the german's interest? >> to be frank, a poll conducted recently suggested 70% of germans were bored with the election. they have a strong sense of their civic duty. that doesn't mean they'll necessarily stay at home. participation rates in the last election in 2009 was over 70%, a number many would be proud of. it's expected that angela merkel will continue in hor role. however, the big question is who will she govern with. >> they are deciding germany's future, and maybe that of europe as a whole. the protection is the current chancellor angela merkel will keep her job.

voters who would like to see her lose it recognise her popularity. >> many are happy with what is happening throughout europe, because germany benefits from it. >> merkel's handling of the euro zone crisis managed to pull her party ahead. >> ahead of her brifl and his party. >> there were no major divisive issues. unemployment is at its lowest level and all of the parties, including the opposition voted in favour of bailouts for the euro zone. angela merkel borrowed ideas from the opposition, such as a you turn continue nuclear energy and creating a minimum wage - giving her some of their voters. she'll have a problem if the free democrats, her coalition

partners, don't do well. polls before the vote suggested many germans would prefer a combination of merkel's party and schneider's. >> you might see less pressure on off theeredy and maybe some would have more time in fulfilling the criteria. pretty much the german policies on european affairs will be what we have seen in the last four years. >> the shape of any coalition, what it means for europe is not for merkel to decide. it's up to the voters. >> there are other possible coalitions. angela merkel would like the junior coalition partners the free democrat continue with her. if we examine a little bit the hypothesis of the social

democrats joining merkel and what they change. we are joined by a professor from the university of berlin. >> when it comes to the coalition with the the free democrats and angela merkel what would change? >> not a lot, just the nuances. the sdp could play the good cop and the christian democrats the bad cop when it comes to forcing the conditions to get the continued aid to the countries in the perifry. the german government will have to speak with one voice, but there'll be a possibility of having a broader spectrum instead of the harsh task master for europe. there'll be a kinder gent ler germany in the bagged. >> >> when it comes to german policy, there's talk of a minimum wage - anything else.

>> two areas to look at is labour market policy. while the labour market reforms took place in 2003/2005 came under a leadership of the social democrats, they distanced themselves from their own reforms. there'll be a lot of serious talk about adjusting the parameters of this labour market reform. i see that as an area. the other area is federalism. the fact that social democrats have control of many more of the states gives the coalition more possibility of talking about the division of labour between the federal government at the federal level and the state government level. that's the two areas i would look for changes. >> that was professor irwin collier looking at the possibility of a grand coalition and how it may change things in europe and germany. we have no idea if that will happen, but we will have an idea

in under three hours when we get the first exit polls. >> seven have been killed in a u.s. drone strike in pakistan. four missiles were fired in north waziristan. >> the russian foreign minister has accused the u.s. of blackmail, unhappy with how washington is looking to obtain a resolution on syria. the two counties agreed last week. we'll go live to the russian capital. this is an extraordinary allegation from sergei lavrov. is it a sign of how tense the diplomatic rivalry is between the u.s. and russia? >> i think it is. extraordinary. this was really hard-line sergei lavrov in this interview for channel 1, which is one of the most popular tv channels in russia. what he said was scathing. he said that our partners are

blinded by regime change. he said first and foremost they are interested in proving their superiority. the u.s. put the cart before the horse and said the u.s. are blackmailing us, they say they will quit the work of the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons, if russia doesn't support a resolution based on chapter 7. he said that is a deviation on what was agreed with john kerry. the russians are setting out the store - they will not have chapter 7 as part of a resolution and are insistent that americans trying to push the chapter 7 resolution is overstepping the mark. >> he talked about russian troops being on the ground in syria, used to supervise the handover of those chemical weapons. >> yes, i think what he was talking about there was not specifically russian solely being responsible for that.

in fact, he echoed commends made late last week by president vladimir putin. he said the onus is not on russia to be the sole guarantor of syria's removal of chemical weapons. it should be for the whole international community. sergei lavrov said russia was prepared to send a military contingent, observers, but was prepared to commit russians to that task as part of an international force providing protection for the oecw workers when they go back to further investigate the allegations of other kepan attacks -- chemical weapon attacks. >> the syrian government is on the offensive in hannah. >> -- hannah. >> a rebel in damascus vows to

continue the fight until president bashar al-assad is toppled. his colleagues join him, chanting victory is a matter of time. but government troops are on the offensive. there is heavy fighting in hamas, aleppo and damascus. the army is stepping up a campaign to recapture areas controlled by the rebels. fighter jets dropped tn t-bar else on this vil -- tnt barrels on this village, destroying houses. residents found refuge in the desert area. the death toll keeps climbing with every passing day. this woman's begs to let her keep the body of her dead son for some time. activists say for government militias, they killed dozens in hama. the rebels claim to make gains

in aleppo but are outgunned. this video that al jazeera cannot independently verify appears to show government tanks and artillery. activists say these troops pulled out of the damascus amid fears of u.s. airstrikes. their return is an indication that those fears are fading. >> students are holding a protest across egypt on the first day of term. they are demonstrating against the restriction of campus and political freedom. let's go to our correspondent on the line from care quairo. we are not naming her for political reasons. how big are the demonstrations? >> the demonstrations show how divided egypt continues to be.

we have had university students across the country at many different universities protesting against the coup. they are part of the anti-coup movement. some of them may be members of the muslim brotherhood troops. the demonstration at cairo university have just about finished and there was between 1500 and 2,000. there were similar numbers at a lot of the rallies we had today. organisers say this is part of their civil disobedience campaign on campus that the rallies are peaceful. they'll be held every morning for a few hours. they didn't a trouble with the security guards on campus. they didn't do the rally outside the university grounds, because there would be police outside and there could be problems. they were very widespread from not only cairo, also suez and

other places. there'll be more of them. there was reports that the interim government would grant arrest powers. it caused some concern with some people. it turned out to be a rumour and has been denied by the interim government. largely this was a rally about the coup. >> our correspondent on the line from caro. >> this year's most powerful typhoon usagi is barrelling down on hong kong and mainland china. the eye of the storm is 1,000km and has begun to make landfall. heavy rains and storm surges have left thousands homeless in the phil beans and trillingered -- philippines and triggered storms. >> hong kong braces for usagi's

arrival. well-practised preparations are put in place for what is the worst storm this year and might turn out to be hong kong's worst typhoon in decades. passengers taking last ferries before the suspension of services. for those that didn't make their planes, scores of flights were cancelled - a long wait ahead. the power of usagi has been well illustrated - dumping huge amounts of rain as it passed taiwan and the northern philippines. it's the turn of china's south coast. authorities in mainland china issued a red alert before evacuating thousands from low-lying areas. >> as usagi comes ashore, the threat of widespread flooding increases. there is a full moon at higher than normal tides. the next high tide will happen when the winds are expected to be at their fiercest. >> let's get the latest on this.

we join everton fox in the studio. what is the latest? >> the storm made landfall to the east of hong kong. better news in terms of the hong kong situation. the winds eased a touch. we are looking at the equivalent of a category 1 storm. the rains will be the problem. to the south of taiwan, 260mm of rain in the space of 24 hours. northern philippines saw around 270mm of rain in the space of 24 hours. we'll see similar amounts making its way across china. hong kong itself is well enough prepared to cope with these kind of rain falls and, indeed, with the violent winds that will come through. for a good part of southern china, it will be a problem. winds 175kph gusts in excess of 210kph. these are dam damaging winds.

here is a storm passing to the north of hong kong through the course of this evening and heading along the southern areas of china. more heavy rain coming through monday. as we go into tuesday it will be raining, for a good part of the week. there'll be widespread flooding. >> still ahead on the newshour, mexico in mourning. why the government says there's no hope of saving those buried by landside. >> wood on wheels - a conk olees bysical so pop -- bisickal so popular it's been given a statue. and a powerful man in sport lends support.

welcome back. you are watching the newshour on al jazeera. a reminder of the main stories - 59 have been killed in an ongoing standoff at the westgate shopping center in kenya's capital nairobi. dozens are still inside the mall. we know that israeli special forces are involved. they are helping the kenyan army come up with a plan to rescue the hostages from the israeli-owned shopping center. >> at least 75 people are confirmed dead following an attack on a church in northern pakistan. over 500 were leaving sunday mass in pashawa, when the bombers dettonated their explosive. >> students in egypt hold mass rallies, demonstrating against a military-backed government and

restrictions to political freedom. >> back to the situation in kenya. about 1,000 people have escaped from the mall in the last 24 hours. some of them barely made it. >> i was in the basement. i tried to run away. they were shooting. we were trying to get out. a few people died. when they went away i tried to walk slowly to the basement. >> while some are confirmed

dead, the government in ghana says a 7 eight-year-old statesman was killed whilst shopping with his son in westgate mall. ghannah served in the 1980s, and was an advisor to the president until early this year. >> let's talk more about this to a ghanayan researcher. he joins us from london. michael, a huge loss to african literature. >> it is. kofi - he has written several thesis which are quilt coucial for -- quite crucial. he portrayed tribal culture in his writings and played a key role in making sure the sentiment of the culture and

traditions were portrayed in the books. >> a big poet, influential poet on the continent and a top diplomat for ghana. >> yes, some time in 1982 he wrote a book called "ghana revolution" part of the basis that underpinned the revolution in 1981. he became popular with the pmdc/mgc governments. as a result... >> michael, we are just going to interrupt. i apologise. we are going to go to nairobi, kenya, where we are waiting for the kenyan president, uhuru kenyetta, to speak at a press conference in nairobi. this is not uhuru kenyetta, but

hopefully we'll hear from the president soon. this will be his second appearance since the siege at the mall began yesterday, 24 hours ago, the siege at westgate mall. we heard from uhuru kenyetta yesterday evening, and he said that the security forces would do everything in their power to rescue the remaining hostages from the mall. >> we must prevail and we must come out of it much stronger than we were even before. it is most... ..apportion blame. i wish the people in hospital a quick recovery. we must come together as we see them here today... >> we are going to go away from nairobi, and go back to nairobi when the president of kenya, uhuru kenyetta, comes out and

speaks at the press conference. let's return to michael in london. we were talking about one of the victims of the tragedy, a poet. he'll be remembered for what precisely, do you think? >> well, he will be remembered as a tribalist who portrayed the traditional culture of the national identity group. his books made a serious contribution to african literature. he will be remembered as the author of the book "gannon revolution" part of the basis for the revolution of 1981. subsequently the regime rewarded him making him ambassador to brazil, the united states and subsequently to the united nations in 1990 to 1994. so essentially ghana will

remember him as a poet and an academicic, as well as a cavlial figure in ganian -- controversial figure in ganian circles. >> michael talking about kofi awoonor a poet, among 59 killed in the nairobi mall, at the westgate mall. >> let's move to sri lanka where the main party won elections in the north. it's four years after the civil war pitting the government against the tamil tigers. >> after more than 25 years of civil war, a new era of politics dawned in sri lanka's north. the tamil national alliance won the majority of seats in the first provincial elections. >> people have spoken and it is

up to the government to take stock of the matter because in democracy the government is interested in democracy, it is the people's will that matters. >> it was a long time coming, but finally people seized the opportunity to have their voices heard. they voted for political stability, opportunities for their children, the regeneration of their communities. >> trans-tran >> translation: i voted in the election. the government has done good things, the conflict is over. >> translation: we are happy. the process is over. we are looking forward to peaceful times. >> despite concerns that fear and memories of the area's violent past would keep tamil voters aways from the polling

booth's, numbers told a different story. >> the people are interested in casting votes and are concerned about democracy. this is very good. the party is great. there is around 273,000 voters casting their vote. >> this ballot represents a significant moment in sri lanka's political history. four years ago the military defeated the tamil tigers, who fought for a separate state. thousands were killed and swathes of the north and north-east were destroyed. >> this could signal the start of a new chapter. many are hoping that the political will and opt mix that has been displayed during the campaigns continues during their time in office. >> let's return to nairobi, where a local government

official has reacted to the events at the westgate mall. this is a press conference at nairobi state house, where we are waiting to hear from the president uhuru kenyetta. speaking now is a former information minister in kenya, who also ran as a candidate in the last election. let's listen to what he has to is an i. >>... evil on the people of kenya. many years ago we went through a similar tragedy. i wish to take this opportunity to appeal to all kenyans and... ..ask everyone to pull together so that we can heal our nation. it's not the time that kenya will face hostile travel advisories. we need to recover and get up on our feet and we

appeal to... ..as we move ahead, let it be a process of all pulling together so that we can recover from this tragedy as soon as possible. thank you very much. my deepest sympathies and condollances to the kenyan people that suffered directly. thank you. >> i invite the honourable dinga. >> mr president. leaders, diplomats, ladies and gentlemen. it is exactly 16 years ago that we had an attack similar to what you witnessed yesterday, which claimed the lives of two innocent kenyans, and foreigners in our country. at a time like this, we must

come together as a people. and that is the reason why today you can see that we are standing here together, as leaders and approaching this matter in a bipartisan way. we must first send condolences to the relatives of those who have lost their lives. we also want to send our sympathies to those, some of whom we visited in hospital today. this is a trying moment for our country. it is something that has hit at the heart of our country's unity. it is an act of impugnity and a destroying of the spirit of the kenyan people. the kenyan spirit is so strong, so powerful to be destroyed by

merely these attacks. we must come together to help each other at a time like this. i'm happy the kenyan spirit has been demonstrated by many who have turned up in large numbers throughout the country to donate blood, to assist those that are wounded. we would like to appeal to everyone else to know that - to know that kenyans can not be divided. there is an attempt to divert kenyans along religious lines, saying that the terrorists are asking if you are muslim and they are letting some leave. there's nothing like that. kenyans vowed to be united, irrespective of religious differences, and no attempt from foreigners will receive

different results. i would like to appeal to social media - facebook and twitter - to forget the hate messages which are being prop gated bit the terrorists because once the damage is done, it's difficult to repair. we also want to appeal to international community, to stand with us. we thank the african diplomats for showing solidarity by coming to express sympathy with us today. we urge the international community to do so. a number sent messages of sympathy and apologies to us. this is not the time to issue such, because terrorist attacks

are universal, taking place in israel, iraq, in the u.s., in the u.k., in spain - all over the world. no travel advisories are issued. this will hurt the economy of our country. tourism is a major contributor to our economy. we, therefore, want it to be treated as an isolated incident by terrorists as such, and allow kenyans... >> apologies - we seem to be losing the signal with kenya. let's listen again to what the former prime minister odinga is saying. >> let us come together as kenyans. we have and we want to realise the dream of the nation.

we must live together, united. our wish, once again - those who have been wounded or injured, quick recovery. everyone is doing a marvellous job in treating those people. thank you very much. may god bless kenya. >> his excellency the president. >> thank you. i'm going to read a short prepared statement on behalf of all the leaders who are here today. and i want to begin. all our national leaders who have come together showing the

true spirit that is kenya. a united nation strong against adversity. i would like to take the opportunity to thank brothers and sisters on the african continent represented here by their ambass doors for their show of solidarity, support for us here in kenya at this difficult and trying moment. fellow kenyans, i thank all of you for staying strong and for being there for each other's stake as a tragic ordeal at the westgate mall enters its second day. you continue to be heroic in many amazing and happenening ways. as a nation, we speak as

one. you can see... ..from the pm and other national leaders both in and outside government. we are a multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society. we are a society that believes that our diversity is also our strength. sadly, the evil and cowardly act of terrorism has claimed, so far, 59 lives and injured more than 175 people. let's continue to keep all the affected people in our thoughts and prayers, even as we reach out with a helping hand. i want every bereaved family to

know that i and, indeed, all of us mourn deeply with them. no one should lose their life so needlessly, so senselessly, and no family should have to receive news... >> once again our apologies, we keep losing the feed out of nairobi, where the kenyan president, uhuru kenyetta, has been speaking, addressing his condollances to the victims of the siege at the westgate shopping mall which is in its second day. we heard from uhuru kenyetta, and heard from the former prime minister of kenya reila odinga, and a former prime minister. all the political leaders called for kenya to stand united. let's go back to uhuru kenyetta

now. >>... physical and psychological wounds. i offer words of comfort and encouragement. please know that my government and multituds of well wishers are united in one resolve - to see you through this painful and confusing moment. take heart that you are not alone as you bear your heart. we are praying for your quick recovery. owing to the response of various security agencies at the scene, and the selfless and countless kenyans, more than 1,000 people were rescued from the mall and attended to. we continue to rescue more. this is remarkable and encouraging. i am aware that many have expressed impatience over the pace at which the situation is

unfolding. and while i empathise with your anxiety at seeing the matter concluded as quickly as possible, i ask also for your understanding. there are between 10 to 15 armed terrorists inside the building as well as many unarmed badly shaken innocent civilians. we are reports of women as well as male attackers. we cannot confirm details on this. our security analyst are looking at that. our multi agency response unit has had to delicately balance the pressure to contain the criminals, with a need to keep our people still held in the building safe. obviously the outcome has not been ideal, but

i am satisfied that our disciplined forces responded in a professional and effective manner as the circumstances have allowed. i also ask kenyans to remember that these officers are putting their lives on the line for the greater good. therefore, give them due consideration and prayer. the inspector-general of the police service, is in charge of the situation. teams from the kenyan defense forces have supplemented the intervention. the criminals are now located in one place within the building. with the professionals on site, i assure kenyans that we have as good a chance to success fully neutralise the terrorists as we can hope for. let us allow them the space and time to do their best.

>> we now rejoin the program already in progress. >> ..our victory must be conclusive. let us defeat them with our unity by responding quickly and generously to distress calls, we have triumphed. by standing in long lines all over the city, and, indeed, in other cities to give blood, donating money through the mobile devices, buying and distributing food, blankets and beverages to the affected, we have ashamed and defeated our attackers. let us continue to wage a relentless moral war as our forces conduct a physical battle. we shall triumph. as i asked yesterday - please

continue helping and continue praying. i want to join my brothers who have spoken before me in once again also appealing to the international community. this is an incident of terror, an incident that can happen in any city, any capital anywhere in the world. many nations have suffered from such crime. this is not the time to deter. this is not the time to issue travel advisories - for in doing so, success is only for those who wish to cause harm and evil. we need to work together to fight the terrorist battle not just here in kenya, but wherever it hurts in any part of the

world. this is not a kenyan war. this is an international war, and we need to join hands and work together to see it effectively destroyed. we have also just come from visiting a number of the injured in various hospitals, accompanied by the honourable reila odinga and all the leaders you have seen here, and the one thing we have all come out with is the point that has been mentioned by all the leaders who have spoken. the indomin itable spirit of the kenyan people. we have seen doctors and nurses working overtime, clinical staff have been working overtime; we have seen volunteers moving and attending to the wounded.

we have seen many, many kenyans lining up to give blood to assist their brothers and sisters. it is this spirit that will ensure that we succeed against the cowards. i thank all kenyans, wherever they are. i thank you, the media, as i continue to request that we report responsibly. god bless kenya. and god bless us all. thank you very much. >> kenya's president uhuru kenyetta dealing with his first major crisis since coming to power in april. the ongoing siege at the westgate mall in the kenyan capital nairobi, where 59 people have been confirmed dead. many more are inside, as well as the hostage takers. uhuru kenyetta

called on kenyans to stand courageous and united. he said kenyan security forces were going to try to do everything in their power...

>> welcome to al jazeera, i'm del walters, here are the top stories, 59 are dead, 30 hostages inside on day two of the siege at an upscale mall in kenya. there are 175 others injured in the attack on saturday. the some articlian rebel group al-shabab claimed responsibility and say that it is in response to military operations in somalia. typhoon usagi is battling hong kong. officials raised the warning level as the powerful storm approaches. it left two dead, two others are missing when it passed through the philippines in