Al Jazeera English

We bring you the latest updates and stories from our teams across the world, as and when events unfold. Watch live on our website: aljazeera.com/watch_now Follow us on Twitter: @AJEnglish & @AJElive Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/aljazeera var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21211463-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

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Al Jazeera remembers the man who embodied South Africa's long walk to freedom: http://aje.me/mandela

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From an earthquake in the Philippines to a solar car race in Australia, Al Jazeera showcases the week in pictures.

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Malaysian court: 'Allah' is Muslim-only word

A Malaysian court has ruled that a Christian newspaper may not use the word “Allah” to refer to God, a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension and raised questions over minority rights in the mainly Muslim country.

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At the beginning of 2013, more than 45 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of armed conflict, violence and human rights violations, and the number is rising every day. Some of their stories have been highlighted in our October issue of the Al Jazeera digital magazine.

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US government orders partial shutdown

The US government has partially shut down after the Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House of Representatives failed to reach an agreement on a measure to continue funding basic services. The White House Office of Management and Budget ordered federal agencies to begin shutting down at midnight on Tuesday (0400 GMT). Some 800,000 "non-essential" federal workers will be affected.

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In Pictures: Building a new life from the mud in Myanmar Many families displaced by cyclone Nargis in 2008 are now working in brick factories for $1 per day.

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Spotlight: Intriguing India

For riveting stories from the world's largest democracy, visit Al Jazeera's special India coverage.

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Kenya's president says mall siege over

Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that the siege of Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall has ended, calling for three days of national mourning for the victims of the four-day national ordeal.

Kenyatta said on Tuesday that 67 people had been killed in the attacks by al-Qaeda linked gunmen, and added five members of the armed group had been killed by gunfire and another 11 suspects are currently being held in custody.

He did not, however, make any mention of whether any remaining hostages had been released by the attackers.

Kenya has "shamed and defeated our attackers" but the "losses are immense", he said in a televised address to the nation.

Sixy-one civilians and six members of the security forces had died in the four-day siege which Somali based armed group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for.

"Al-Shabab are looking for relevance on an international scale - especially after a change of leadership - and is looking to send the message that they are still a force to be reckoned with," Al Jazeera's Mohamed Adow reported from Nairobi.

To continue reading, click here.

Our exclusive interview with Kenya's foreign minister

For more in-depth analysis, visit: Al-Shabab: A war of vengeance? Q&A: Al-Shabab defends Nairobi attack Feature: 'This is not Kenya's war' Ghanaian poet among Nairobi dead In pictures: Moving to end Westgate siege

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Kenya forces push to end mall standoff

At least 59 people have been killed and another 175 others wounded at an upscale mall in Kenya's capital Nairobi where soldiers have surrounded an estimated 10 to 15 al-Shabab attackers who are holding an unknown number of civilians hostage. Multiple barrages of gunfire erupted on Sunday from inside the building, nearly 24 hours after the armed men stormed the Westgate shopping centre using grenades and assault rifles. "The priority is to save as many lives as possible," Joseph Lenku, Kenya's interior cabinet secretary said, reassuring the families of the hostages in the complex.  Kenyan forces have already rescued about 1,000 people, he said. It is not known how many civilians remain trapped inside the shopping complex - either as hostages or hiding from the attackers. Al-Shabab told Al Jazeera it carried out Saturday's deadly attack in which they specifically targeted non-Muslims. Kenyans and foreigners were among those confirmed dead, including French, Britons, Canadians and Chinese.

Click here for our rolling coverage and updates.

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Al-Shabab claims deadly Nairobi mall attack | The Somali group has told Al Jazeera it carried out the deadly attack inside the Westgate shopping centre in neighbouring Kenya. On its own Twitter account, al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, said it had "on numerous occasions warned the Kenyan government that failure to remove its forces from Somalia would have severe consequences". A senior Kenyan security official has put the death toll at 11. However, the Kenyan Red Cross says at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured. In pictures: Nairobi shootout Video footage of deadly gun battle For more on this developing story, click here.

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Gun battle at Nairobi shopping mall

A gun battle inside a shopping centre in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has left at least 22 people dead and more than 50 injured, according to the Kenyan Red Cross.

The Kenyan interior ministry said 11 people had been killed in the attack, and 25 were injured.

Kenyan troops and elite units have joined police fighting gunmen in Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre, one of the city's most exclusive.

One witness who spoke to Al Jazeera from inside the mall said the centre was busy with Saturday afternoon shoppers when gunfire erupted in what was initially believed to be an armed robbery.

Another witness said the attackers just opened fire, executing people after they threw grenades into the building at about midday local time (09:00 GMT). Click here for all the latest developments.

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Pope: Church too focused on gays and abortion | Pope Francis has said the Catholic church must shake off an obsession with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality and become more merciful or risk the collapse of its entire moral edifice "like a house of cards". Read more here.

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Syria's War: UN report confirms sarin 'war crime' | UN investigators found "clear and convincing evidence'' that chemical weapons were used on a relatively large scale in an attack last month in Syria that killed hundreds of people. 

As expected, the report, released on Monday, did not say who launched the attack in rebel-held Damascus suburbs.

It said: "The environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used ... in the Ghouta area of Damascus" on August 21.

"The conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic ... against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale," the report said.

Addressing the media after he had presented the report to the Security Council, UN chief Ban Ki-moon described the chemical attack as a "war crime".

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Al Jazeera launches new live blogging platform

Visit our new live blogs chronicling the ongoing turmoil in Egypt and the escalating war in Syria. Let us know what you think of our ScribbleLive platform!