News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Paris terror suspects surrounded

Thousands of police and anti-terrorist forces have surrounded a small town in northern France, where the two suspects in the deadly attack on the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo are believed to have taken at least one hostage in a print works. The brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi broke cover earlier this morning, hijacked a car and were chased by police at high speed along a motorway towards Paris. Shots have reportedly been fired and several people are said to have been wounded in the town of Dammartin, close to Charles de Gaulle airport. Residents have been warned to stay at home and schools are in lockdown. It´s understood police negotiators have made contact with the men, who´ve said they want to die as martyrs. Speaking a short time ago, the French president Francois Hollande said the terror threat was an international one: "There is an international solidarity which we have seen - very strong - in Europe in particular because we are all involved. So we need to act at European level with co-operation with other ministries from non-European countries, in particular the United States."

Two French gun attacks linked

Police have now confirmed that the Charlie Hebdo attack and the killing of a policewoman in Paris yesterday are connected. The gunman is still at large.

MI5 warns of more terror attacks

The head of Britain's intelligence service MI5 has condemned the Paris killings and warned of possible further terrorist attacks against targets in the west. In a rare public address, Andrew Parker said the attack against the Charlie Hebdo office was a "terrible reminder" of the threat posed by terrorism. He warned that Al Qaeda was still intent on inflicting mass casualities, despite the recent trend of lone wolf attacks, with iconic locations or transport systems the most likely targets. The European Union president Donald Tusk announced today that the terror attack in France will top the agenda at a summit of EU leaders on February 12.

Sri Lanka elects a new president

Maithripala Sirisena is expected to be sworn in as Sri Lanka's new president, after the incumbent, Mahinda Rajapaksa, conceded defeat in a bitterly contested election. Sirisena, a former ally and cabinet minister who defected to the opposition in November, has vowed to root out corruption and bring constitutional reforms to weaken the power of the presidency.

Boko Haram kills “hundreds”

Boko Haram fighters have reportedly killed hundreds of people in a renewed assault after capturing the key town of Baga and a military base in northeast Nigeria at the weekend. Officials say over a dozen towns and villages in Borno state were burned to the ground.

The weather

Cloud will build in the northwest and there´ll be an increasing likelihood of rain. Top temperatures from 2 to 12.

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