NAIROBI: Kenya has launched a murder investigation into the death of a BBC staff member in a Nairobi hotel room, the city’s police chief said Monday.
The body of Kate Mitchell, a British national who worked for BBC Media Action, the broadcaster’s international charity, was found on Friday, shortly after an emergency alarm was activated in her room, police said.
Her eighth-floor room’s window was broken and the body of a man she had been with earlier was found on the ground outside the hotel.
“We are investigating circumstances surrounding these deaths, but so far it is apparent the man jumped (out of) the window after killing her,” Nairobi police chief Augustine Thumbi told AFP.
“We do not know the motive so far, and these are things the investigators are trying to put together.”
In a statement, the BBC said Mitchell worked with the organization for 14 years, most recently as a senior project manager in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
“We are all shocked and horrified by this terrible news,” BBC Media Action CEO Caroline Nursey said.
“Kate was a much-loved member of staff... she was well known across our whole organization, especially by our teams in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zambia, and London.
“We send our deepest condolences to her family and her many friends around the world,” she added.
The victim’s brother Peter Mitchell described her as “a deeply beloved daughter, sister and friend.”
“Kate loved her work and was tireless in her efforts to make the world a better place,” he said in a statement released on behalf of the family.
“We are only beginning to realize the magnitude of her loss,” he said, adding that the family was in touch with British authorities and BBC Media Action to understand the circumstances behind her death.
A donor-funded charity, BBC Media Action focuses on using media and community to support marginalized groups around the world.
Kenya police launch murder probe into BBC staffer's death
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Kenya police launch murder probe into BBC staffer's death
Kremlin says Putin is mediating in Iran to normalize situation
- Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow has condemned US threats of new military strikes after Iran acted against protests that broke out late last month.
Putin in his call with Netanyahu expressed Russia’s willingness to “continue its mediation efforts and to promote constructive dialogue with the participation of all interested states,” the Kremlin said, adding he had set out his ideas for boosting stability in the Middle East.
No further details were given on Putin’s mediation attempt.
Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran.
“It was noted that Russia and Iran unanimously and consistently support de-escalating
the tensions — both surrounding Iran and in the region as a whole — as soon as possible
and resolving any emerging issues through exclusively political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
Putin and Pezeshkian had confirmed their commitment to their countries’ strategic partnership and to implementing joint economic projects, the Kremlin added.
Separately, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China, India, and Iran, among others, said it opposed external interference in Iran and blamed Western sanctions for creating conditions for unrest.
“Unilateral sanctions have had a significant negative impact on the economic stability of the state, led to a deterioration in people’s living conditions, and objectively limited the ability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development,” the SCO said in a statement.
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions.
Asked what support Russia could provide to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is already providing assistance not only to Iran but also to the entire region, and to the cause of regional stability and peace. This is partly thanks to the president’s efforts to help de-escalate tensions.”
The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.
