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AS IT HAPPENED: Paris reels after terror attacks

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AS IT HAPPENED: Paris reels after terror attacks
People take part in a gathering near Le Carillon restaurant, one of the site of the attacks in Paris. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP.

People in France and around the globe on Saturday mourned the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris as officials launched a huge global investigation in a bid to find answers.

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KEY POINTS

22.35 That's it for The Local's coverage of the Paris terror attacks on Saturday. We will be covering ongoing developments as they happen, so stay tuned. Join us again as the City of Light reels in the wake of Europe's worst terror attacks since the Madrid train bombings in 2004. 
 
22.32 One of the victims of last night's attacks was Asta Diakite, the cousin of French midfielder Lassana Diarra. The footballer was playing for France in a friendly game against Germany when the attacks happened.
 
22:25 - Police at Pullman hotel was 'false alarm'
 
Police responded to an alert on Saturday at the Pullman hotel near the Eiffel Tower, evacuating the building. But representatives of the Interior Ministry said it was a false alarm. Witnesses had reported seeing dozens of police at the hotel.
 
22:00 - Reports of heavy police presence at Hotel Pullman on Avenue du Suffren in Paris
 
Witnesses are reporting heavy police presence at Hotel Pullman on Avenue du Suffren.
 
"We still don't know what it going on," said one witness to radio broadcaster LBC. "Lots of armed police - about 100 police officers."
 
Reuters also reported that police had evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower and there were many officers at the hotel.
 
Champs de Mars metro station, also in the area, is reportedly shut as well.
 
21:50 - Syrian rebel groups join chorus of condemning Paris attacks
 
Dozens of Syrian rebel groups on Saturday strongly denounced the Islamic State jihadist group's attacks on Paris as "against human values" in a joint online statement.
 
And Syrian activists, refugees, and civilians in the war-torn country expressed their solidarity with France in posts on social media.
 
Forty-nine armed factions in Syria, including the powerful Jaish al-Islam rebel groups, condemned "in the strongest terms" Isis's coordinated assault in Paris that killed at least 129 people.
 
"We learned today, with great shock and condemnation, about the terrorist attacks against civilians in the city of Paris," the joint statement said.
 
It called Isis's actions "criminal attacks that are against (Islamic) laws and human values".
 
A memorial in southern France. Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP.
 
21:35 - Two Algerians among those killed
 
Two Algerians were among at least 129 people killed in the gun and bomb attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State (Isis) group, the official APS news agency said Saturday.
 
The agency cited diplomatic sources as saying they were a woman aged 40 and a 29-year-old man, but did not give their names.
 
Algeria, which has the largest foreign community in France, has set up a crisis centre at the foreign ministry and at its Paris embassy to provide assistance to any families of Algerian victims of the attacks.
 
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Saturday branded the Paris attacks as a "crime against humanity" and urged international solidarity in the face of extremism.
 
21:30 - Figure skating Grand Prix cancelled amid attacks
 
The Trophee Eric Bompard figure skating Grand Prix in the western city of Bordeaux was cancelled on Saturday following the deadly terror attacks in Paris.
 
"I regret to inform you that due to a day of mourning in France and the state of emergency, the French government has decided to cancel the end of the Trophee Bompard," French figure skating federation president Didier Gailhaguet said.
 
21:20 - All police leave suspended
 
All annual leave for all Paris police has been suspended as of 6am Sunday as France beefs up security in the wake of the terrorist attacks, BMF TV has reported.

21:15 - France sets up reception areas for victims' families

An area designated for the families of victims in the attacks has been created in Paris' Military School.

21:00 - More details emerge on two migrants possibly linked to attacks

Two men who French police are seeking to trace in connection with the Paris attacks registered as refugees with Greek authorities earlier this year, the Greek police confirmed on Saturday.

French authorities had asked their Greek counterparts to check a passport and fingerprints of one man and the fingerprints of another who were thought to have registered in Greece, which is the main entry point into Europe for Syrian refugees.

At least one Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the assailants who died in Friday night's violence.

French prosecutors said seven terrorists - now all dead - were behind the attacks, although Isis said they sent "eight brothers" which leaves open the possibility that one is in the run.
 
20:50 - More details released about American student, other victims

A US student from California was killed in the Paris attacks, her university said on Saturday.

It was the first word of an American being among the victims of the Friday night massacre.

The US State Department said separately that some Americans were wounded in the terrorist onslaught but it did not specify how many.

The student killed was identified as Nohemi Gonzalez, a third-year design student at California State University, Long Beach. She was in Paris doing a semester abroad.

Read more about the victims here.

An updated list of the nationalities of those killed was compiled by AFP:

- BELGIUM: At least two nationals were killed, according to the Belgian foreign ministry.

- ROMANIA: Two Romanians were killed according to the foreign ministry in Bucharest.

- TUNISIA: Two young Tunisians, sisters who lived in the centre-eastern French region of Creusot and who were celebrating a friend's birthday in Paris, were also killed, according to the Tunisian foreign ministry.

- BRITAIN: One Briton was killed, the Foreign Office says, adding that a "handful" were feared dead.

- PORTUGAL: A 63-year-old Portuguese national, who lived in Paris and who worked in public transport, was killed near the Stade de France sports stadium, according to Portuguese authorities.

- SPAIN: 29-year-old Alberto Gonzalez Garrido, according to the Spanish authorities, was killed while attending a concert at the Bataclan theatre that came under attack.

- SWEDEN: One person of Swedish nationality was wounded by gunfire and another was killed, according to the foreign ministry, which said it was verifying the information.

UNITED STATES: A US student from California was killed in the Paris attacks, her university says.

20:45 - Prime Minister Valls says France is 'at war'

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on TF1 that France was "at war," echoing earlier comments from President Hollande. 
 
"We should expect other attacks," he said. "But we will respond... and we will win."
 
Valls also said that five attacks had already been foiled in France since the summer.

20:35 -  Belgium opens terrorism probe, arrests made

Belgium has opened a terrorism probe linked to the attacks in Paris as police raided a neighbourhood in the capital Brussels and arrested several suspects, prosecutors said on Saturday.

The federal prosecutor's office said its counterparts in Paris had asked for help after a car with Belgian license plates and rented in Belgium was found near a concert hall where scores of people were killed on Friday night.

An anti-terrorism judge took up the case because two of the people killed in Paris were Belgians, the office said in a statement.

"The investigation is opened into a charge of terrorism and participation in the activities of a terrorist group," the prosecutor's office said.

"Several arrests were carried out at the end of the afternoon. The operations are still underway in the Molenbeek neighbourhood," it added.

20:27 - Reports that two migrants registered in Greece are being sought

AFP reported that police are now looking into two migrants registered in Greece.

20:25 - U2 pays tribute to victims after cancelling concert

The band U2 was seen paying their respects to the victims at a pop-up memorial created near the Bataclan concert hall where dozens had been held hostage and killed during a concert on Friday.

The Irish rockers had cancelled a sold-out concert scheduled for tonight at Paris's AccorHotels Arena, formerly known as the Bercy Arena. They have also cancelled a second concert planned for Sunday.

The city was full on Saturday night of people coming together to honour those who died.

Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP.

20:15 - Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira cancelled plans for charity match

Former France internationals Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira decided not to play in David Beckham's charity match on Saturday in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks.

Beckham said he understood the decision to pull out of the game on behalf of United Nations children's charity UNICEF that he organized between a Great Britain and Ireland XI and a Rest of the World XI at Old Trafford.

20:02 - First American victim named

23-year-old Nohemi Gonzalez was named by NBC News as the first confirmed American fatality.

19:50 - Hezbollah 'strongly condemns' the attacks

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday he "strongly" condemned the Islamic State group's deadly attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris.

"We, Hezbollah, express our strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack by the criminals of Daesh in Paris," he said in a televised address, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

19:47 - Killer known for 'petty crimes'

Prosecutor Francois Molins is now giving information about the bomber identified earlier today as a Frenchman.

We know that he was born in the Paris suburb of Courcouronnes in 1985, and Molins said he was known for committing "petty crimes" between 2004-2006. Intelligence services reported that he was radicalized in 2010.

Molins also confirmed earlier reports that a Syrian passport had been found on one of the attacker's bodies. 

19:43 - Three arrests made

The French prosecutor has said that three people were arrested on Saturday morning in connection with the attacks, including one at France's border with Belgium.

19:41 - Eagles of Death Metal cut short tour

Eagles of Death Metal, the California rockers whose concert in Paris turned into a massacre, will cut short a European tour and return home, promoters said Saturday.
   The musicians all survived without physical injury but a crew member who is originally from England died in the attack, a person close to the band told AFP.

19:36 - Updates on foreign victims

Several foreigners have been identified as victims of Friday's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, which left at least 129 dead. Here's what we know so far:
   - BELGIUM: At least two victims, according to the Belgian foreign ministry.
   - ROMANIA: Two Romanian nationals, according to the foreign ministry in Bucharest.
   - TUNISIA: Two young Tunisians, sisters who lived in the centre-eastern French region of Creusot and who were celebrating in Paris a friend's birthday, according to the Tunisian foreign ministry.
   - BRITAIN: One Briton killed, a "handful" feared dead: government source
   - PORTUGAL: A 63-year-old Portuguese national, who lived in Paris and who worked in public transport, died near to the Stade de France sports stadium, according to the Portuguese authorities.
   - SWEDEN: Two Swedish citizens may be among the victims of the attacks, the foreign ministry says.
   - SPAIN: 29-year-old Alberto González Garrido, according to the Spanish authorities, was attending a concert at the Bataclan theatre when it was attacked.

19:30 - 'Three teams' behind attacks
 
In his press conference, prosecutor Francois Molins told journalists "three co-ordinated teams" were responsible for Friday's attacks.
 
"We have to find who these people are, who their accomplices are, who ordered this, where they come from, how they were financed," he said.
 
19:19 - Death toll now 129
 
Prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference that the death toll from Friday's attacks was "now 129, but will rise." He added that 352 were injured, with 99 in critical condition.
 
19:15 - EU statement calls for a minute's silence

"We Europeans will all remember November 13th 2015 as a European day of mourning," a European Union joint statement said. "All Europeans are invited to join in one minute of silence in memory of the victims at noon on Monday, November 16th."
 
18:07 - At least one Briton dead
 
The British Foreign Office reported that at least one British citizen was among the dead.
 
18:44 - Football suicide bomber had ticket to game
 
At least one of the three suicide bombers at the Stade de France had a valid ticket to the game, reported the Wall Street Journal
 
A security guard told the paper that the attacker was turned away, and detonated his vest outside the stadium instead. 
 
The three bombers only killed one civilian, most likely planning to cause significantly more damage inside - either from the explosions or the potential stampedes after.
 
A Frenchman at the game, Stéphane, told The Local that football fans weren't told there was an attack. 
 
"They didn't tell us what was going on, we figured because they didn't want to create a panic, especially with so many kids around," he said. 
 
The picture below shows spectators gathered inside and on the pitch after the attacks.
 
 
18:39 - Europe beefs up security at French institutions
 
Governments across Europe held emergency meetings on Saturday to assess the threat level, with British Prime Minister David Cameron pointing to an "evolving" threat from the Islamic State group which claimed the attack.
   
Countries bordering France including Belgium, Germany and Switzerland also said they were stepping up checks after French authorities also announced restrictions for traffic in and out of the country.
   
"Last night's attacks suggest a new degree of planning and coordination and a greater ambition for mass casualty attacks," Cameron said after a security cabinet meeting at his office in Downing Street.
   
"We in the UK face the same threat," he added.
 
18:36 - FEATURE FROM THE SCENE
 
A closer look at the streets of Paris the day after
 
The Carillon is one of the hippest bars in the trendiest areas of Paris, but like the city of Paris as a whole, it is unlikely ever to be the same again. Sam Davies reports from Paris the night after Friday's atrocities.
 
 

Two young children visit the scene of one of the attacks. Photo: Sam Davies

 
18:23 - Syrian passport found at shooting site was Syrian refugee's
 
More info here about the Syrian passport found by police at the scene of the mass shooting at the Bataclan concert hall.
 
It is said to have belonged to an asylum seeker who registered on a Greek island in October, a Greek minister said Saturday.
 
18:11 - Terror expert: Only small correlation between Syrian refugees and Isis
 
Terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp from the Swedish Defence University tells The Local: 
 
"There’s very little correlation between Syrian refugees and Isis plotting - it’s not a major problem. Of course if you want to change your identity, that’s one way to do it. But from the evidence from before the refugee crisis, it didn’t seem to be a major issue.”
 
“There were very few cases in which they had tried to seek asylum under a false identity.”
 
Stay tuned for more from Ranstorp soon.
 
Paris: The night after the nightmare before

17:50 - Belgium carries out raids

Belgian police raided Saturday a neighbourhood of the capital Brussels in connection with the deadly attacks in Paris, public television RTBF reported.

The network quoted an unidentified source as saying up to three raids were being carried out in the Molenbeek district in connection with the Paris attacks but police were not immediately available for comment.

RTBF said one man was arrested.

The French-language tabloid newspaper La Derniere Heure added that the raids were carried out to find evidence in homes of three young people who it claimed took part in the attacks.

In Paris, several witness reported that some of the attackers arrived in a vehicle with Belgian license plates.

The Belgian station RTL also said there were raids underway in Molenbeek without immediately linking them to the Paris attacks that have left at least 128 people dead.

Belgium's deputy prime minister and interior minister Jan Jambon said Saturday there was "for now no evidence of Belgium involvement" in the attacks, according to an interview on Flemish VRT television.

"RTL said there would be a press conference later by the prosecutor's office.

Passport found on gunman 'belonged to refugee'

17:44  - One Isis attacker passed through Greece from Syria

A Syrian passport found by police at the scene of the mass shooting in a Paris concert hall belonged to an asylum seeker who registered on a Greek island in October, a Greek minister said Saturday.

"We confirm that the Syrian passport holder came through the Greek island of Leros on October 3 where he was registered under EU rules," said a statement issued by Nikos Toskas, the minister for citizen protection.

French police said the document was found "near the body of one of the attackers" in the investigation into the main attack of Friday's carnage, at the Bataclan concert hall, where 82 people were killed.

The authenticity of the passport was being checked, but its discovery indicates a possible Syrian connection which was a working hypothesis for investigators after assailants hit six separate locations in Paris.

17:10 Frenchman arrested with possible firearm
 
A story is emerging in London that may - or may not - be connected to events in Paris. A 41-year-old Frenchman at London Gatwick airport has been arrested with a weapon that appeared to be a firearm, British police have said following the evacuation of a terminal, according to AFP.
 
"Personal items and what appears to be a firearm were recovered and have been removed for forensic examination. However, the viability of the weapon has yet to be established," Sussex police said in a statement.
 
16:58 Markets in Paris closed for a week
 
All food markets in Paris will be closed until at least next Saturday, 19th November, Le Monde is reporting, citing the Paris Prefect's office.
 
16:40 - Shops, cinemas and museums closed after terror attacks
 
While public transport authorities report conditions currently are normal across the Paris network, it is definitely not business as usual in Paris today. Police in the city are advising against unnecessary travel, although authorities were keen to stress to Le Monde newspaper that this was a recommendation, not a prohibition.
 
Meanwhile, Parisian cinemas are closed in line with police recommendations, as is the Louvre museum. The Disneyland and Asterix theme parks are closed on Saturday and all major sport events have been cancelled in the Ile-de-France region for both Saturday and Sunday.
 
Shopping options are limited too, with many larger stores now closed. The department stores Le Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette closed in the mid-morning after opening earlier in the day while other stores like luxury designer Louis Vuitton and clothing store H&M are also closed in the Ile-de-France region.
 
 
16:39 France-bound plane in Amsterdam evacuated after 'threats'
 
AFP is reporting that a France-bound plane was evacuated in order to carry out a search before departing Amsterdam airport after "threats" against it were posted on Twitter.
   
"We always take threats very seriously and we decided here to evacuate the passengers and to search the aircraft," police spokesman Dennis Muller told AFP, without making any links to the deadly Paris attacks.
 
16:19 EU politicians link attacks to migrant crisis
 
Politicians in a number of countries have controversially linked the Paris attacks to Europe's ongoing migrant crisis.
 
Among the most prominent was Markus Söder, finance minister of the powerful German state of Bavaria, where a man arrested last week is suspected of links to Friday's events in France. Söder called for Germany to reintroduce border controls.
 
"It cannot be that we don't know who is coming to Germany and what these people are doing here. This situation must be brought to an end by any means," he told Welt am Sonntag. "Paris changes everything." 
 
However, German interior minister Thomas de Maziere warned: "don't hurriedly create a link to the debate over the refugee issue."
 
Meanwhile in Poland, the country's incoming European Affairs minister said his country would now not take in its share of refugees under an EU quota system.

"The European Council's decisions, which we criticised, on the relocation of refugees and immigrants to all EU countries are part of European law," Konrad Szymanski wrote on right-leaning website wPolityce.pl.

But "after the tragic events of Paris we do not see the political possibility of respecting them," he said.

 
15:53 - U2 cancels Paris concerts
 
Irish rockers U2 have cancelled a sold-out concert scheduled for tonight at Paris's AccorHotels Arena, formerly known as the Bercy Arena. They have also cancelled a second concert planned for Sunday.
 
"As a result of the ongoing state of emergency across France, the U2 Paris concert scheduled for 14th November will not be going ahead as planned," the group wrote on their website late on Friday.

"We watched in disbelief and shock at the unfolding events in Paris and our hearts go out to all the victims and their families across the city tonight," the band said.

The concert had been due to be televised on HBO in the US, and had been the subject of a huge publicity campaign. The band said that it was "fully resolved to go ahead with this show at an appropriate time,"

Despite the state of emergency and U2's cancelation, another veteran rock group, Motörhead, said it planned to go ahead with a concert Sunday in Paris. The Zenith, a major music venue in Paris, said it would step up security for the Motörhead show.

 
15:31 - More images from Paris on Saturday
 
15:19 - Fabius: COP21 will proceed as planned
 
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said that the COP21 Paris climate summit will go ahead as planned from 30th November to December 11th, despite the latest terror attacks.
 
Speaking in Vienna, according to le Monde he said: “COP21 must go ahead. It will take place with reinforced security measures.” He described the conference as “an absolutely essential measure against climate change”.

15:18 - Pictures from the street

Here are a few pictures from The Local's Sam Davies, taken on Saturday outside the Carillon and the Petit Cambodge. Residents have been leaving flowers.

"Everyone is numb," he said.

 

15:00 - Foreign victims being identified

Information is trickling in about the nationalities of the victims. While the vast majority are likely to be French, it has been confirmed that two Romanians, two Belgians and a Swede are among the dead. Italian news agency ANSA reports that at least two Italians were injured and one female Italian student is missing. 

Reuters is reporting that Americans had been confirmed among the injured. The British Foreign Office told The Local they had “no confirmed information” about British victims, though PM David Cameron said “we must be prepared for a number of British casualties".

 
14:51 - Eiffel Tower closed indefinitely
 
The Eiffel Tower will be closed indefinitely following the wave of deadly attacks in Paris, the iconic landmark's operator said.
 
The company decided to close the monument - normally visited by up to 20,000 people a day. It will remain closed "until further notice," she added. 
 
 
14:44 - French killer identified
 
According to Europe1, one of the terrorists killed at the Bataclan concert hall has been formally identified by his fingerprints as a Frenchman, born in a Parisian suburb in Courcouronnes. Read more here for all we know about the attackers.
 
14:36 - "Everyone is numb"
 
The Local's Sam Davies, who is outside the Carillon bar, says that there are just as many people cleaning up the streets after the shootings as there are media trucks. 
 
"The clean up operation is disgusting. They're using high powered hoses, sawdust, and there are bloody footprints on the zebra crossing," he tells The Local. 
 
"There is a stunned silence in Paris today. People are in a daze. They've got blank looks on their faces, they're not even crying. Everyone is numb."
 
 
14:29 - 'The police made us walk out with our hands up'
 
The Local speaks to Stéphane, a Frenchman who was at the Stade de France when the suicide bomber attacked.
 
"I was there with friends, we heard two explosions during the first half. We didn't know that it was a suicide attack, it was impossible to tell. But it was a really strong explosion - but we just assumed it was fireworks or something. 
 
"We didn't know about what was happening around Paris yet, it was like we were in a bubble. But soon, someone called me to tell me about the shootings and to say it was an explosion at the stadium, and I began to get worried. 
 
"At half-time, we weren't allowed to leave the stadium, the security guys didn't say anything, but told us to stay calm. 
 
"Then, a lot of people began getting news from friends and so a lot of people began to leave the stadium. We decided to leave too even though the match was still going. 
 
"There was just one gate open, and we left the stadium to go to the RER train station, and we saw a lot of policemen and police helicopters outside. The officers were in two lines and made us walk through them with our hands raised above our heads.
 
"They didn't tell us what was going on, we figured because they didn't want to create a panic, especially with so many kids around.
 
"I ended up finally getting back to town after very slow trains, and stayed at a friend's house near Chatelet. 
 
"Right when we got there, someone told us there was another shooting there at Chatelet, and while we didn't know if it was true or not, we decided to lock ourselves inside and stay in."
 
 
14:10 – Pope Francis “shaken” by Paris terror attacks
 
This from AFP news agency:
 
"I am shaken, I don't understand these things, done by human beings... There cannot be justification, religious or human. It's inhuman," an emotional pontiff said during a telephone 
interview with TG2000 television.
 
Grappling to find the right words, the Pope added: "I am with all those with suffer, and with France, which I love so much."
 
14.05 Police confirm Syrian passport found near attacker
 
Police have confirmed a Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the assailants involved in a wave of deadly attacks on Paris, police confirmed to news agency AFP on Saturday.
 
The finding was originally reported by Le Parisien newspaper earlier in the day.
 
Police did not say where exactly the passport was found, although they indicated a possible Syrian connection was a working hypothesis for investigators after assailants hit six separate locations in Paris late on Friday.
 
13:50 - Paris police chiefs took to Twitter to urge the public not to spread rumours or false information
 
The request is likely to have been prompted by rumours circulating on social media about shootings in Bagnolet, which turned out to be false.
 
 
13:45 - Harrowing account from a survivor at Bataclan
 
 
13:40 - Hollande speaks by phone with world leaders 
 
French President François Hollande spoke by phone on Saturday with several world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all of whom expressed solidarity following the deadly Paris attacks.
   
He also spoke with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Italian and Spanish prime ministers Matteo Renzi and Mariano Rajoy and Moroccan King Mohammed VI, the president's office said.
 
 
13.25 - Queen Elizabeth sends her condolences to France
 
 
13:22 - Chilling video shows Parisians fleeing from the Bataclan concert hall.
 
This link leads to a video showing people running for their lives from the Bataclan. We strongly advise viewer discretion; gun shots can be heard, and what appear to be dead bodies can be seen. 
 
The video was filmed by Le Monde journalist Daniel Psenny, who lives near the building.
 
13:08 - British Foreign Office investigating the attacks
 
The British Foreign Office told The Local that they are "are still investigating" Friday's attacks, and that they had "no confirmed information" about any UK citizens being affected. 
 
They have set up a special helpline for anyone who has been affected or is concerned about friends or relatives in France on 020 7008 0000, and said they had brought in extra staff in order to man this phone line.
 
13:03 - Moving tributes coming in from around the world
 
Here are some pics showing how monuments from around the world have become red, white, and blue for France.
 
 
IN PICS: World shows solidarity with France
 
13:02 - German-held suspect 'linked to Paris attackers
 
'A man arrested in southern Germany last week, who had weapons including machine guns and explosives in his car, was "likely linked to attackers in Paris", German media reported on Saturday.
 
 
13:01 - Syrian passport found on attacker
 
Le Parisien reported that a Syrian passport had been found on one of the attacker's bodies. Read more on the attackers here.
 
13.00 - Spanish security forces ‘on alert’ 
 
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has called an emergency meeting of Spain’s National Security Council in response to the terror attacks in Paris. 
 
He said in a press conference on Saturday morning: “We will win. They can hurt us but we will win.” 
 
"There is no cause that justifies this. We are in a struggle between civilisation and brutality. Today, we are all France," Rajoy said.
 
Read more on this at The Local Spain here.
 
12.25 - Syrian president Bashar al Assad says Paris attacks result of French policy
 
Speaking on France's Europe 1 radio station on Saturday, Assad condemned the Paris attacks, but said they had not been unexpected.
 
“We were warning about what was going to happen in Europe three years ago. We said ‘Don’t take what is happening in Syria lightly, it’s like an earthquake that is going to expand around the world'. Unfortunately, Europeans didn’t listen to what we were saying. They thought we were threatening then,” said the Syrian president.
 
"Yesterday France learned what we have been living through in Syria over the past five years," he said. 
 
12:04 - Islamic State group claims attacks
 
The Islamic State jihadist group claimed gun and bomb attacks in Paris that left more than 128 people dead in a statement posted online on Saturday.
   
It said "eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles" conducted a "blessed attack on... Crusader France."
 
11:55 - We feared another attack in France but not 'war'
 
After January's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, France feared it would only be a matter of time before it was hit again, but no one was prepared Friday's carnage.
 
 
We feared another attack in France but not 'war'
 
11:42 - German footballers stayed night in stadium
 
German football team spent the night at the Stade de France. Oliver Bierhoff told Le Parisien: "We wanted to avoid any risk and we decided not to go across Paris... and to stay in the changing rooms."
 
11:34 - Public demonstrations banned in Paris
 
Police have banned all demonstrations in the Paris region until Thursday. 
 
City authorities cannot "provide security for specific marches or gatherings" in the wake of Friday's attacks that killed at least 128 people and wounded more than 250, many of them seriously, Paris police chief Michel Cadot said in a statement.
 
 
11:28 - Reaction from Spain 
 
The attacks are the worst on European soil since the Madrid train bombings in 2004. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made reference to the attacks in a message of support on Saturday morning.
 
"Spaniards know the pain caused by terrorism. Our French friends have our support and solidarity #WeAreParis" 
 
 
11:24 - What do we know about the attackers?
 
We know that at least seven militants, all wearing suicide vests, wrought unprecedented violence in six locations across Paris. Read more here
 
What we know so far about the attackers
 
11:22 - Hollande announced three days of mourning
 
President Hollande has said that France will take three days of mourning after the attack, referring to Friday's shootings as "an act of war.. committed by a terrorist army, the Islamic State, against France, against... what we are, a free country," Hollande said.
 
11:12 - Bomb scares on trains during attacks
 
Bianca Sclavi, who lives near Gare du Nord in the 10th arrondissement, told The Local there was a bomb scare at around 9.10pm, just minutes before the attacks started, at Chatelet station on the city’s RER network.
 
"I took the RER B train home from work and it didn’t stop at Chatelet because of a bomb scare," she said. 
 
"A lot of friends were very near [the areas of the attacks] but they are okay. I was going to go out last night, at a place right on Rue St Maur, but I ended up working late."
 
 
10:50 - Paying tribute to the victims
 
In Paris and beyond, people have been paying tribute to the victims of the attack, from lighting up iconic buildings with the French colours, to laying flowers outside the locations of the attacks.
 
People leave flowers and light candles outside of the Carillon bar. Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP.
 
10:45 - French FM says 'more necessary than ever' to coordinate anti-terror fight
 
The Paris attacks show that it is "more necessary than ever" to coordinate the international fight against "terrorism," France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Saturday.
 
"It is more necessary than ever in the current circumstances to coordinate the international fight against terrorism," Fabius said in Vienna at talks on ending the Syrian civil war.
 
 
10:40 - Doctors' unions call off strike
 
France's doctors' trade unions have put an end to their strike "in solidarity". In a joint announcement, France's main healthcare trade unions (CSMF, MG France, Bloc, SML and FMF) have announced that they will end their strike, which was scheduled to last throughout the weekend.
 
10:35 - Police raise death toll to 128
 
Police are now saying that 128 in the attacks on Friday night, which have been the most violent in Europe since the Madrid train bombings of 2004.
 
10:25 France in a state of shock
 
Top French daily Le Monde is running with the headline “France wakes up in shock after a nightmarish night”.
 
At Le Figaro, the headline is “Terror attacks: war in the heart of Paris".
 
 
10:15 - Forensic teams work to identify bodies
 
BFMTV reported that forensic police were beginning the task of identifying bodies, with a focus on confirming the identity of the attackers. However, the bodies of the attackers are so badly damaged that the job could take several days.
 
 
Forensics investigators at the Cafe Bonne Biere on Rue du Faubourg du Temple. Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP
 
10:10 - France sets up hotline for victims
 
Paris police have set up a hotline to provide information and assistance to victims of last night's attacks. Police urged people to call 0800 40 60 05, as well as appealing for witnesses to dial 187.
 
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to give a statement at 11am.
 
10:05 - Saudi Arabia, Iraq condemn Paris attacks
 
The "heinous" Paris attacks are a violation of all religions and underline the need to intensify efforts against "terrorism", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Saturday as he arrived in Vienna for talks on ending Syria's civil war.
 
"I wanted to express our condolences to the government and people of France for the heinous terrorist attacks that took place yesterday which are in violation and contravention of all ethics, morals and religions," Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Vienna.
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday also denounced the attacks, saying they showed the need for action against militants worldwide.
 
"We condemn and deplore the terrorist attacks in Paris, which emphasize that fighting terrorism calls for international efforts to eliminate it in all countries," Abadi said in a statement.
 
Iraq is battling the Isis jihadist group, which overran large parts of the country last year, and Baghdad was hit by multiple bombings on Friday that killed at least 19 people.
 
While Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have regained significant ground north of the capital, much of the country's west remains under Isis control.
 
10:00 - French officials gather for security talks
 
French ministers have been gathering for a security meeting in reaction to the attacks. Below, Chief of the Defence Staff General Pierre de Villiers (right) and French Defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrive at the Elysee Palace.
 
Photo: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP.
 
09:50 - Merkel calls for meeting over attacks
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she will meet with ministers over the series of attacks in Paris, as she pledged to "do everything" to help France in its fight against terrorists.
 
"We will do everything to help in the hunt for the perpetrators and instigators, and to carry out the fight together against these terrorists," she said, adding that she will meet with ministers to discuss "the situation in France and all related questions".
 
Merkel at a press conference in reaction to the attacks. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/AFP.
 
09:40 - Russia calls for need to 'unite' against extremism
 
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday called for a united fight against extremism following the attacks.
 
"We share the sadness and the pain of the French people," Medvedev said in a statement published on the government's website. "Terrorist crimes are not
and cannot be justified. The Paris tragedy requires of us all to unite in the fight against extremism, to bring a strong answer to terrorists' actions."
 
09:30 - 80 are 'critically injured', Cameron leads UK in crisis talks
 
In addition to the 127 reported dead, another 180 are injured, 80 of whom are "critical", police told AFP.
 
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would convene the government's emergency committee early Saturday after the "sickening" terror attacks in Paris.
 
"I will be chairing a meeting of COBRA this morning following the horrifying and sickening terror attacks in Paris," Cameron said on Twitter.
 
 
 
09:20 - Airlines delay flights
 
American Airlines has said it is delaying flights to Paris amid news of the shootings and bombings, Reuters reported.
 
09:00 - Officials estimate 127 dead
 
According to Le Parisien and BFMTV, 127 are reported dead after the attacks on Friday.
 
 
A crisis meeting has been called at the Elysées for 9am.
 
All sporting fixtures in the Paris area this weekend have been cancelled after the terror attacks that left at least 120 people dead, local authorities said.
 
The message was passed to the heads of sports federations as the French capital reeled from an unprecedented series of shootings and bombings, including suicide attacks outside the Stade de France national stadium while France were playing Germany in an international football match.
 
 
With AFP

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