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Paris attacks: day after atrocity - as it happened Paris attacks: day after atrocity - as it happened
(6 days later)
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Afternoon summary - what we knowAfternoon summary - what we know
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Henry McDonaldHenry McDonald
The Guardian’s Ireland correspondent Henry McDonald reports on the comments from U2 frontman Bono on the attacks.The Guardian’s Ireland correspondent Henry McDonald reports on the comments from U2 frontman Bono on the attacks.
U2 lead singer Bono has said the Paris massacres, especially the attack on the music concert, was Islamic State’s first “direct hit against music”.U2 lead singer Bono has said the Paris massacres, especially the attack on the music concert, was Islamic State’s first “direct hit against music”.
Bono said the bombs and bullets at the Eagles of Death Metal concert showed the attackers don’t like music.Bono said the bombs and bullets at the Eagles of Death Metal concert showed the attackers don’t like music.
“Our first thoughts at this point are with the Eagles of Death Metal fans,” Bono told the Dave Fanning Show on Irish radio 2FM on Saturday.“Our first thoughts at this point are with the Eagles of Death Metal fans,” Bono told the Dave Fanning Show on Irish radio 2FM on Saturday.
The U2 star added: “When you think about it, the majority of victims from last night’s attacks were music fans.The U2 star added: “When you think about it, the majority of victims from last night’s attacks were music fans.
“So this really is the first direct hit on music we’ve had on this so-called war on terror.“So this really is the first direct hit on music we’ve had on this so-called war on terror.
“We know that they don’t like music … and this and the cold-blooded aspect of last night’s attacks are what are really upsetting because it means it could have been any of us.“We know that they don’t like music … and this and the cold-blooded aspect of last night’s attacks are what are really upsetting because it means it could have been any of us.
Meanwhile Ulster’s European Rugby Champions Cup clash with French side Oyonnax was cancelled on Saturday due to the killings in Paris.Meanwhile Ulster’s European Rugby Champions Cup clash with French side Oyonnax was cancelled on Saturday due to the killings in Paris.
Ulster’s manager Bryn Cunningham said he fully backed the European Professional Club Rugby’s decision to cancel Saturday’s game.Ulster’s manager Bryn Cunningham said he fully backed the European Professional Club Rugby’s decision to cancel Saturday’s game.
“We fully support the EPRC in this decision – a difficult one and that’s why it took a number of hours on Saturday morning to make it.“We fully support the EPRC in this decision – a difficult one and that’s why it took a number of hours on Saturday morning to make it.
“However, rugby is fairly insignificant in all of this. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies go out to the French public.”“However, rugby is fairly insignificant in all of this. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies go out to the French public.”
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A vigil in Lille has reportedly turned sour after anti-Islam protesters, carrying flares and a banner that read “Expel the Islamists”, clashed with those paying their respects in the city’s Place de la République.A vigil in Lille has reportedly turned sour after anti-Islam protesters, carrying flares and a banner that read “Expel the Islamists”, clashed with those paying their respects in the city’s Place de la République.
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'Number of arrests' - Belgian justice minister'Number of arrests' - Belgian justice minister
Belgian police have made a number of arrests in Brussels in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, according to the country’s justice minister, Koen Geens.Belgian police have made a number of arrests in Brussels in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, according to the country’s justice minister, Koen Geens.
Le Monde reports that a police raid in the Belgian town of Molenbeek is focused on the home of three young men who took part in Friday night’s attack in Paris.Le Monde reports that a police raid in the Belgian town of Molenbeek is focused on the home of three young men who took part in Friday night’s attack in Paris.
The newspaper says that it involves a second team that fled the French capital on Friday night in a car.The newspaper says that it involves a second team that fled the French capital on Friday night in a car.
According to witnesses, one of the cars used by the terrorists had a Belgian number plate.According to witnesses, one of the cars used by the terrorists had a Belgian number plate.
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European Union heads of state and institutions have issued a joint statement announcing a day of mourning across Europe on Monday, including a one minute silence.European Union heads of state and institutions have issued a joint statement announcing a day of mourning across Europe on Monday, including a one minute silence.
It is an attack against us all. We will face this threat together with all necessary means and ruthless determination.It is an attack against us all. We will face this threat together with all necessary means and ruthless determination.
Everything that can be done at European level to make France safe will be done.Everything that can be done at European level to make France safe will be done.
We will do what is necessary to defeat extremism, terrorism and hatred.We will do what is necessary to defeat extremism, terrorism and hatred.
France is a great and strong nation. Its values of liberty, equality and fraternity inspired and inspire the European Union.France is a great and strong nation. Its values of liberty, equality and fraternity inspired and inspire the European Union.
This shameful act of terrorism will only achieve the opposite of its purpose, which was to divide, frighten, and sow hatred.This shameful act of terrorism will only achieve the opposite of its purpose, which was to divide, frighten, and sow hatred.
Good is stronger than evil. Everything that can be done at European level to make France safe will be done.Good is stronger than evil. Everything that can be done at European level to make France safe will be done.
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AFP is reporting that two Tunisian sisters aged 34 and 35 have been identified as victims of the Paris attacks. According to the “provisional death toll, at least two Tunisians have been killed,” said the Tunisian minister for foreign affairs, Naoufel Laabidi.Radio station Mosaïque FM reported that the sisters were celebrating a friend’s birthday on Friday evening when the attack took place.AFP is reporting that two Tunisian sisters aged 34 and 35 have been identified as victims of the Paris attacks. According to the “provisional death toll, at least two Tunisians have been killed,” said the Tunisian minister for foreign affairs, Naoufel Laabidi.Radio station Mosaïque FM reported that the sisters were celebrating a friend’s birthday on Friday evening when the attack took place.
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Syrian passport found on Paris attacker's body belonged to refugee who passed through GreeceSyrian passport found on Paris attacker's body belonged to refugee who passed through Greece
The holder of a Syrian passport found near the body of one of the gunmen who died in Friday night’s attacks in Paris passed though Greece in October, a Greek minister told Reuters.The holder of a Syrian passport found near the body of one of the gunmen who died in Friday night’s attacks in Paris passed though Greece in October, a Greek minister told Reuters.
“The holder of the passport passed through the island of Leros on 3 October 2015, where he was identified according to EU rules,” said Nikos Toscas, Greece’s deputy minister in charge of policing.“The holder of the passport passed through the island of Leros on 3 October 2015, where he was identified according to EU rules,” said Nikos Toscas, Greece’s deputy minister in charge of policing.
A Greek police source told Reuters that European countries had been asked to check the passport holder to see if they had been registered.A Greek police source told Reuters that European countries had been asked to check the passport holder to see if they had been registered.
While this heavily implies that one of the gunman came into Europe along with refugees, Syrian passports are known to be valuable currency amongst those trying to enter Europe, and it is not yet confirmed whether the holder of the passport is indeed the perpetrator.While this heavily implies that one of the gunman came into Europe along with refugees, Syrian passports are known to be valuable currency amongst those trying to enter Europe, and it is not yet confirmed whether the holder of the passport is indeed the perpetrator.
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Three Paris attackers 'from Brussels neighbourhood'Three Paris attackers 'from Brussels neighbourhood'
Three of the eight attackers who killed 127 people in Paris on Friday night are believed to have come from the Brussels neighbourhood raided by police this afternoon.Three of the eight attackers who killed 127 people in Paris on Friday night are believed to have come from the Brussels neighbourhood raided by police this afternoon.
French media reports that three attackers were from the Molenbeek neighbourhood, where police are currently carrying out raids.French media reports that three attackers were from the Molenbeek neighbourhood, where police are currently carrying out raids.
RTL reports that the country’s federal prosecutor will make a statement this evening.RTL reports that the country’s federal prosecutor will make a statement this evening.
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Reuters reports that one of the gunmen who died after attacking the Bataclan theatre last night was a Frenchman from Courcouronnes suburb south of Paris.Reuters reports that one of the gunmen who died after attacking the Bataclan theatre last night was a Frenchman from Courcouronnes suburb south of Paris.
Courcouronnes lies roughly 20 miles south of the French capital and five miles south of Juvisy-sur-Orge, home to Amedy Coulibaly, who was involved in the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January.Courcouronnes lies roughly 20 miles south of the French capital and five miles south of Juvisy-sur-Orge, home to Amedy Coulibaly, who was involved in the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January.
Coulibaly killed four hostages in a kosher supermarket in the Porte de Vincennes before being shot by anti-terrorism forces.Coulibaly killed four hostages in a kosher supermarket in the Porte de Vincennes before being shot by anti-terrorism forces.
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Police raid Brussels neighbourhoodPolice raid Brussels neighbourhood
#BREAKING Police raid Brussels neighbourhood in connection with Paris attacks: Belgian TV#BREAKING Police raid Brussels neighbourhood in connection with Paris attacks: Belgian TV
Belgian police operations are under way in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, according to Belgium’s RTBF and RTL television.Belgian police operations are under way in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, according to Belgium’s RTBF and RTL television.
One man has been arrested, RTBF reported, saying its journalists had seen heavily armed police search several houses in the area.One man has been arrested, RTBF reported, saying its journalists had seen heavily armed police search several houses in the area.
Mehdi Nemmouche, the terrorist who attacked the Jewish Museum of Brussels, lived in Molenbeek after returning from Syria.Mehdi Nemmouche, the terrorist who attacked the Jewish Museum of Brussels, lived in Molenbeek after returning from Syria.
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A simple sketch combining two of the world’s most familiar images – Paris’s Eiffel Tower and the international peace symbol – has been adopted as a sign of solidarity with victims of the terror attacks in Paris.A simple sketch combining two of the world’s most familiar images – Paris’s Eiffel Tower and the international peace symbol – has been adopted as a sign of solidarity with victims of the terror attacks in Paris.
The image has been scrawled on T-shirts, painted on banners and chalked onto the streets of Paris, with photographs posted on social media under the slogan Peace for Paris.The image has been scrawled on T-shirts, painted on banners and chalked onto the streets of Paris, with photographs posted on social media under the slogan Peace for Paris.
The image is said to have been designed by London-based French graphic artist, Jean Jullien. The artwork has gone viral on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.The image is said to have been designed by London-based French graphic artist, Jean Jullien. The artwork has gone viral on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Police detain Frenchman 'with gun' at GatwickPolice detain Frenchman 'with gun' at Gatwick
A 41-year-old man from France is being questioned by police after “what appears to be a firearm” was discovered at Gatwick airport, Sussex police said.A 41-year-old man from France is being questioned by police after “what appears to be a firearm” was discovered at Gatwick airport, Sussex police said.
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Rowena MasonRowena Mason
Downing Street said it believes a small number of British nationals have been caught up in the Paris attacks.Downing Street said it believes a small number of British nationals have been caught up in the Paris attacks.
“Our embassy in Paris is working urgently with the French authorities to find out more and we have deployed additional consular staff and a team from the Metropolitan police to assist them with this task,” a spokeswoman said.“Our embassy in Paris is working urgently with the French authorities to find out more and we have deployed additional consular staff and a team from the Metropolitan police to assist them with this task,” a spokeswoman said.
Around 400 people called the Foreign Office with concerns about British citizens in Paris, and most have now been located.Around 400 people called the Foreign Office with concerns about British citizens in Paris, and most have now been located.
The union flag has been lowered to half-mast over Downing Street with the French tricolore alongside as a “clear demonstration of our solidarity with the French”, No 10 said.The union flag has been lowered to half-mast over Downing Street with the French tricolore alongside as a “clear demonstration of our solidarity with the French”, No 10 said.
The London Eye, the National Gallery, Tower Bridge and Wembley will be lit up red, white and blue tonight.The London Eye, the National Gallery, Tower Bridge and Wembley will be lit up red, white and blue tonight.
Cameron is still planning to travel to the G20 summit in Turkey tomorrow, where he plans to talk to other world leaders about how to “defeat this Islamist terrorism threat, whether in Paris, Ankara, northern Sinai, Syria or Iraq”.Cameron is still planning to travel to the G20 summit in Turkey tomorrow, where he plans to talk to other world leaders about how to “defeat this Islamist terrorism threat, whether in Paris, Ankara, northern Sinai, Syria or Iraq”.
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The French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has just finished speaking to the press after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, and announced 1,500 soldiers will conduct patrols in the heart of the capital.The French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has just finished speaking to the press after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, and announced 1,500 soldiers will conduct patrols in the heart of the capital.
He called for the public prosecutor to be transparent about the progress of the investigation, and said France was working closely “with other European countries to establish the identities of those responsible for these barbaric acts”.He called for the public prosecutor to be transparent about the progress of the investigation, and said France was working closely “with other European countries to establish the identities of those responsible for these barbaric acts”.
A one-minute silence will be observed in schools and public institutions on Monday.A one-minute silence will be observed in schools and public institutions on Monday.
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Jessica ReedJessica Reed
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has just opened a psychological support group for Parisians in the 10th arrondissement.The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has just opened a psychological support group for Parisians in the 10th arrondissement.
Riverains, témoins, dans le 10e arrondissement, une cellule de soutien psychologique est ouverte à l'école du 155 avenue Parmentier.Riverains, témoins, dans le 10e arrondissement, une cellule de soutien psychologique est ouverte à l'école du 155 avenue Parmentier.
Another group is available for the families of the victims at the Military School of Paris.Another group is available for the families of the victims at the Military School of Paris.
According to the Ministry of Culture, museums, concert venues and other cultural public spaces will remain closed in the Ile-de-France region on Sunday.According to the Ministry of Culture, museums, concert venues and other cultural public spaces will remain closed in the Ile-de-France region on Sunday.
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Senior figures in both Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories have condemned the attacks in Paris.Senior figures in both Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories have condemned the attacks in Paris.
Dr Bassem Naim, head of the Council of International Relations for Hamas, told AFP the group condemned “the acts of aggression and barbarity”, while Islamic Jihad condemned “a crime against innocents”.Dr Bassem Naim, head of the Council of International Relations for Hamas, told AFP the group condemned “the acts of aggression and barbarity”, while Islamic Jihad condemned “a crime against innocents”.
3.33pm GMT3.33pm GMT
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Eagles of Death Metal cut short Europe tourEagles of Death Metal cut short Europe tour
Eagles of Death Metal, the US rock band that was playing at the Bataclan when gunmen stormed into the concert hall and killed at least 87 people, are cutting short their tour.Eagles of Death Metal, the US rock band that was playing at the Bataclan when gunmen stormed into the concert hall and killed at least 87 people, are cutting short their tour.
The band had been due to continue playing dates in Europe until December, including a concert tonight in Tourcoing in northern France, and on Sunday in Brussels.The band had been due to continue playing dates in Europe until December, including a concert tonight in Tourcoing in northern France, and on Sunday in Brussels.
“The group is going to return [to the US],” an official at promoters Nous Productions told AFP.“The group is going to return [to the US],” an official at promoters Nous Productions told AFP.
David Ian Hughes, brother of the band’s frontman Jesse Hughes, wrote on Facebook that he had spoken to the artist and “the band is ok”.David Ian Hughes, brother of the band’s frontman Jesse Hughes, wrote on Facebook that he had spoken to the artist and “the band is ok”.
“My heart is actually in Paris tonight,” said Emily Dorio, wife of the band’s drummer Julian Dorio, on Istagram. “I’m saying a million prayers that my husband comes home safe and I’m saying a million prayers for everyone who won’t. I’ve never been so grateful and so heartbroken in the same breath of air.”“My heart is actually in Paris tonight,” said Emily Dorio, wife of the band’s drummer Julian Dorio, on Istagram. “I’m saying a million prayers that my husband comes home safe and I’m saying a million prayers for everyone who won’t. I’ve never been so grateful and so heartbroken in the same breath of air.”
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Chris JohnstonChris Johnston
Germanwings crash volunteers were at Stade de France as thank-you trip from airlineGermanwings crash volunteers were at Stade de France as thank-you trip from airline
You couldn’t make this up: some 1,000 emergency workers and volunteers who responded after a Germanwings flight crashed in the Alps in March were at the Stade de France last night as a reward for their hard work during the tragedy.You couldn’t make this up: some 1,000 emergency workers and volunteers who responded after a Germanwings flight crashed in the Alps in March were at the Stade de France last night as a reward for their hard work during the tragedy.
They were taken to see the France v Germany friendly on a chartered train by Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings.They were taken to see the France v Germany friendly on a chartered train by Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings.
Airbus communications chief Rainer Ohler, who was at the stadium along with the company’s chief executive Tom Enders, said:Airbus communications chief Rainer Ohler, who was at the stadium along with the company’s chief executive Tom Enders, said:
It was supposed to be an evening of French and German celebration and appreciation after that tragic event. We heard the explosions and at first nobody thought of terrorism.It was supposed to be an evening of French and German celebration and appreciation after that tragic event. We heard the explosions and at first nobody thought of terrorism.
It was only when President Hollande left and people started getting phone messages that we realised what was going on.It was only when President Hollande left and people started getting phone messages that we realised what was going on.
Enders said Airbus stood united against “barbarian attacks”.Enders said Airbus stood united against “barbarian attacks”.
Nous sommes unis! (We are united!) We are all impacted by the tragic terror attacks in Paris. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all the people in Paris.Nous sommes unis! (We are united!) We are all impacted by the tragic terror attacks in Paris. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all the people in Paris.
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Dutch authorities have grounded a France-bound airliner at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport after receiving a “threatening tweet”.Dutch authorities have grounded a France-bound airliner at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport after receiving a “threatening tweet”.
A border police spokesman said the Air France KLM flight, which had been due to depart around 1345 GMT, had been halted for searches for around an hour.A border police spokesman said the Air France KLM flight, which had been due to depart around 1345 GMT, had been halted for searches for around an hour.
Earlier on Saturday, the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, announced there would be heightened security measures for all transportation going from or to France.Earlier on Saturday, the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, announced there would be heightened security measures for all transportation going from or to France.
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Michel Delpuech, leader of the local authority in the Rhône-Alpes region, has said he would impose a curfew in Lyon if necessary.Michel Delpuech, leader of the local authority in the Rhône-Alpes region, has said he would impose a curfew in Lyon if necessary.
I have not ruled it out, particularly if there are protests supporting terrorism or calling for similar attacks.I have not ruled it out, particularly if there are protests supporting terrorism or calling for similar attacks.
Lyon is France’s third largest city with a population of almost half a million. If a curfew were imposed, it would be the first time since the French riots of 2005 when seven local authorities took the same decision.Lyon is France’s third largest city with a population of almost half a million. If a curfew were imposed, it would be the first time since the French riots of 2005 when seven local authorities took the same decision.
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3.06pm GMT3.06pm GMT
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London’s Metropolitan police says it will urgently review its approach to a potential firearms attack in the UK capital in light of Friday night’s wave of violence in Paris.London’s Metropolitan police says it will urgently review its approach to a potential firearms attack in the UK capital in light of Friday night’s wave of violence in Paris.
The Met police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: “The scale of the attacks and the range of weaponry used by the terrorists are a serious cause for concern. But the public can be reassured that our firearms officers are trained to deal with this kind of incident and we are constantly evolving new ways to combat the threats to public safety.”The Met police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: “The scale of the attacks and the range of weaponry used by the terrorists are a serious cause for concern. But the public can be reassured that our firearms officers are trained to deal with this kind of incident and we are constantly evolving new ways to combat the threats to public safety.”
Police had hundreds of investigations active and were making at least one arrest a day, on average, Hogan-Howe said. High visibility patrols will take place across the capital in the coming days.Police had hundreds of investigations active and were making at least one arrest a day, on average, Hogan-Howe said. High visibility patrols will take place across the capital in the coming days.
The Met’s assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, the lead for counter-terrorism, emphasised that the police were very much reliant on information from inside communities.The Met’s assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, the lead for counter-terrorism, emphasised that the police were very much reliant on information from inside communities.
“At the heart of success in countering terrorism, regardless of the operations we run and the arrests we make, is the relationship between the public and the police,” he said. “It needs to be stronger than ever.“At the heart of success in countering terrorism, regardless of the operations we run and the arrests we make, is the relationship between the public and the police,” he said. “It needs to be stronger than ever.
“We as the police depend massively on information from communities; whether it’s about suspicious individuals or suspicious behaviours. We’ve had more reports than ever before over the last year. That needs to continue.”“We as the police depend massively on information from communities; whether it’s about suspicious individuals or suspicious behaviours. We’ve had more reports than ever before over the last year. That needs to continue.”
Policing had been strengthened at ports and the public may noticed a bigger police presence at public events, Rowley said. “The term I would use is ‘to be alert, not alarmed’,” he said.Policing had been strengthened at ports and the public may noticed a bigger police presence at public events, Rowley said. “The term I would use is ‘to be alert, not alarmed’,” he said.
The public is asked if they see or hear anything suspicious to contact police or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321.The public is asked if they see or hear anything suspicious to contact police or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321.
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This is the emotional moment an anonymous man played John Lennon’s Imagine on a grand piano outside the Bataclan, where a small vigil has formed.This is the emotional moment an anonymous man played John Lennon’s Imagine on a grand piano outside the Bataclan, where a small vigil has formed.
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2.50pm GMT2.50pm GMT
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Chris JohnstonChris Johnston
Passengers arriving on Eurostar services from Paris today have had tearful reunions with family and friends at St Pancras station in London.Passengers arriving on Eurostar services from Paris today have had tearful reunions with family and friends at St Pancras station in London.
One Parisian woman, who did not want to be named, wept as she told how a female friend died in last night’s attacks.One Parisian woman, who did not want to be named, wept as she told how a female friend died in last night’s attacks.
“She got shot in the head in a restaurant. She was 23 and her name was Justine. It’s just a nightmare,” the woman said.“She got shot in the head in a restaurant. She was 23 and her name was Justine. It’s just a nightmare,” the woman said.
Meanwhile, a group of students from Riddlesdown Collegiate in Croydon returned early from a visit to Paris. Soumick Dey, the school’s principal who came to meet the party at St Pancras, said the students were on the Métro when the attacks started.Meanwhile, a group of students from Riddlesdown Collegiate in Croydon returned early from a visit to Paris. Soumick Dey, the school’s principal who came to meet the party at St Pancras, said the students were on the Métro when the attacks started.
“At the time when the trouble was beginning they returned to the hostel and stayed there through the night,” he said. “They managed to swap their tickets to come back earlier. They were close to some of the sites where the trouble was, but they were safe in the hostel together. It’s lovely to see them all safe back here now.”“At the time when the trouble was beginning they returned to the hostel and stayed there through the night,” he said. “They managed to swap their tickets to come back earlier. They were close to some of the sites where the trouble was, but they were safe in the hostel together. It’s lovely to see them all safe back here now.”
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Chris JohnstonChris Johnston
Twitter doesn’t seem able to cope with the volume of traffic searching for the hashtag #ParisAttacks (or just ‘Paris’ for that matter)...Twitter doesn’t seem able to cope with the volume of traffic searching for the hashtag #ParisAttacks (or just ‘Paris’ for that matter)...
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A candlelight vigil is to be held in London’s Trafalgar Square at 9pm tonight in honour of those killed in last night’s attacks in Paris. Théophile Rampal and Jean-Dominique Nguélé, two London-based Frenchmen, have organised the vigil and say police have agreed to cover it. A Facebook event suggests more than 2,000 people are expected to attend.Vigils have also been planned in Glasgow and Liverpool.A candlelight vigil is to be held in London’s Trafalgar Square at 9pm tonight in honour of those killed in last night’s attacks in Paris. Théophile Rampal and Jean-Dominique Nguélé, two London-based Frenchmen, have organised the vigil and say police have agreed to cover it. A Facebook event suggests more than 2,000 people are expected to attend.Vigils have also been planned in Glasgow and Liverpool.
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2.43pm GMT2.43pm GMT
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Americans among those injured in Paris, says State DepartmentAmericans among those injured in Paris, says State Department
A US State Department spokesman has said the government believes American citizens are among the injured in the Paris terror attacks.A US State Department spokesman has said the government believes American citizens are among the injured in the Paris terror attacks.
Mark Toner would not say if any citizens had been killed.Mark Toner would not say if any citizens had been killed.
“The US embassy in Paris is working around the clock to assist American citizens affected by this tragedy,” he said.“The US embassy in Paris is working around the clock to assist American citizens affected by this tragedy,” he said.
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2.40pm GMT
14:40
Peter Walker
The Guardian’s Peter Walker has been covering the search for possible victims of the attack by distraught relatives.
Friends of a British man said to be working with the American rock groupat whose gig 87 people were shot dead posted messages saying they feared for his safety.
With David Cameron warning the UK to be prepared for a number of British casualties, friends of Nick Alexander, reported to be from Colchester in Essex, said they were deeply worried. Alexander had been running merchandise sales for the rock group Eagles of Death Metal at the Bataclan theatre, where two gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons.
“I have just woken up to heartbreaking news that my good friend Nick Alexander has been a victim of the Paris tragedy at the Bataclan. He was one of the best people I knew and I still can’t wrap my head around it,” read one friend’s Facebook update. Other friends tweeted of their concerns.
You can read the full piece here:
Related: Social media search under way to identify Paris victims
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Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of the Front National, has been speaking on French television:
For the sixth time in 2015, Islamist terrorism has struck our country. France mourns her dead and I mourn with her. I pay tribute to the dedication of our armed forces.
France must determine who its friends are and who its enemies are. France’s enemies are those who maintain links with Islamism. Once and for all, France must recapture control of its borders.
Islamist fundamentalism must be destroyed, radical mosques must be closed and radicals clerics must be expelled. French terrorists must be stripped of their citizenship and banned from this country.
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2.27pm GMT
14:27
The London School of Economics has posted a tribute to a former student, Valentin Ribet, who it said was a victim of the attacks in Paris.
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2.16pm GMT
14:16
Poland has announced it will no longer take refugees via an EU programme, in a deeply controversial statement that linked the crisis to the killings in Paris.
“The European council’s decisions, which we criticised, on the relocation of refugees and immigrants to all EU countries are part of European law,” European affairs minister Konrad Szymanski wrote on the right-leaning website wPolityce.pl.
“After the tragic events of Paris we do not see the political possibility of respecting them,” he said.
Under the EU relocation plan, 160,000 refugees registered in the frontline states of Greece and Italy were to be relocated around the 28-member bloc, but there has been fierce resistance from several eastern European countries.
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14:11
Ian Traynor
The Guardian’s Europe editor, Ian Traynor, has more on the German arrest linked to the Paris attack.
A 51-year-old Montenegrin detained in Germany after his car was found to be laden with weaponry and explosives is being linked to the Paris plot. The man was arrested in Bavaria near the Austrian border on 5 November, according to Bavarian public radio.
A pistol was found under the engine hood of his Volkswagen Golf, prompting an alert, according to the radio’s veteran and reputable crime reporter, citing regional police sources.
The Bavarian government confirmed the report, stating that the interior ministry was “intensively investigating together with the French authorities whether there is a connection with the events in Paris.”
Joachim Herrmann, the Bavarian interior minister, said: “Someone transporting several kalashnikovs, hand grenades, and explosives could be from the serious crime sector.
“But there are reasons to suspect that this is about terrorist intentions, or someone supplying weapons to terrorists.”
Examination of the suspect’s mobile phone and of the car’s GPS system indicated he was en route to Paris, German media reports said.
Police experts impounded the vehicle and took it apart - to reveal a sophisticated operation with automatic weapons, 200 grammes of TNT, hand grenades, and ammunition carefully concealed in the car’s bodywork, according to the reports.
Bavarian investigators immediately alerted the French authorities after the man was arrested, the report said.
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14:09
AFP are quoting police sources saying a Frenchman was one of the perpetrators of the Bataclan attack.
#BREAKING Frenchman identified as possible concert hall attacker: police sources
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1.58pm GMT
13:58
Guardian reporter Kevin Rawlinson has more about the evacuation of Gatwick airport’s north terminal, which we reported earlier.
Explosives experts are inspecting an item discarded at Gatwick airport, police say. A terminal was evacuated as a precautionary measure and the man who abandoned the item in question has been arrested.
Police were called on Saturday morning to reports of “suspicious actions” on the man’s part. They said explosives ordnance disposal specialists were at the scene but that it was too early to determine what the item was.
“Given the events in Paris on Friday evening, there is heightened awareness around any such incident and it is best that we treat the matter in all seriousness,” said Det Supt Nick May of Sussex police.
“We are aware that there is concern about what has happened in France, but the general threat level remains the same and people should be aware as usual of anyone acting suspiciously.”
The north terminal was evacuated.
“Roads around the terminal are also temporarily closed and there is no access for vehicles,” a statement from Gatwick airport said. “If you are due to fly from north terminal this afternoon, please contact your airline for the latest flight information. If you are meeting a passenger arriving at NT, they will now arrive at south terminal.”
Updated
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1.57pm GMT
13:57
Paris attackers 'had French, Egyptian and Syrian passports'
The French newspaper Libération reports that one of the terrorists who carried out the Bataclan shooting has been confirmed as a French extremist who was known to police.
It also reports that an Egyptian passport was found on one of the attackers the Stade de France, as well as a Syrian passport. Neither man has had their identity confirmed by officials.
The paper’s police and justice correspondent, Willy Le Devin, says police have identified the 30-year-old French national by his fingerprints, and confirmed he was known to police.
Confirmation : l'un des terroristes du #Bataclan est un français connu des services pour sa radicalisation. Identifié via empreintes.
He says a Syrian passport was retrieved from one attacker at the Stade de France but the body has not been formally identified.
Le passeport syrien a été retrouvé à côté d'un corps déchiqueté. Pas d'identification confirmée donc #attentatparis
An Egyptian passport was also found at the scene of the stadium attack, he tweets.
Un passeport egyptien a également été retrouvé au Stade de France #parisattentats
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'Reasonable grounds to believe' German arrest is related to Paris attacks
Bavaria’s state premier has said police have grounds to believe a man arrested in the southern German state in early November may be linked to the Paris attacks, after guns and explosives were found in his car.
“There are reasonable grounds for presuming that it might be related to the matter,” Horst Seehofer said in a speech at a local party congress of the Christian Democrats.
A spokesman for Bavarian police said they arrested the 51-year-old on 5 November, but dismissed any talk of a link to Paris as “pure media speculation”.
Updated
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1.39pm GMT
13:39
England v France friendly to go ahead
The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced that the planned friendly match with England at Wembley stadium in London will go ahead.
“After discussions which established there is no special hazard preventing the holding of the match, we have decided to hold the fixture,” said a FFF spokesman.
The situation may change, he said, if the Football Association in the UK were to take a different view.
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13:35
At least two Belgian nationals were killed in the Paris attacks, the country’s foreign minister, Didier Reynders, has said.
We now know that among the dead are at least two Belgians, two Romanians and a Swedish citizen. The UK prime minister, David Cameron, has warned that British casualties are likely, without giving any further details.
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13:30
Mark Smith
The Queen and Prince Philip have tweeted their condolences to the French people, after what the British royals called “the terrible loss of life in Paris”.
The Queen - "Prince Philip and I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the terrible loss of life in #Paris" (1/2)
The Queen - "We send our most sincere condolences to you, the families of those who have died and the French people" (2/2)
1.30pm GMT
13:30
Scene outside #Bataclan after #ParisAttacks: Man pulled up with piano attached to bike, played Imagine and left. pic.twitter.com/p3ivcewHEK
1.20pm GMT
13:20
The Eiffel Tower will remain closed until further notice, Le Monde reports.
Last night, the lights on the Paris landmark went dark after news of the killings spread.
Museums, the Palace of Versailles and all of Paris’s public landmarks are closed. Two the capital’s most famous department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, have now closed, though they opened this morning.
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13:14
French interior minister authorises local authorities to impose curfews
France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has authorised local authorities to impose curfews if needed. In a televised address on Saturday, Cazeneuve said authorities are also banning all public demonstrations until Thursday.
The state of emergency will apply to the whole of France and will particularly restrict traffic flow in some areas. He said:
We are unanimous in our support for our security forces who are entirely committed, as was apparent from our police force’s courage last night, of the BRI and the GIGN as well as they freed the hostages from the terrorists’ barbarism at the Bataclan.
I pay tribute to the fire fighters and the all the emergency services who acted amid these acts of barbarism with bravery and selflessness.
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13:05
The French paper Libération also reports that last night’s raid by special forces on the Bataclan lasted two minutes, after it became apparent the attackers inside were killing hostages.
France’s counter-terrori unit Raid and special police force BRI led a coordinated attack on the building. The BRI found two terrorists who started firing their kalashnikovs at the police officers, injuring one.
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13:03
Peter Walker
Guardian reporter Peter Walker has been looking at the French authorities’ efforts to identify those killed in the attacks and why it has taken so long for the names of victims to be released.
The French newspaper Libération reports that the delay in naming victims from the Baclatan concert attack is in part because the bodies were not removed until Saturday morning, with the initial focus on taking the many injured people to hospital.
Additionally, a lot of those of those at the concert either lost wallets and identification amid the chaos, or had them in coats and bags in the cloakroom, the paper said.
A Paris municipality emergency line for concerned relatives and friends had been inundated with calls, it added.
Identification of the victims from the other attacks was still ongoing, the paper said.
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Mark Smith
Sky News producer Tom Boadle has tweeted this video of defiant French football fans singing the national anthem as they evacuated the Stade de France last night.
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12:59
Romania’s foreign ministry says two of its citizens died and a third was injured in the attacks in Paris, according to AP.
The news agency reports:
The ministry statement said the Romanian embassy was in contact with the families of the two Romanians. No details were available about where they died or who they were.
The ministry says the injured Romanian was treated at a hospital before being released.
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12:55
The Guardian’s Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, has been speaking to stunned Parisians this morning.
“It is a bizarre feeling of shock and surprise,” said Pascal Bourgeois, 40, an engineer who was out early to buy the local paper Le Parisien, whose front-page read: “This time it’s war.”
He had been watching France v Germanyon television when he heard the explosions outside the Stade de France live on air.
At the same time sirens began blaring near his home, not far from the other central Paris shootings. “I was just saying to a friend. We can’t stop living. We can’t not go outside. We have to carry on.”
You can read the full piece here.
Related: Parisians take to bloodied streets in cautious defiance
Updated
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12.49pm GMT
12:49
Police in Paris are trying to crack down on false rumours of further attacks that are doing the rounds on social media.
Ne diffusez et ne relayez pas de fausses informations ou de fausses rumeurs.
“Do not distribute or relay false information or false rumours,” is a translation of the tweet above from the Paris police department.
This is likely to be linked to social media rumours about shots being fired in Bagnolet in the eastern suburbs of Paris, which are false.
Le Parisian journalist Aurélie Lebelle says the shots reported were fireworks at a wedding.
A Bagnolet fausse alerte: il s'agit de pétards dans le cadre d'un mariage (source préfecture et mairie)
Updated
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12.44pm GMT
12:44
Dutch student Lieke, 17, has been studying in Paris since September 2014 and lives on the Rue de Charonne. She and her housemates were asked to throw down blankets and sheets to cover dead bodies, she told GuardianWitness.
We were inside getting ready to leave the house and we heard police outside. We went outside and we saw the police going in and out of the theatre. We thought it was a small fire but then we heard women screaming and then a woman ran out and she hugged a man.
The police started yelling for sheets and we ran back inside and found some. We still thought it was a fire and the sheets were for putting out the fire but then we found out they were to cover dead bodies.
Two people inside the restaurant are neighbours of ours, they live downstairs and after the attack happened they ran out onto the street.
They told me that they met a woman whose two friends had gone outside for a smoke during dinner and the gunmen opened fire. They were both killed. My neighbours stayed with us last night as they left their keys in the restaurant when they ran out.
This morning it’s very quiet. There are no cars outside. All the roads are still closed into Charonne except one small one and the police have to escort you there. You need to show them papers to prove you live here.
This latest terror attack makes me want to leave. When the Charlie Hebdo attacks happened earlier this year I was in school in the centre of Paris. I was also in Bangkok in August when the bomb near the shrine went off there. I’m not ready to go outside yet.
Updated
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12.38pm GMT
12:38
Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body has issued a strong condemnation of the attacks in Paris.
“Terrorists are not sanctioned by Islam and these acts are contrary to values of mercy it brought to the world,” a statement by the Council of Senior Scholars said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
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12.37pm GMT
12:37
Cameron says he has spoke to President Hollande, offering words of solidarity.
I have spoken to Francois Hollande. I expressed our solidarity with France and said we will do whatever we can to help.
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12.34pm GMT
12:34
Landmarks across the world have been illuminated in the colours of the French flag to show solidarity.
Red, white and blue are projected onto the Sydney Opera House, San Francisco’s city hall and the 101 building in Taipei, as this Guardian video shows.
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12.33pm GMT
12:33
Shiv Malik
The Guardian’s Shiv Malik has had a detailed look at the statement purportedly released by Islamic State:
The logo and design of the statements conform with Isis’s past formal statements from their central media office. The central office tends only to deal with releases about large attacks such as Tunisia early this year and this Shia mosque in May and other important military and administrative information.
Isis has also released an audio recording about the Paris attacks. In terms of substance, the six-minute clip is simply a reading of the written statement. The clip has been produced in the same format as previous recordings - they use the same battle song or nasheed at the start for example. It appears that Isis has even employed the same guy to do the reading as in the past.
Charlie Winter, a security analyst who has looked, listened, and watched thousands of pieces of Islamic State propaganda has little doubt that the statement is genuine.
He says that since late September Isis has migrated from Twitter to the encrypted app Telegram to distribute links to its releases. He saw this statement emanate earlier today from Isis accounts he had previously verified.
He says that the banner – “Islamic State France” – is also not unusual. When they don’t have an official Wilayat or governorate in the area concerned, Winter says the default is just to name the country concerned in the way the have and describe the perpetrators as “soldiers of the caliphate”. It does not mean that this statement is itself issued by a Isis branch in France.
Winter’s question is whether the attacks have been inspired or directed. The statements claiming responsibility in both French and Arabic contain no new information about the attacks and appear to have been “put together hastily,” Winter says, which he adds, is “not unusual either”.
The claims of responsibility over the downing of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt a few weeks ago also gave away no new operational details. “The question we have to ask is whether it was directed from higher up in the ranks of [Isis] or whether it was eight supporters/members who were seeking to carry out an attack in its name as an expression of its support,” Winter says.
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12:30
The French government has released a video showing the French flag at half-mast over the Élysée Palace.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has just been speaking at a press conference:
What happened last night goes beyond anything we could have imagined, such is the horror. The targets are places we love, in this popular and open city of Paris which is happy to share the world’s culture because Paris is a city strengthened by its diversity.
It is this Paris which has been targeted because this model of togetherness is unbearable for fanatics, for those who want to reduce all humanity to silence.
The message that we want to give them, alongside other politicians, is that we will be stronger than those who would to reduce us to silence. We love to debate, we love to disagree, that’s democracy.
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12:27
A witness to the Bataclan attack has told BFMTV that one of the assailants was white and appeared to be European.“I saw a guy who was pretty small, white and looked like a European,” he said. “He was just in front of the Bataclan and had a gun resting on his shoulder. Then I saw flashes and heard ‘Bam bam bam.’”
Updated
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12:27
UK threat level to remain at second-highest level, Cameron says
“The threat level is already at severe, and will remain so,” Cameron said. For it to be raised higher, to critical, security services must suspect a specific, imminent attack.
The attack shows Islamic State have a “new degree of planning and coordination, and a greater ambition for mass casualty attacks,” Cameron said.
He said he hoped to speak to President Hollande later today, and would say: “Your values are our values, your pain is our pain, your fight is our fight and together we will defeat these terrorists.”
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12.24pm GMT
12:24
Cameron said those targeted were “innocent victims, enjoying a night out with friends and families, no doubt after long week … killed and injured by brutal, callous murderers, who want to destroy what our two countries stand for.”
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12.23pm GMT
12:23
We must be prepared for British casualties, says Cameron
The UK prime minister, David Cameron, has been speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of the security committee Cobra.
He called Friday night’s killings “a horrifying and sickening attack” and said his thoughts were with the French people and all those who had lost loved ones.
“To the French people, my message is simple. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. We are with you, we are united,” he said.
Cameron said the UK should be “prepared for a number of British casualties”.
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12.15pm GMT
12:15
Syrian passport 'found on body of attacker'
Two French police officials say a Syrian passport was found on the body of one of the suicide bombers at the Stade de France, where a friendly match was being played between France and Germany, according to Associated Press and French television.
Updated
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12.06pm GMT
12:06
German media are reporting that a man was arrested in Bavaria last week with machine guns and explosives, claiming it was linked to the attack in Paris, although there is no police confirmation of this.
This is the report from AFP:
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.
Police in the southern region of Bavaria confirmed the arrest on 5 November during a routine check on a motorway, saying “many machine guns, revolvers and explosives” were found in the vehicle of the suspect.
However, the police spokesman would not confirm the link with Friday’s attacks in Paris that left more than 120 people dead. “I cannot tell you what he was planning to do with the weapons,” he added.
Focus Online reported that the man was from Montenegro and that he has refused to speak in prison and not hired a lawyer to defend his case.
Updated
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12.03pm GMT
12:03
Jason Burke
Jason Burke, the Guardian’s expert on Islamic State militancy, says he believes the claim of responsibility to be credible.
The claim from the Islamic State appears genuine. According to SITE, a well-known and reliable private US-based firm specialised in tracking terrorist statements, it was preceded by a flurry of anti-French media messaging from known accounts and users linked to Isis.
The statement itself gives no details that might confirm its authenticity, but overall it seems convincing. It is written in the standard, sententious style of Isis and other militant pronouncements and is framed by a worldview that has become wearily familiar over recent years.
Paris is the “capital of prostitution and obscenity, the carrier of the banner of the Cross in Europe” while its attackers were “a faithful group of the soldiers of the caliphate”.
The statement is thick with the group’s twisted view of history – the Crusades, politics – the French intervention in Syria and a puritanical disgust for western civilisation. A concert on a Friday night is thus “a profligate prostitution party”.
There is no mention of last week’s killing of Mohammed Emwazithe British-born Isis executioner known as Jihadi John, which would indicate that the idea that the Paris attacks were retaliation is misplaced.
There are also no demands, as such, just a tirade and threat of more violence: “This attack is the first of the storm and a warning to those who wish to learn.”
The group will now be keen to follow through on those threats. One thing that is lacking is any call for local Muslims within France or Europe to launch attacks themselves. That previous strategy appears to have been abandoned.
Updated
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12.01pm GMT
12:01
Lunchtime summary - what we know so far
Updated
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11.52am GMT
11:52
Islamic State’s official statement claiming responsibility for the attacks seems to have a key mistake: it mentions attacks in the 10th, 11th and the 18th district.
There was no attack in the 18th district. The Stade de France is in the area of Saint-Denis. It is possible the group has mixed these places up, although it does mention that attack earlier in the sentence.
Updated
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11.47am GMT
11:47
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has spoken of the close bond between the UK capital and Paris, which he called London’s “sister city”.
I have written this morning to Mayor Hidalgo to convey the sense of shock and grief of millions of Londoners at the tragic events in Paris. Our thoughts today are with the victims and their families and with the whole French people.
We regard Paris as our sister city, a place for which we have deep reserves of love and admiration and respect. We are two capitals united in our values - democratic freedom, openness and tolerance.
The people who launched the attacks last night have no such values. They wish to undermine the things we hold most precious. They want to set neighbour against neighbour. They want to spread fear.
They will not succeed. As president Hollande has rightly said, they must and will be defeated. We stand ready in London to do everything in our power - to do whatever it takes - to assist in a struggle that embraces us all.
Union Jack lowered to half mast at 10 Downing Street in solidarity with France for victims of Paris terror attacks pic.twitter.com/UIdnfo98RS
Updated
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11.44am GMT
11:44
Vanessa Thorpe
As the horror of the terror attacks emerged on Friday night, residents of eastern Paris used social media not just to hear news and express emotion, but to offer help.
The hashtag #PorteOuverte, or “open door”, was quickly up and running, with residents in the affected areas offering shelter to anyone who had been cleared from the streets and had nowhere to wait.
Some just posted their addresses, while others asked Twitter users to contact them.
Another urged concerned Parisians to be practical as news unfolded.
The adhoc system seemed to work: “My friends are safe, in a random woman’s home. She’s making them dinner, & preparing beds. Blessed. #PorteOuverte”, posted one relieved woman.
Soon the hashtag was trending globally alongside #PriezPourParis, #Solidarite and simply the word #Paris.
Facebook was soon offering some comfort by marking all friends in Paris locations “safe” as they checked into their pages.
Twitter was also being scanned by those watching for extremist reaction or clues to the perpetrators.
On Friday night, Aymenn J al-Tamimi ‏(@ajaltamimi) noted.
On Saturday morning Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign Twitter account posted a picture of an illuminated Eiffel Tower next to the words of Martin Luther King.
Others on Twitter were calling on fellow users to pay tribute to the lost lives.
The British broadcaster Rufus Hound responded this morning with a call for a peaceful response.
Updated
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11.32am GMT
11:32
This morning in Paris, locals put up a homemade poster saying “I am human” at the base of the Marianne statue, the symbol of the French republic, in Place de la République.
“We aren’t activists, just Parisians,” they told the Guardian’s Emma Graham-Harrison.
Updated
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11.26am GMT
11:26
The Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, has urged his citizens to avoid going to Paris unless “strictly necessary”. He added that security will be stepped up at public events in Belgium.
Nous demandons aux concitoyens d'éviter d'aller à Paris si ce n'est pas indispensable. Les contrôles seront renforcés ds événements publics
Updated
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11.14am GMT
11:14
Charlie Winter, senior researcher at the Quilliam Foundation, points out that the statement does not give conclusive proof the attacks were co-ordinated by Islamic State, or just inspired by the group’s exhortations to followers.
No new information and no names in #IS claim, so difficult to know if *inspired* or *directed*.
11.11am GMT
11:11
Islamic State says the attack on France is “the start of a storm” and the country is its key target:
...having dared insult our prophet, having bragged about fighting Islam in France and striking Muslims in the Caliphate with their planes, which have not helped them in any way in the ill-smelling streets of Paris.
This attack is just the start of a storm and a warning for those who wish to draw lessons.
Updated
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11.09am GMT
11:09
The statement from Islamic State goes on to call the attacks a response to insults directed at the prophet Muhammad, as well as airstrikes by France on Islamic State-held territory.
Updated
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11.07am GMT
11:07
In the statement, released in French, Islamic State said “soldiers of Caliphate” had targeted “the capital of abomination and perversion”.
It continues:
Eight brothers carrying explosive belts and guns targeted areas in the heart of the French capital that were specifically chosen in advance: the Stade de France during a match against Germany which that imbecile François Hollande was attending; the Bataclan where hundreds of idolaters were together in a party of perversity as well as other targets in the 10th, 11th and 18th arrondissement
France and those who follow its path must know that they remain the principal targets of the Islamic State.
Updated
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10.57am GMT
10:57
Islamic State claims responsibility for Paris attacks
In an official statement, the group said France was its “top target”. It says it carefully studied the locations for the attacks, which were carried out by fighters wearing suicide belts and carrying machine guns.
Here’s the statement in French; we’ll have a full version in English up shortly.
l'#EI revendique les attaques de Paris pic.twitter.com/Dmcyno2b4A
Updated
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10.55am GMT
10:55
Gatwick airport’s north terminal has been evacuated. Sussex police said the evacuation was a precaution because of a suspect package.
BREAKING: #Gatwick #airport evacuated. Emergency services on high alert. Heightened security after #ParisAttacks. pic.twitter.com/q3SGpuh9JC
ALERT North terminal at London Gatwick evacuated https://t.co/GlAdQUVvNe pic.twitter.com/O9TgkZXcJF
#gatwick_airport North Terminal evacuation in the rain pic.twitter.com/8aeeP8VWJF
Updated
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10.50am GMT
10:50
These are the full remarks from President Hollande, when he addressed the nation earlier from the Élysée Palace.
What happened yesterday in Paris and in Saint Denis is an act of war and this country needs to make the right decisions to fight this war. This act committed by the terrorist army, Islamic State, is against who we are, against a free country that speaks to the whole world.
It is an act of war prepared and planned outside, with outside involvement which this investigation will seek to establish. It is an act of absolute barbarism. France will be ruthless in its response to Islamic State.
At this painful and serious time, which is such a decisive one for our country, I call for unity, for a collective spirit and for cool heads. I will address Parliament at Versailles on Monday.
France is strong, and even if she is wounded, she will rise once again. Even if we are in grief, nothing will destroy her.
France is strong, valiant and will defeat this barbarism. History reminds us of this and the strength we today bear to come together convinces us of this.
My compatriots, what we defend is our homeland and much more than that, it is our own values of humanity and France will bear its responsibilities.
Updated
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10.42am GMT
10:42
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, has been speaking to the media.
We need to understand how such attacks are possible and grasp the consequences. Our foreign policy must reflect the fact that we are at war. Our internal security policy as well. We need be able to adapt to ensure the security of France.
Sarkozy said his party would support the “drastic strengthening of security measures to protect the lives of our compatriots”.
Our nation must be united. Our history is full of hardship, we always knew how to overcome it, we will overcome this one with composure, determination and strength.
Updated
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10.29am GMT
10:29
French police have tweeted that there is a ban on public demonstrations in the postcode areas 92, 93, 94 in Île-de-France. They are the districts surrounding Paris - Seine Saint-Denis, Hauts de Seine and Val de Marne.
Arrêté portant interdiction des manifestations sur la voie publique à Paris et dans les départements 92 93, 94. https://t.co/e4jSCgHtCb
Demonstrations are also banned in central Paris until Thursday.
Updated
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10.17am GMT
10:17
Syria’s Bashar al-Assad is the latest to condemn Friday’s attacks in Paris.
He told Lebanese TV station al Mayadeen:
What France suffered from savage terror is what the Syrian people have been enduring for over five years.
Updated
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10.05am GMT
10:05
A junior doctor has tweeted what appears to be a request for other medical staff to offer assistance in a number of hospitals around Paris.
“Present yourself to your nearest hospital and help in any way you can. If you are not needed at your local hospital, the following hospitals are in need of help: Bichat, Pitié Salpêtrière, HEGP, Lariboisière.”
Vous êtes internes des hôpitaux de Paris ? Des besoins accrus à la Pitié Salpêtrière, Bichat, HEGP, Lariboisière. pic.twitter.com/c1o5PiFnuj
10.01am GMT
10:01
Hollande blames attack on Islamic State
The French president has made an impassioned statement after the emergency security meeting this morning, where he blamed the attack on Islamic State.
Hollande said 127 people were killed in the attacks, which he described as an “act of war”. He said the attacks were coordinated, planned and organised from abroad with assistance from inside France.
“I pay homage to the country’s defenders who fought the terrorists yesterday,” he said. “Everyone has given their utmost and will be putting in their best efforts in the day to come.”
He called the attack “cowardly’ and said every measure would be taken to fight “the terrorist menace.”
“In this most serious and uncertain time, I call for unity and courage,” he said, adding that he would address the French parliament on Monday.
“Even if France is wounded, she will rise,” he said.
The country will observe three days of mourning.
Updated
at 11.18am GMT
9.54am GMT
09:54
There are queues at French hospitals of people donating blood, according to French journalist Grégory Dominé. He said medical officials have asked for people to space out donations, over the weekend and throughout next week.
#Paris: people queue in hospitals to donate blood pic.twitter.com/4fyELppHSQ
Bernard Jomier, the deputy mayor of Paris who has the health brief, said there is no need for anyone to go to hospital to donate blood today and no more people should go to hospital.
Pas de besoin en sang. Merci de ne pas vous rendre dans les hôpitaux.
Updated
at 10.07am GMT
9.44am GMT
09:44
French journalist Agnes Poirier has compiled this timeline from French police, which emphasises just how close to each other the attacks were.
The timeline of yesterday's seven attacks in #Paris according to police source of @leJDD pic.twitter.com/mosZbJqjDL
Updated
at 11.03am GMT
9.42am GMT
09:42
Islamic State releases undated video of militant threatening France
The Islamic State group has released a undated video where a militant is heard saying France “will not live in peace as long as bombing continues”.
Crucially, we do not know when the video was recorded, it does not mention specifics, and we’re treating claims of responsibility, made early this morning, with extreme caution.
The video was released through the group’s propaganda arm, the Al-Hayat Media Centre. It shows a bearded fighter, speaking in Arabic, calling on on French Muslims to carry out attacks in France if they are unable to travel to Syria themselves.
“As long as you keep bombing you will not live in peace. You will even fear traveling to the market,” he says, according to a Reuters translation.
Updated
at 10.18am GMT
9.36am GMT
09:36
We sill do not know the identities or nationalities of the attackers involved in the Friday night attacks, though authorities say eight died, seven of them detonating suicide bombs and the final perpetrator shot by police.
Prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre has told AP police have not ruled out the possibility that accomplices may still be at large and that is the focus of the investigation now.
Britain is hold its own emergency meeting of the COBRA intelligence committee, called by prime minster David Cameron.
Updated
at 9.38am GMT
9.27am GMT
09:27
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has been speaking to reporters in Vienna ahead of the Syria peace talks.
“One of the objectives of the Vienna meeting is to see concretely how we can strengthen the international fight against Daesh,” Fabius said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.
9.26am GMT
09:26
Paris residents wanting to donate blood can find locations on the Don du Sang Paris app, according to a tweet from the organisation.
@Bobbyfrasier Sur notre appli Android la carte des collectes proches de Meudon voir aussi https://t.co/eCn03Q2xdm pic.twitter.com/fKxYIbU2XH
9.22am GMT
09:22
A man who escaped serious injury during an explosion during a series of terror attacks across Paris explains in this video how his mobile phone saved him from being hit in the head by flying shrapnel.
The man was just hanging up his now shattered phone outside of the Stade de France when the bomb went off but was hit by shrapnel in both the abdomen and foot.
Updated
at 4.04pm GMT
9.19am GMT
09:19
Emma Graham-Harrison
The Guardian’s Emma Graham-Harrison has arrived in Paris and has an update on the travel situation.
The metro is running normally from the Gare du Nord but 11 stations are closed around the Bataclan theatre, the area where most of the attacks took place, a security guard at the station said.
The commuter RER lines were running but with bad delays on some lines.
The Guardian’s journalists currently in Paris are Angelique Chrisafis, Luke Harding, Kim Willsher, Jon Henley and Emma Graham-Harrison. The Observer’s reporter in Paris is Tracy McVeigh.
Updated
at 10.15am GMT
9.16am GMT
09:16
Kevin Rawlinson
According to the French newspaper Libération, the archbishop of Paris has called for “restraint” in the wake of the “barbarism” of Friday night’s attacks.
Libé reports that cardinal André Vingt-Trois is to give a mass at Notre Dame.
He said: “Our city of Paris - and our country - were hit last night with particular savagery and intensity.” He added that the restraint, temperance and the self control that France has shown thus far will be borne out in the coming weeks, so that no one will descend into hatred or panic.
Updated
at 9.23am GMT
9.14am GMT
09:14
Tracy McVeigh
The Guardian’s Tracy McVeigh has been at Eurostar’s London terminal before travelling to Paris, speaking to staff and passengers.
Eurostar said they have “many” cancellations this morning on their train’s between London and Paris.
They have been offering exchanges to people unwilling to travel to the French capital in wake of the attacks.
Michael McDonald, an electrician from west London was at London St Pancras station changing in his ticket.
“My wife and I were going for her birthday but she won’t go now,” he said. “One more place people are too scared to go to in the world, it’s a terrible thing.”
Updated
at 10.14am GMT
9.12am GMT
09:12
Disneyland Paris, one of Europe’s leading tourist attractions, has closed today in a highly unusual move.
The theme park said in a statement that it decided not to open Saturday “in light of the recent tragic events in France and in support of our community and the victims of these horrendous attacks.”
9.09am GMT
09:09
French soldiers are patrolling Paris streets this morning, as well as a heavy police presence outside the sites of the attacks.
9.03am GMT
09:03
Shiv Malik
The Guardian’s Shiv Malik has been looking at which group is likely to be behind the well co-ordinated attack.
We are still not clear as to whether this was ISIS, Al Qaeda or possibly (but on balance unlikely) - a third party.
If this is Al Qaeda, we should note that given that they, not ISIS, were responsible for the singular attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine’s offices, their reach and resource in France is frighteningly very wide.
Again if it is Al Qaeda, we have to note that they are fighting an internecine war with ISIS.
Attacks like these are how Al Qaeda capture funding from and remain relevant to their, somewhat dwindling, supporters around the world. Attacks like these also achieve one of their main aims of dividing Western Muslim communities from the rest of Western society.
One fear is that a so called lone wolf actor with ISIS allegiance might try to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ like Amedy Coulibaly during January’s terrorist attacks in Paris
If this is ISIS then this is a very worrying escalation in their capability in the West. This will have been the first time they have executed a large scale an extremely well planned attack in Europe. As analyst Shiraz Maher noted, this is the first time that since 7/7, ten years ago that suicide bombers have struck in Western Europe.
Tonight's suicide attacks in France are the first such attacks conducted in Europe since the 2005 attacks in london.
Given past behaviour, and if it is them, they will in all likely claim responsibility via social media within a few days at most.
8.57am GMT
08:57
French prosecutors put death toll at 128, with 99 critically injured
Reuters reports that French prosecutors have a provisional death toll of 128 people from the combined attacks, with 99 people in hospital in critical conditions.
8.49am GMT
08:49
World leaders, including many arriving in Vienna for Syria peace talks, have expressed horror at the attacks in Paris, including Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, who called the attacks “heinous”.
“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 the Austrian capital.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long called for more intensified international efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and shapes.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was inevitable the talks would be affected. “Those events which happened not far from here will absolutely cause adjustments in the agenda of today’s event,” she told reporters.
Speaking from Moscow, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said Russia “shares the sadness and the pain of the French people,” he said. “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.”
The Philippines has pledged “higher security” for world leaders meeting at an economic summit in Manila next week, where US President Barack Obama is set to join the leaders of China, Japan, Australia, Canada and 15 others at an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Conference summit.
“There is no credible threat registered at this time, but let us all be cooperative and vigilant,” President Benigno Aquino said in a statement.
Across the world, landmarks have been lit red, white and blue, including New York’s World Trade Centre and the Sydney opera house.
The world is lighting up blue, white and red tonight, as we all continue to #PrayForParis pic.twitter.com/1eo0QCuhCO
In Sydney, New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird said he had also asked for a French flag to fly over the city’s famous harbour bridge.
“Turns out, there isn’t one in the country that is big enough,” he wrote on Facebook. “So, if we can’t source one, we are going to make one.”
“We mourn with you, and we stand with you, Paris,” he said.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had earlier said that protecting freedom was a global battle after the attacks left more than 120 people dead. He said it was a battle against those who seek to suppress freedom and seek to assert “some form of religious tyranny; a threat in the name of God but is truthfully the work of the devil”.
“In France and Australia, all around the world, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of France and with all free peoples in the battle against terrorism,” Turnbull said in a statement.
In Canada last night, members of the French-speaking community in Montreal gathered late Friday in a spontaneous show of support.
About 500 people assembled under a light rain to honour the victims of the deadly Paris assaults, carrying signs that read “We will not retreat,” and “We will defend our values.”
The crowd sang the Le Marseillaise and observed a moment of silence.
Back in Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged support from Germany to hunt down the perpetrators of the Paris attacks.
“The people in Paris are enduring a nightmare of violence, terror and fear,” Merkel said in Berlin this morning. “We, the German friends, we are feeling with them. We are crying with them.”
“This attack on freedom is not only aimed against Paris. It’s aimed against us all,” Merkel said, adding that Europe would stand united to defend its values. We know that our free life is stronger than terror.”
Updated
at 8.53am GMT
8.25am GMT
08:25
Le Monde journalist Daniel Psenny, whose apartment overlooks the emergency exit of the Bataclan has posted an extraordinary video, of people clambering out of windows to escape from the theatre – a scene he said reminded him of 9/11.
The video is graphic and includes images of what appear to be dead bodies.
Psenny himself was shot in the arm as he attempted to help people shelter in his apartment, and is being treated at the Georges-Pompidou hospital.
Here’s a translation of his piece from Le Monde.
I was trying to do some work at home. The TV was on, playing a cop film starring Jean-Hugues Anglade. I heard a noise which sounded like firecrackers and initially I was convinced that it was in the film. But the noise was so loud, I went to the window. I live on the second floor and my apartment overlooks the emergency exit of the Bataclan.
Sometimes there are evacuations [in the past], but everyone was running out from all directions. I saw people on the floor, and blood... I understood then that it was something serious. I asked passersby what was happening. Everyone was running toward the Rue Amelot or the boulevard Voltaire.
A woman was clinging to the window of the Bataclan, on the second floor. I thought of those images from September 11.
So, I told myself I was going to open up to people, so they could come and take refuge. Therefore, I opened the door to my apartment. There was a man lying on the pavement and an another man whom I did not see again, he was shot as he was trying to take shelter in the lobby.
That’s the moment I took a bullet. I don’t remember much after that, I have a blank, but I remember feeling like a firecracker had exploded in my left arm and I saw that it was pissing blood. I think the shooter was at the window of the Bataclan. I went up to some neighbours on the fourth floor.
The guy we did get in [to the apartment] was shot in the leg. He was an American. He vomited, he was cold and we thought he was going to die. We called the emergency services but they couldn’t get us out. I called a friend who is a doctor and she explained how to make a tourniquet with my shirt. We were stuck in the apartment until the police raid occurred and they came to find us.
Updated
at 8.52am GMT
7.57am GMT
07:57
Police have reopened the perimeter around one of the attack sites, around Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant, in the 10th arrondissement, according to journalists at the scene.
Le périmètre vient juste de rouvrir au Carillon en face du #PetitCambodge pic.twitter.com/tVkWCabfJv
7.51am GMT
07:51
Jon Henley
The Guardian’s Jon Henley is on the Eurostar to Paris this morning.
Sitting in a nearly deserted Eurostar departure lounge, Bob Gale, from Niagara Falls in Canada, said he and his wife - travelling with two friends to join a cruise along the river Seine starting on Sunday - said the group had not considered for one moment changing their plans.
“That’s the way the world is now,” he said. “And I’ve always felt that if you don’t go in circumstances like this you’re bowing down to the terrorists. The odds are on our side, you’d have to say.”
Paul and Ann Harrop had travelled down from Hull on Friday night and were on their way for a week’s visit to their daughter, who is spending a year studying in Toulouse in southwest France.
“Of course we’re worried,” said Ann. “We were very worried last night. But our daughter would be upset if we called it off, and we want to be with her.”
Paul said there was likely to be “more security, and fewer people travelling. So it might actually be almost safer to travel now.”
Gwenaelle Courtin was accompanying a group of 22 pupils back to their school in La Loupe, near Chartres south of Paris.
“We have to get them home,” she said. Certainly, yes, we felt safer here in London than we would have felt in France last night. It’s terrible; monstrous. But the children need to get back to their parents and we are only passing through Paris. I think it will be all right.”
Updated
at 8.17am GMT
7.39am GMT
07:39
Latest death toll
Claire Phipps
We still do not have precise figures for the numbers killed and wounded, as Paris authorities deal with the aftermath of what one official has described as “carnage”.
Latest information says that at least 120 people are believed to have been killed in six separate attacks across the city.
Two hundred people are injured, 80 seriously.
At the Bataclan concert venue, 87 people have been reported dead.
At the Stade de France, the Paris prosecutor François Molins said “some” were killed, possibly three. (It is not clear whether this include the attackers thought to have died here.)
At the shootings at the Rue de Charonne, 18 are dead.
At Boulevard Voltaire, one person is dead.
At Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, five are dead.
At Rue Alibert, 14 are dead and “many seriously injured”.
The eight attackers are also dead, seven of them after detonating suicide belts.
Police say they continue to hunt for any possible accomplices to the attacks. No one has yet claimed responsibility.
I am now handing over this live blog to my colleague Jessica Elgot in London, who will continue with the latest coverage from this unfolding story. Our latest articles are here, along with a gallery of images from a tragic Friday night:
Related: Paris attacks: multiple shootings and explosions across capital – in pictures
7.28am GMT
07:28
The Vatican has condemned the killings in Paris as “mad terrorist violence” and called for a decisive response to counter the spread of “homicidal hatred”.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said in a statement:
We condemn [it] in the most radical way together with the pope and all those who love peace.
7.24am GMT
07:24
Luke Harding
My colleague Luke Harding is on his way to Paris and reports that France’s borders “remain very much open”:
The Eurostar terminal was virtually deserted this morning, with few early morning passengers. There were police visible at the departure gate but not an obviously increased presence, with UK and French passport control checks as normal.
The service was functioning normally, with the scheduled 6.18am departure leaving on time, and due to arrive in Paris Gare du Nord – not far from where the multiple shootings took place – at 9.47am local time.
Most of those on board were journalists. The conductor assured one spooked English passenger that French regional train services out of Paris were running normally.
France’s borders appear very much open this morning, despite last night’s carnage.
7.16am GMT
07:16
My colleague Caroline Bannock has spoken to Sumedh, who was with friends at the Stade de France. Here is his eyewitness account:
I went to watch the game. In the middle of first half, there was an explosion. I thought that’s unusual, but then the second explosion happened and our seats were shaking – then I realised something bigger may be happening.
But still we didn’t do anything. I was with a bunch of friends and none of us were looking at our cell phones. Then towards the end of the match our friends started phoning.
The match went on to the 90th minute. By then you had the sense that everyone had the information about what was going on. Everyone was silent. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. It was horrible.
Some people started to leave but we thought it was safer to stay inside the stadium to begin with.
But then we decided to leave. Outside there were no police at all. Just people panicking. There were rumours there was a shooter, people were running in all directions. This girl fell over in front of me.
A few hundred of us ran back inside the stadium. We waited for a while then left again.
When we got to the main street, there were lots of paramilitary police; it was really well managed then. We went to the Gare de Saint-Denis to take the train back to my home on the Rue de Charonne.
Then I got a call from my girlfriend, she’d been trying to reach me for ages. She told me not to go home – there were shootings in the Rue de Charonne. It was horrific.
So I went back to the east of Paris with my friend. I’m OK now but it’s so awful what’s happening near my home. It’s completely shocking. I’m shaking.
Share your eyewitness accounts with GuardianWitness. You can share your eyewitness accounts, photos and videos or news tips by clicking on the blue button at the top of the blog.
Updated
at 7.27am GMT
6.58am GMT
06:58
What we know so far
Claire Phipps
We are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow.
Updated
at 4.14pm GMT
6.49am GMT
06:49
Where the attacks took place
The attacks were launched in six separate locations across the city – five in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, and one close to the Stade de France, in the north of the city, where president François Hollande was attending a football match between the French and German teams.
Here is what we know about the places where the shootings and explosions took place.
Le Bataclan concert venue
The club is on Boulevard Voltaire, a lively neighbourhood at the intersection of the 10th, 11th and third arrondissements.
One of the best-known music venues in Paris, the Bataclan was hosting California-based band Eagles of Death Metal on Friday night. Band members are reported safe, although the whereabouts of their entourage are unconfirmed.
This was the site where most of the victims – many of them young – were killed.
The attackers first sprayed cafes outside the concert hall with machine gunfire, then went inside and opened fire on the panicked audience, according to the Paris police chief.
As police closed in, three of them detonated suicide vests, killing themselves and setting off explosions.
Stade de France
Two suicide attacks and a bombing were carried out simultaneously near the national stadium.
The attacks occurred near two of the stadium entrances and at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, according to Gregory Goupil of the Alliance Police Nationale, whose region includes the area around the stadium. He said at least three people died in the attacks.
Spectators were evacuated from the 80,000-seat venue, many of them singing the Marseillaise as they did so.
La Belle Equipe
The sidewalk terrace of the cafe on Rue de Charonne was showered in gunfire, killing as many as 18 people, according to the Paris prosecutor.
Emergency workers covered bodies splayed on the pavement.
Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge
Le Carillon, a bar-cafe, and the nearby Cambodian restaurant Le Petit Cambodge were apparently both targeted with gunfire, killing around 14 people and leaving several gravely injured, according to the prosecutor.
They are at the junction of Rue Bichat and Rue Alibert.
Witnesses described sounds like fireworks, before they realised the gravity of the situation and tried to find a place to hide, or flee.
Updated
at 7.19am GMT
6.37am GMT
06:37
Eyewitness: 'He swivelled right, swivelled left and opened fire'
Psychotherapist Mark Colclough, a 43-year-old British-Danish dual citizen, was with a colleague on Rue de la Fontaine when he witnessed a gunman attack a cafe.
He told the Guardian what he saw:
He was standing in a shooting position. He had his right leg forward and he was standing with his left leg back. He was holding up to his left shoulder a long automatic machine gun – I saw it had a magazine beneath it.
Everything he was wearing was tight, either boots or shoes and the trousers were tight, the jumper he was wearing was tight, no zippers or collars. Everything was toned black.
If you think of what a combat soldier looks like, that is it – just without the webbing. Just a man in military uniform, black jumper, black trousers, black shoes or boots and a machine gun. Maybe a woolly hat.
He was left-handed and shooting in bursts of three or four shots. It was fully intentional, professional bursts of three or four shots.
He killed three or four individuals who were sitting in the chairs in front of the cafe. We saw them get shot down. They fell off their chairs on to the ground.
He then swivelled and shot through a car driver’s window.
We then saw him walk into the cafe. He swivelled right and then swivelled left and opened fire. That is when we dived for cover.
We heard a total of maybe 15 or 20 shots, then everything went quiet.
You can read the full report here:
Related: Paris attack witness: 'he was dressed in black, professional, shooting and killing'
6.31am GMT
06:31
Paris is closing down many of its public spaces in response to this assault.
In a tweet from the city’s official account, authorities say “all of the city’s amenities”, including schools, museums, libraries, gyms, swimming pools and markets, will close on Saturday. Universities will also remain closed.
Dès demain, fermeture de tous les équipements de la Ville: écoles, musées, bibliothèques, gymnases, piscines, marchés alimentaires
6.24am GMT
06:24
François Hollande said that France would be closing its borders but in practice travel in and out of the country appears unimpeded, although security checks have been increased.
Airports remain open and flights have left the capital, but some airlines, including American Airlines, said they would be delaying flights to Paris. Many, including United, Delta, and Air France KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, were operating normally.
The French foreign ministry said airports would remain open with increased security checks.
Train services also continue as normal. Eurostar said its services between the UK and France would run as normal on Saturday, but it would allow passengers who no longer wished to travel to change their tickets.
French officials say they believe that all the attackers involved have been killed, but say they are searching for accomplices who could still be at large.
6.22am GMT
06:22
Obama: 'an attack on all humanity'
World leaders have condemned the attacks and pledged support for France in the wake of the attack.
US president Barack Obama described the atrocities as “an attack on all of humanity”.
China’s president, Xi Jinping, condemned “in the strongest ways this barbarous act”.
In Australia the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said the attacks appeared “to have all the hallmarks of Daesh [Islamic State]”, adding that the events of Friday evening were “truthfully the work of the devil”.
We have rounded up international reaction here:
Related: Paris terror attacks: world leaders condemn 'the work of the devil'
6.16am GMT
06:16
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
My colleague Saeed Kamali Dehghan sends more on the reaction in Iran:
Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, has cancelled his official visit to France, due to take place next week, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
In a letter to his French counterpart, Rouhani strongly denounced the attacks as a “crime against humanity” and expressed condolences with the French people.
He was due in Rome on Saturday and then Paris next week on a major European visit, the first such trip by an Iranian president in a decade. He called off both visits in the early hours of Saturday, according to the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country’s state news agency reported.
Rouhani’s visits were aimed at reviving Iran’s global image and rebuilding economic ties following the landmark nuclear agreement in July. Under that accord, Tehran agreed to roll back its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, including an end to the EU embargo on imports of Iranian oil.
It was meant to be Rouhani’s first official visit to Europe and also the first to the continent by an Iranian head of government since 1999, when the former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, made similar trips to Paris and Rome.
Rouhani particularly wanted to present his country as a key regional player with an influential role in determining the fate of Syria, according to Ali-Akbar Mousavi Khoini, a former reformist Iranian MP.
6.06am GMT
06:06
The map below shows the location of the six separate attacks – five of them in close proximity in the 10th and 11th arrondissements – in Paris on Friday evening.
The sixth took place at the Stade de France, where the French national team was playing Germany in a friendly football match. President François Hollande was at the stadium when two suicide bombs were detonated outside.
Officials now say 87 people are thought to have been killed at the Bataclan concert venue, the highest death toll of all the sites.
Casualty figures are being frequently revised as new information comes to light. At present, we understand that around 200 people are injured, 80 of them seriously, on top of the (at least) 120 people who have been killed.
Eight extremists dead following deadly #ParisAttacks – as many as 120 Parisians dead: https://t.co/k7NGIOWro9 pic.twitter.com/Z56qt6tg9Q
5.59am GMT
05:59
How to contact friends and family in Paris
The French government has set up a site to gather witness statements and report missing people. It is currently slow to load, presumably because of the weight of traffic.
Here is also a reminder of some of the embassy numbers in Paris for people who may have concerns about friends or relatives.
British embassy: +33 1 44 51 31 00
US embassy Phone: +33 1 43 12 22 22
Irish embassy Phone:+33 1 44 17 67 00
The Australian department for foreign affairs has set up a hotline for those who are concerned about Australians overseas on 1300 555 135. Those who are overseas can call +612 6261 3305.
The New Zealand hotline is 04 439 8000.
Updated
at 6.00am GMT
5.56am GMT
05:56
Here is a round-up of the latest Guardian coverage of the Paris attacks:
5.48am GMT
05:48
This amateur footage from the Stade de France during the attack there shows the panic of the crowd as explosions rang out around them:
Updated
at 4.01pm GMT
5.43am GMT
05:43
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, has denounced the attacks, calling them a “crime against humanity”, Agence France-Presse reports.
5.42am GMT
05:42
Six locations across the city were targeted and we are slowly hearing casualty figures from each.
Overall, at least 120 people are thought to have been killed. Two hundred are injured, 80 seriously.
The eight attackers are also dead, seven of them after detonating suicide belts.
At the Stade de France, the Paris prosecutor François Molins said “some” were killed, possibly three. (It is not clear whether this include the attackers thought to have died here.)
At the Rue de Charonne, 18 are dead.
At Boulevard Voltaire: one dead.
At Rue de la fontaine au roi: five dead.
At Rue Alibert: 14 dead and “many seriously injured”.
Bataclan concert venue: 87 reported dead.
Updated
at 7.10am GMT
5.31am GMT
05:31
Opening summary
Claire Phipps
Welcome to continuing live coverage of the unfolding events in Paris.
Here is what we know so far about the series of shootings and explosions that devastated the French capital on Friday evening:
We are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow.
We will continue to bring you the latest updates as the investigation into the attack begins and we learn more about those who were killed and injured.