Many Dead in Attacks in Paris

With the capital on edge, armed police rushed to a luxury hotel near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday evening, evacuated the building, sealed off a wide perimeter and closed nearby metro stations, only to say it had been a false alarm. “We know that our free life is stronger than any terrorist”. He declined to be identified.

This comes as a blow to Angela Merkel and other European leaders who allowed a flood of hundreds of thousands of migrants despite the potential threat from ISIS to infiltrate the west. Merkel responded to the massacre by calling for people to express “tolerance” towards the migrants and respect for “the right of everyone to seek his fortune and live”. On Thursday, twin suicide bombings in Beirut killed at least 43 people and wounded more than 200, and 26 people died Friday in Baghdad in a suicide blast and a roadside bombing that targeted Shiites.

The G-20 meeting in Turkey, which is being held this weekend, offers a special occasion not only to condemn the Paris terrorist attacks but also to come up with an effective and lasting mechanism to address the root causes of terrorism.

Of the 352 injured, at least 99 were in an “extremely serious” condition.

French President Francois Hollande vowed to attack the Islamic State group without mercy as the jihadist group claimed responsibility Saturday for orchestrating the deadliest attacks.

The third, the most deadly of all, took place inside the Bataclan concert hall, which was hosting a show by the US group Eagles of Death Metal and where 89 people were killed.

He later tweeted, confirming that he had been personally touched by events – his cousin, Asta Diakite, had been killed in a shooting incident that was part of a co-ordinated attack on the city by terrorists.

Diarra and other players completed the worldwide without knowing the full details of what was going on outside the Stade de France, as three loud explosions were heard during the first half of Saturday’s (AEDT) match.

British police said the evacuation of London’s Gatwick Airport on Saturday was connected to the discovery of a possible firearm in a bin, and that a 41-year-old man from France had been arrested. Nine people are also severely injured.

Hollande said the attacks were organised from overseas by Islamic State, with internal help. Three of the attackers are killed: one is shot and the other two kill themselves using their explosive belt.

“These acts, which target stability and security in France are against all human and moral values”, he added.

In April, French police thwarted an alleged plot by a student, Sid Ahmed Ghlam, to attack churches in Paris. France has been on high alert following the January attacks and narrowly averted more bloodshed in August when a gunman was overpowered on a packed high-speed train coming from Amsterdam.

Air France said it would operate all upcoming flights to and from France but that delays were expected because of increased security measures at airports, including Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. On Saturday, Belgian authorities announced the arrests of several suspects, one of whom is believed to have rented a vehicle used in the attacks.

“The big question on everyone’s mind is: Were these attackers – if they turn out to be connected to one of the groups in Syria – were they homegrown terrorists or were they returning fighters?” said Brian Michael Jenkins, a terrorism expert.