A sports minister has apologised and an athletics official suspended after farcical scenes at the World University Games which saw a ‘sprinter’ take almost twice as long as the winner to finish in women’s 100m qualifying.

There was some confusion as Nasra Abubakar Ali completed the race in China in 21.81, over 10 seconds behind the winner, and crossed the line with a little skip in her step.

The Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport has conducted an investigation and discovered that she is ‘not a sports person, nor a runner’.

As such, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation, Khadijo Aden Dahir, has been suspended and accused of ‘abuse of power, nepotism, and defaming the name of the nation.’

The exact relationship between Dahir and Ali has not been confirmed but Ali is thought to be Dahir’s niece.

Sports minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud spoke out on the situation, saying: ‘What happened today was not representation of the Somali people… we apologise to the Somali people.’

There has also been the threat of legal action against the Somali Athletics Federation and any others who were involved in a body called the Somali University Sports Association which has since turned out not to exist.

Brazil’s Gabriela Silva Mourão won the race in 11.58 seconds, with Ali a long way out of the shot as the winner crossed the line.  By Phil Haigh, Metro

Over 60 terrorists affiliated with the al-Shabaab terror group from Somalia on Tuesday targeted civilians in Kenya’s Lamu County, killing two and injuring at least 10 others.

In a statement on Tuesday, Kenya's Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki confirmed the attack on the busy Garsen-Witu-Lamu Highway in Lamu County, approximately 241 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of the capital Nairobi, saying two travelers were killed and 10 others injured who were taken to the hospital.

The Kenyan government official noted that a combined security operation is underway to deal with the terrorists and locate “missing civilians.”

According to authorities, the tragic assault unfolded in the Nyongoro area of Lamu County, where the terrorists carried out a meticulously planned attack on unsuspecting civilians.

A swift response from different security forces, including the Kenya defense forces and the police, helped contain the situation and prevent further loss of life, the official said, adding that the authorities pursued the militants who fled towards the porous Kenya-Somali border.

Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group based in neighboring Somalia, has been known to target Kenya.

Their first major attack on Kenyan soil was in 2011, and since then, the East African nation has faced several acts of terrorism from the extremist group.

One of the deadliest attacks occurred in April 2015 when al-Shabaab gunmen stormed Garissa University College, killing more than 140 students. - Andrew Wasike, Anadolu Agency

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it had shut down Rashid & Rashid in South Wimbledon, Kingswright Solicitors in Birmingham and Lincoln Lawrence in Hounslow following the undercover operation by the Daily Mail. 

The newspaper reported that numerous solicitors agreed to help an undercover reporter posing as an economic migrant to submit a false asylum application in exchange for thousands of pounds.

The SRA is an independent regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales. Its rules prevent lawyers from misleading courts, and acting dishonestly or with a lack of integrity could see someone struck off.

In a statement, the SRA said: "We have closed down three solicitor firms that were named in a Daily Mail undercover operation involving immigration services.

"These firms are Rashid & Rashid in South Wimbledon, Kingswright Solicitors Birmingham, and Lincoln Lawrence in Hounslow."

The watchdog said its intervention meant it had stopped the firms from operating, had taken possession of all documents and papers held by the companies and had seized all money in its possession, including clients' money.

The practising certificates of the following solicitors have been automatically suspended so they cannot practice as a solicitor, the regulator added.

The SRA said its "interventions can be challenged at the High Court" but "if that challenge is not successful, intervened firms remain closed, they do not re-open".

Sky News approached the three law firms in question but did not receive a response to requests for comment.

The SRA's intervention was welcomed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman who tweeted: "Immigration lawyers who cheat and lie are taking the British public for a ride. Good to see this quick action by the SRA."

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick echoed her words, saying: "Immigration lawyers who cheat the system must be struck off. Good to see the first of what needs to be many more actions by @sra_solicitors."

The SRA investigation was launched after the government wrote to the watchdog to say the "full force of sanctions" should be employed in the wake of the Daily Mail investigation.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk also called for a follow-up to the review the body carried out on immigration advice last year - highlighting the importance of "ensuring public confidence in our immigration system".

The SRA's immigration and asylum thematic review found the overall quality was satisfactory and there were no widespread or systemic failings or issues with quality. By Alexandra Rogers, Sky News