| Autopsies Being Performed on Family of 4 Found Dead in Mexico Posted: 22 Mar 2018 09:00 PM PDT  Authorities said they found no trace of violence on the bodies or signs of forced entry.
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| Austin Bomber's Recording Says He's Not Sorry, May Be A 'Psychopath' Posted: 22 Mar 2018 07:15 PM PDT  The Texas man suspected of creating a series of bombs that terrorized the
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| US schools arm students and teachers with buckets of rocks to protect against shooters Posted: 24 Mar 2018 10:39 AM PDT  Students in one US school district are being armed with rocks to defend themselves during a mass shooting. Five-gallon buckets of river stone have been placed in 200 classrooms across the Blue Mountain School District in Pennsylvania. "If an armed intruder attempts to gain entrance, they will face a classroom full of students armed with rocks, and they will be stoned," said superintendent David Helsel.
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| Roy Moore supporters tried to buy off his accuser’s lawyer using 10,000 dollars and Steve Bannon Posted: 23 Mar 2018 02:07 PM PDT  A jaw dropping new storyline surrounding last year's Alabama special election ties Steve Bannon and Breitbart to a plot aimed to undermine Leigh Corfman's accusations on Roy Moore
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| President Trump explains why he didn’t follow through on threat to veto $1.3 trillion spending bill Posted: 23 Mar 2018 11:13 AM PDT  On Friday, President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill into law. After signing it, he explained why he didn't veto the bill as previously threatened, citing the need to increase military spending.
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| Poisoned Russian spy wrote to Putin asking to be pardoned, friend claims Posted: 24 Mar 2018 03:17 AM PDT  The former Russian double agent left close to death after a nerve agent attack in Salisbury had written to President Vladimir Putin asking to be pardoned and to be allowed to visit his home country, a friend has claimed. Vladimir Timoshkov, a friend of Sergei Skripal, said he regretted having spied for the British and wanted to return to Russia to visit his family. In 2006 Colonel Skripal was jailed by the Russian for selling secrets to MI6 and came to Britain in 2010 as part of a spy swap, setting up home in Salisbury. He remains in a critical condition with his daughter Yulia, three weeks after they were poisoned with the highly lethal nerve agent Novichok. The attempted assassination sparked a diplomatic crisis between Russia and Britain. On Friday, EU leaders promised an "unprecedented" diplomatic response to the attack after backing Theresa May's assertion that Moscow was responsible. According to Mr Timoshkov, who says he had known him since school, Col Skripal, 66, did not see himself as a traitor as he had sworn an oath to the former Soviet Union. "Many people shunned him. His classmates felt he had betrayed the Motherland," he told the BBC. "In 2012 he called me. We spoke for about half an hour. He called me from London. "He denied he was a traitor... (he told me) he wrote to Vladimir Putin asking to be fully pardoned and to be allowed to visit Russia. His mother, brother and other relatives were (in Russia)." Profile | Sergei Skripal In what is being interpreted as a cynical move Russia's ambassador to the UK sent his well wishes to Mrs Skripal and his daughter on Friday, saying he hoped for their recovery. Alexander Yakovenko also wrote to Wiltshire Police detective sergeant Nick Bailey, who was left seriously ill after he was exposed to the poison as he went to the aid of the Skripals. Detectives are still trying to established whether the nerve agent which left the Skripals fighting for their lives was inserted into Col Skripal's car or unwittingly brought from Russia to Britain by Yulia in her suitcase, possibly secreted in a present or item of clothing. On Friday, police in protective suits and gas masks removed the bench where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with nerve agent in Salisbury Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/LNP On Friday police officers in chemical protection suits removed the bench onto which Skripals collapsed shortly after leaving Zizzi's restaurant in Salisbury following the attack. It is understood the bench has been taken to the Ministry of Defence's Porton Down laboratory for closer examination. The move signals the beginning of the end of the overtly visible part of the investigation into who targeted the Skripals, how they did it and, crucially, on whose orders. About | Novichok agent It came as a relief to the people of Salisbury. "I'm so glad to see it go," said Jennifer McMenamin, 66, a school cleaner from Salisbury, who joined a small group of shoppers to watch. "To think what happened to those poor people on that bench. It makes you wonder what else goes on in the world. "Perhaps Salisbury can start getting back to normal now. It's been like a ghost town since it happened." Scotland Yard said: "The park bench that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were sitting on when they were found unwell in Salisbury is being removed to preserve it as a potential crime exhibit as part of the investigation into the attempted murder." On hearing it had been taken away one nearby cafe owner said simply: "It's gone? Thank God for that."
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| FBI seeks motive for fiery van crash at California air base Posted: 24 Mar 2018 01:21 AM PDT  ROSEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Investigators are working around the clock as they struggle to determine why a man with no apparent ties to terrorism drove a flaming minivan full of propane tanks and gasoline cans through the main gate of a major Northern California Air Force Base this week.
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| Too old for 2020? Trump, Biden, Bernie and the politics of age Posted: 23 Mar 2018 02:00 AM PDT  Will young voters, mobilized by the movement that has sprung up in response to the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., turn out for candidates well into their 70s?
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| Tumblr Deletes 84 Accounts 'Linked To Russian Government' Posted: 23 Mar 2018 11:07 AM PDT  Tumblr deleted 84 accounts that it says were linked to the Russian Internet
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| Iowa family found dead in vacation condo in Mexico Posted: 23 Mar 2018 08:59 AM PDT  Kevin and Amy Sharp, along with their two children, were found dead in their vacation condo in Akumal, Mexico, one week after their family back in Iowa had last heard from them. A family member said there was no foul play and autopsy results are pending.
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| Taiwan says should educate its youth on dangers of China Posted: 23 Mar 2018 03:15 AM PDT  Taiwan should educate its youth about the risks presented by China where there is neither freedom nor democracy, Taiwan's main body in charge of policy making toward its giant neighbor said on Friday. China has been increasing its efforts to win over young Taiwanese, a key demographic to reach out to amid souring political relations between Beijing and Taipei, including offering incentives to set up businesses in China. China claims Taiwan as its sovereign territory and considers people from the self-ruled island to be Chinese citizens.
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| March for Our Lives: Eleven-year-old stuns crowd with speech honouring black girls Posted: 24 Mar 2018 01:51 PM PDT  Eleven-year-old Naomi Wadler stunned many with her March for Our Lives speech honouring black girls whose stories don't make the news, with some calling her their president and "our future". The fifth grader from Alexandria, Virginia was chosen to speak at the main event in Washington after she organised a walkout at her elementary school to protest gun violence and honour the 17 lives lost during a shooting last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. "I am here to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don't make the front page of every national newspaper, whose stories don't lead on the evening news," Ms Wadler said.
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| Here Are 6 Of John Bolton's Most Belligerent Op-Eds In Recent Years Posted: 22 Mar 2018 07:24 PM PDT  President Donald Trump named John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the
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| Macron expresses 'concern' over Turkish offensive in Afrin Posted: 24 Mar 2018 06:27 AM PDT  French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday expressed "concern" over Turkey's military offensive in Afrin in Syria, telling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan it was vital that humanitarian aid be allowed to reach the area. In a statement released by his office on Saturday, the Elysee said that Macron had talked with Erdogan via telephone on Friday.
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| GOP lawmaker knocks Trump for Putin call but refuses to distance himself from president Posted: 23 Mar 2018 06:52 AM PDT  A top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee chastised President Trump for congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on his reelection — but then refused to distance himself from Trump.
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| Texas murder suspect accused in 3 attacks on elderly women Posted: 23 Mar 2018 05:03 PM PDT ![Texas murder suspect accused in 3 attacks on elderly women]( "Texas murder suspect accused in 3 attacks on elderly women") DALLAS (AP) — A man police say posed as a maintenance worker or health care provider at senior apartment complexes has been charged with capital murder in the death of an 81-year-old Dallas woman, and authorities are reviewing hundreds of other cases.
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| The Climate Is Changing For Climate Skeptics Posted: 23 Mar 2018 05:19 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO ― Climate change skeptics may have outlived their usefulness to
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| The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week Posted: 23 Mar 2018 06:00 AM PDT  Kids may say the darndest things, but parents tweet about them in the funniest
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| Video of police shooting unarmed black man sparks protests in Sacramento Posted: 22 Mar 2018 10:16 PM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Newly released video footage of police killing an unarmed black man in a barrage of gunfire in Sacramento, California, left the mayor "horrified" and sparked street protests on Thursday that gridlocked traffic in the state capital for hours. Police said the video, captured by body cameras worn by officers involved in Sunday night's confrontation, showed the victim, Stephon Clark, 22, holding an object that later turned out to be a cell phone as he was shot 20 times. More than 200 demonstrators gathered on Thursday to denounce the shooting in a protest organized by the Black Lives Matter movement.
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| Florida school shooting survivors appear on Time magazine cover ahead of global gun control march Posted: 23 Mar 2018 06:15 AM PDT  Survivors of last month's Florida school shooting who remain at the forefront of the reignited debate on US gun control have appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The Parkland teenagers, who have become the face of a national youth movement calling for tighter gun laws following the tragedy, appear next to the headline 'ENOUGH'. In the five weeks since the Valentine's Day mass shooting carried out by alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz which left 17 dead, the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have taken on the powerful US gun lobbyists, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and politicians urging for Congress to pass meaningful gun legislation. Survivors Jaclyn Corin, Alex Wind, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and David Hogg represent a much larger group driving the movement against gun violence, using social media to mobilise protests calling for action on gun control. Emma Gonzalez TIME's new cover: The school shooting generation has had enough https://t.co/4YI173gqTxpic.twitter.com/7yFEXuVjyb— TIME (@TIME) March 22, 2018 Emma Gonzalez, 18, gained global prominence after delivering an impassioned 11-minute speech at a gun control rally outside a federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just days after the shooting. Addressing President Donald Trump and the NRA, the grieving teenager told the crowd: "They say that tougher gun laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS!" I believe Emma Gonzalez is the most inspiring female of 2018 with her pure, raw speech that started a movement & she deserves special mention this #IWD2018https://t.co/VOpfZYaU8S— Johnny Boy (@GeeForce77) March 8, 2018 "We are going to be the last mass shooting," the buzzcut senior announced in the speech that has subsequently been watched by millions on social media. Gonzalez, who hid at the back of the school's auditorium during the gunman's rampage, also co-founded the Never Again movement and has won praise for her mature cross examination of NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch in a live TV debate. Good Morning! It's a beautiful day to remember that teachers shouldn't have to worry about anything except their Home Life and Educating their Students �� (and maybe sometimes planning ice cream parties but thats just me)— Emma González (@Emma4Change) February 26, 2018 She now has more followers than the NRA on Twitter, a platform she only joined last month. David Hogg David Hogg hid during the mass shooting Credit: Getty Aspiring journalist David Hogg, who studies TV production at Stoneman High and writes for the school paper, has become the group's informal press secretary. The 17-year-old was in an environmental science class when he heard gunshots and hid in a closet with other students as the school was placed on lockdown. He began recording from inside the building on his mobile phone and started interviewing other terrified students who called for the introduction of tighter gun control laws. "Hopefully I'll live through this," he said. As desperate students called their parents from the classroom, Hogg recorded a plea for legislators "to take action and stop this from happening". "Thousands of people have died from gun violence and it's time to take a stand … for human lives, for children's lives," he said. After a series of TV interviews, Hogg was even forced to rebut conspiracy theories claiming he was a crisis actor employed by anti-gun activists. Jaclyn Corin #WHATIFpic.twitter.com/wpUsRVzevG— Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) February 26, 2018 Jaclyn Corin, a junior-class president who appears barefoot on the Time cover, lost her friend Joaquin Oliver in the Parkland mass shooting. The 17-year-old, who wrote a 50-page research paper on gun control last year, became an anti-gun activist the day after the shooting and is a prominent member of the Never Again movement. Her video using the hashtag #whatif to create debate about gun control and posted by fellow Parkland survivors has garnered more than 1.5 million views. Shooting survivor Jaclyn Corin meets with the House Speaker Paul Ryan in the US Capitol in Washington Credit: Reuters "What if politicians valued children's lives, not dollars?" she asked. "What if 19-year-old's didn't have access to weapons of war?" Ms Corin also organised a trip with 100 of her fellow students to meet lawmakers to discuss gun legislation in Tallahassee. Cameron Kasky The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students Credit: AP Cameron Kasky is one of the founding members of the Never Again movement, coining the name and posting it as a hashtag on Facebook. He invited friends to his house after the shooting to discuss what they could do to make a meaningful difference on gun control. The 17-year-old junior has given more than 50 interviews since the shooting and asked Senator Marco Rubio live on CNN: "Can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?" WATCH & SHARE Stoneman Douglas Student Cameron Kasky asks Marco Rubio whether he will pledge not to take any more NRA money #CNNTownHall#StudentsStandUp#NoNRAMoney#AMJoypic.twitter.com/yYEdYRjGan— #LaquanMcDonald (@ifuaskmee) February 24, 2018 Senator Rubio responded: "I will always accept the help of anyone who agrees with my agenda." In an op-ed for CNN, Kasky wrote: "We can't ignore the issues of gun control that this tragedy raises. And so, I'm asking -no, demanding - we take action now." Alex Wind Alex Wind speaks during a rally in advance of Saturday's March for Our Lives event Credit: Reuters Alex Wind joined Kasky at his home in the hours following the shooting where they founded the Never Again movement. He urged Mr Trump to "make stricter gun control laws" on Twitter after the president offered "prayers and condolences" to families of the victims. Make stricter gun control laws then https://t.co/UH9VGlX8XK— Alex Wind (@al3xw1nd) February 14, 2018 In an interview with CNN, Wind admitted he was "terrified" of returning to school following the tragedy. "I want change to happen so badly, I don't want to feel unsafe in my own school," he said. March For Our Lives The students will be leading the March For Our Lives protests on 24 March, as protesters take to the streets of Washington DC to demand action to end gun violence and mass shootings in schools. Tens of thousands of students will also be campaigning in cities across the US and in six continents this weekend. Mass shootings have become more frequent in the US "People are saying that it's not time to talk about gun control, and we can respect that," said Kasky announcing the march. "Here's a time: March 24, in every single city marching together as students begging for our lives." Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato and Common are due to be among performers at Saturday's main march.
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| US imposes sanctions on Iranians for hacking Posted: 23 Mar 2018 07:20 AM PDT  The Mabna Institute "engaged in the theft of personal identifiers and economic resources for private financial gain" and for the benefit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the US Treasury Department said. The two founders of the Mabna Institute were among the 10 people whose assets are subject to US seizure, it said. The Justice Department said nine of the 10 had been indicted separately for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and other crimes.
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| Trump tweets he's banning bump stocks ahead of March for Our Lives Posted: 23 Mar 2018 07:21 AM PDT  Ahead of the March for Our Lives, President Trump tweets the DOJ will issue a rule to ban bump stocks.
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| Venezuela president solution to inflation: Change money Posted: 22 Mar 2018 06:12 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolas Maduro attempted to tackle Venezuela's staggering inflation Thursday by lopping three zeros off the increasingly worthless currency called the bolivar.
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| Russia's Putin says focus in new term will be improving living standards Posted: 23 Mar 2018 03:22 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would repay the trust voters had placed in him by working toward creating jobs, raising incomes, improving healthcare and building new infra-structure. Putin, in an address to the nation after his victory in an election last Sunday was confirmed, said though it would be irresponsible to promise that all shortcomings would be fixed immediately. He said there was a role in Russia for debate about the authorities' actions, but there was no place for irresponsible populism by Kremlin opponents. ...
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| Jim Carrey Appears To Shred Jared Kushner In Biting New Portrait Posted: 23 Mar 2018 03:14 AM PDT  Jim Carrey has returned to Twitter with yet another politically-charged
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| Water Park Operator Charged After 10-Year-Old Boy Decapitated on Slide Posted: 23 Mar 2018 04:44 PM PDT  The boy died on the Verruckt waterslide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark
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| Heroic French officer Arnaud Beltrame dies after switching himself for hostage in France supermarket Posted: 23 Mar 2018 10:26 PM PDT  Gunman shot dead after taking hostages in Trebes, France Attacker named as petty criminal Redouane Lakdim, 26 At least two people killed in store and dozen more wounded Attacker also shot a driver in the head and stole his car Gunman 'shouted Allahu Akbar' and 'said he supported Isil' Military officer, 45, dies in hospital after swapping himself for hostage A French policeman shot by an Islamist gunman when he swapped himself for a hostage in a supermarket siege has died. Arnaud Beltrame, a lieutenant-colonel in the gendarmerie, was hailed a hero after the attacker - who killed four people in a shooting spree - was shot dead by police. Mr Beltrame was among the officers who rushed to the scene when the assailant stormed the store in the southwest town of Trèbes, firing on shoppers and staff before taking a hostage. Gérard Collomb, the interior minister, announced early on Saturday that Mr Beltrame had passed away after he was reportedly hit by several bullets and one injury to the throat. "Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame has left us. France will never forget his heroism, his bravery, his sacrifice." Arnaud Beltrame, the policeman who died after being seriously injured during the siege, was praised by Emmanuel Macron Credit: BOYER Claude In an interview in December with the local Independent newspaper, Mr Beltrame said he had taken part in an attack simulation in Carcassonne that centred around a mass attack in a supermarket. "A mass killing took place in a supermarket. This is the only information that was given to the police," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying, describing the simulation scenario. "We want to be closer to real conditions, so there is no pre-established scenario". Emmanuel Macron, the French President, called Mr Beltrame a hero. "He saved lives and honoured his colleagues and his country," President Macron said of the officer. Arnaud Beltrame poses for a photo in Avranches, western France Credit: AP The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Redouane Lakdim, a petty criminal of Moroccan origin who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). He opened fire on passengers in a car, killing one of them, then shoot dead another two people at the supermarket. The gunman was eventually killed in the police assault after a standoff of more than three hours. He reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" as he burst into the Super U store on the outskirts of the picturesque medieval town of around 5,000 inhabitants. Eyewitnesses told French media that Lakdim demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the 2015 Paris jihadist attacks that killed 130 people, and said he was taking revenge for the international coalition bombing Isil targets in Syria. "He was known by the police for petty crimes, we had monitored him and did not think he had been radicalised," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters at the scene in Trebes. Radouane Lakdim, who authorities have named as the 26-year-old attacker responsible for the death of at least three people in southwest France Credit: Getty Lakdim was described by a neighbour as a "pleasant young man" who lived with his parents and sisters in a flat in Carcassonne, taking the youngest children to school every day. The incident in Trèbes came as France is still on high alert after suffering a string of terror attacks since January 2015. Lakdim began his shooting spree in his home town, whose huge medieval castle makes it a tourist hotspot, around 10 am local time when he hijacked a car, shooting dead a passenger and seriously injuring its driver. Then he fired at a group of CRS riot policemen who were jogging near the castle in Carcassonne and wounded one of them. Gendarmes and police officers at the supermarket after the hostage situation in Trebes Credit: REGIS DUVIGNAU /Reuters The attacker then drove off towards Trèbes, about five miles away, where he dumped the hijacked vehicle in the car park of a supermarket before storming into the Super U store, and shooting dead a shop worker and a customer. Other customers and staff fled or hid, with one group hiding themselves in the supermarket's cold store Christian Guibbert was one of them. He described how he heard gunshots when he arrived at the supermarket with his wife and sister-in-law, who hid in the cold room while he called police. He saw the attacker holding a handgun and a knife screaming "Allahu Akbar" and ordering people to get on the ground. "At one point he saw me and took after me with his knife," Mr Guibbert told Reuters. "Then I looked back and he wasn't there any more and I slipped out of an emergency exit." Police arrived shortly after the start of the siege at around 11am. "They managed to get some of the people out," said Interior Minister Collomb, but the attacker kept one woman hostage to use as a human shield. Carcassonne shooing - locator map It was then that Mr Beltrame, the 45-year-old lieutenant-colonel, offered to take the woman's place and remained holed up with Lakdim while negotiations to end the standoff continued. The officer "left his telephone on the table", switched on, to allow police surrounding the building in to listen in, said Mr Collomb. "When we heard shots the GIGN (an elite police force) intervened," the minister said. A team of about a dozen officers entered the building and quickly shot dead the attacker. 'We got him, we got him!," one police officer shouted as he re-emerged from the building, according to an eyewitness account by a journalist from the local newspaper La Depeche. An officer from the GIGN team was also hurt in the operation to neutralise the gunman. 3:37PM Theresa May: We stand in solidarity with our friends and allies in France After the "cowardly" attacks, Theresa May, the Prime Minister, said Britain stands "in solidarity with our friends and allies in France, just as they always stand with us": PM: My thoughts are with the victims of the cowardly attacks in Trèbes and Carcassonne. We stand in solidarity with our friends and allies in France, just as they always stand with us.— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 23, 2018 3:25PM Elite officer who swapped places with hostage kept phone on so colleagues could hear conversation with attacker The unnamed police officer who volunteered to swap his place with a hostage managed to leave his phone on so his colleagues outside could hear his conversation with the attacker. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb praised the "heroism" of the 45-year-old lieutenant-colonel, who suffered a bullet wound during the assault in which the hostage-taker was shot dead by police and is seriously injured. Mr Collomb said he managed to leave his mobile phone switched on after the swap, establishing a contact with officers outside the supermarket in the stand-off. Mr Collomb said elite French forces stormed the market and killed the gunman after hearing gunshots inside. He did not say how or when the police officer was injured. French security and police gather outside the Super U supermarket in the town of Trebes Credit: PASCAL PAVANI /AFP France Info radio reported that police at first negotiated with the attacker and persuaded him to agree to swap an unspecified number of hostages - perhaps all of them - for an officer from the GIGN unit present at the scene. The GIGN is an elite tactical unit of the Gendarmerie whose operations include hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, and the protection of top government officials. 3:00PM Isil claims responsibility for France attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, but gave no evidence for the claim. 2:59PM Police officer who swapped himself for hostage suffered bullet wound Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has confirmed that a gendarme who offered himself in exchange for hostages held in the supermarket was injured. He said that the lieutenant-colonel suffered a bullet wound during the assault in which the hostage taker was shot dead by police. Gendarmes of the French special unit GIGN are seen next to the Trebes supermarket Credit: REGIS DUVIGNAU /Reuters 2:48PM Attacker named as 26-year-old Redouane Lakdim The man who killed at least three people in attacks in southern France was a 26-year old known for petty crimes and possession of drugs, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters, adding that he acted alone. Collomb named the attacker as Redouane Lakdim and said he was from nearby Carcassonne, where the attacks started. "He was known for petty crimes. We had monitored him and thought there was no radicalisation," Collomb said. 2:35PM Attacker was 'radicalised petty criminal under surveillance' The suspect in a supermarket hostage-taking in southern France who killed three people is believed to have acted alone, the French interior minister has said. He described the unnamed attacker as a "radicalised petty criminal under surveillance". Although he was known to authorities, he was "not considered an Islamist threat", the minister added. A military helicopter flies over the village of Trebes during the incident Credit: JEAN-PAUL PELISSIER /Reuters 2:30PM Suspect was 'pleasant young man who... always had a nice word to say' Police have raided the home in Carcassonne of the man suspected of carrying out the supermarket attack in Trebes, Le Parisien newspaper reported. It said police had also raided the homes of his associates and relatives. One neighbour told the newspaper the suspect was a pleasant young man who was "calm, friendly, and always had a nice word to say." He reportedly lived in an apartment block with his parents and sisters, and would take the youngest child to school every day. 2:17PM 'We got him!' shouts police officer after attacker is shot dead A police officer emerged from the supermarket where the hostage-taker was holed up and shouted: "We got him, we got him!" A journalist from the local La Depeche newspaper described the scene as police moved in to put an end to the incident. They wrote: "I saw a dozen police from the GIGN (an elite police corps specialised in hostage and terror situations) go inside the Super U supermarket. "From the outside you couldn't hear any shots being fired. Very quickly after this assault ambulances and a helicopter arrived at the car park. "Then security forces sent sniffer dogs into the building. I saw a police officer come out, shouting: 'We got him, we got him!" French gendarmes block access to Trebes, where a man took hostages Credit: ERIC CABANIS /AFP 2:13PM President Emmanuel Macron: 'All evidence suggests' this is terror attack French President Emmanuel Macron said "all evidence suggests" the shootings in southern France are a terrorist attack. Speaking in Brussels, where he is attending an EU summit, Macron offered his "full support" to everyone involving in the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron speaking on Friday afternoon Credit: Geert Vanden Wijngaert /AP 2:10PM Military officer swapped himself for supermarket hostage Interior Minister Gerard Collomb confirmed that French police killed the gunman who was holed up in the Super U store. It also emerged that a French military officer took the place of a supermarket hostage. The 45-year old lieutenant-colonel swapped himself in exchange of one of the hostages, a source close to the investigation said. 1:50PM Breaking: Police shoot supermarket attacker dead The suspect in the hostage-taking situation has been shot dead by police, a police union official confirmed. 1:30PM Gunman shot motorist in head before stealing car to drive to supermarket Police have found a body in bushes in Carcassonne and another man there who suffered bullet wounds is being treated in hospital, local media reported. The gunman is believed to have shot a motorist in the head - and also injured the passenger - before stealing the car to drive to the Trebes supermarket. Bruno Bartocetti, the regional representative of the SGP police union, said the Carcassonne attacker is believed to the same person who has taken hostages in Trebes. Local media report that the Trebes attacker is a Moroccan man who lived in Carcassonne. 1:19PM Customers escape after hiding in freezer room for an hour One woman who was shopping in the Trebes supermarket when the attacker burst in said she and other customers hid in a freezer room for an hour before managing to escape. "A man started shouting and fired a gun several times," the shopper, who was not named, told France Info radio. "I saw a door into a freezer room and I told other people around me to come and take refuge there. There were ten of us and we stayed there for an hour. "There were more shots and we eventually got out through an emergency exit at the back." Another witness said the attacker was armed with a gun, knives and a hand grenade. Armed police outside the supermarket on Friday morning Credit: REUTERS 1:16PM Attack comes after string of atrocities in France The attacker holed up in the supermarket in Trebes has reportedly claimed allegiance to Isil. If that is confirmed, the incident would be the first deadly jihadist attack in France since last October, when two young women were stabbed to death outside the main railway station in Marseille. The incident in Trebes, a picturesque medieval town of around 5,000 inhabitants, come as France is still on high alert after suffering a string of terror attacks since January 2015, when a gun attack by radical Islamists on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killed 12 people. The deadliest assault came in November the same year, when attackers claiming allegiance to Isil killed 130 people in bombings and shootings at bars, restaurants, the Bataclan concert venue and the national stadium. Paris terror attacks: The 25 images that define the tragedy in France The following July, in another attack claimed by Isil, a man drove a truck through revellers celebrating Bastille Day in the Riviera resort of Nice, killing 84 people. The government put the country under a state of emergency after the Paris attacks. This was was finally lifted in October last year, but soldiers continue to patrol major tourist sites and transport hubs. 1:05PM Car used by man in police shooting found at supermarket - police sources The car of the man who fired at riot police near Carcassonne has been found in the car park of the supermarket where an armed man has holed up after reportedly killing at least one person, AFP has reported citing police sources. This would suggest that - as suspected - the two attacks were carried out by the same man. A damaged vehicle in the spot where police officers were shot at and wounded near the town of Carcassonne Credit: Amenvals Nathalie /PA 12:38PM Police confirm at least two people killed in hostage-taking French police have confirmed that two people have been killed and about a dozen wounded in the supermarket hostage-taking. However, the casualty toll is likely to rise, the regional head of the gendarmes said. "We are unfortunately expecting to find more victims," he told Sud-Ouest newspaper. A spokesman with the national police service said that it is unclear whether there are still hostages inside the store. The spokesman said a police operation to apprehend the assailant is still under way. 12:12PM Attacker reported to be Moroccan national known to French intelligence services The attacker is a Moroccan national known to France's intelligence services, according to La Depeche, a regional newspaper. The authorities have so far given no details about the man's identity. 12:10PM Hostage-taker 'demanding release of Salah Abdeslam' A French TV station reports that the hostage-taker has demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the Isil cell that attacked Paris in November 2015 and killed 130 people. He is currently in a prison near Paris awaiting trial for those attacks. Salah Abdeslam Credit: AFP/Getty 12:03PM French PM: We believe this is a terrorist act French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said: "The information which we currently have to hand makes us believe that this is a terrorist act." He said he will cut short a visit to the eastern town of Mulhouse and return to Paris to monitor the situation in Trebes and will "remain in constant contact with the president," Emmanuel Macron, who is in Brussels today for a European Council meeting. Meanwhile, around 50 people who fled the supermarket have taken refuge in a Peugeot garage next to the store. 11:46AM Attacker shouted Allahu Akbar as he burst into store - witness The hostage-taker has killed at least one person inside the supermarket, a police union official said, reports Rory Mulholland. The hostage-taking began at 11am local time when a man burst into the supermarket and fired shots, the local prosecutor's office said. Local police said they believed one or two people were hit hit by the gunfire. One witness said the attacker had shouted Allahu Akbar as he burst into the store. Police close to the scene of the hostage-taking at a Super U supermarket in Trebes Credit: Sky News 11:34AM Attacker wanted to 'take revenge for Syria' The attacker, who is believed to be in his 30s, has one or more grenades and said that he wanted to "take revenge for Syria", sources told the Dépêche du Midi newspaper. Local media said it was the same man who shot the police officers and then took refuge in the supermarket, but this has not been confirmed. 11:25AM Two confirmed injured in supermarket hostage-taking The Mayor of Trebes has told BFM TV that there are at least two people injured in the supermarket-hostage situation. The scene in Trebes as the attack was under way Credit: Sky News 11:17AM Policeman injured after man opens fire on officers A man opened fire on four French police officers before fleeing the scene in Carcassonne. He is reported to have fired five shots. One police officer was injured after he was shot in the shoulder. He is being treated in hospital. It has not yet been confirmed if this incident is linked to the hostage-taking in nearby Trebes. 11:15AM Counter-terror investigation launched into hostage-taking Counter-terrorism prosecutors are investigating the incident, a source in Paris said. The Super U supermarket in Trebes. File picture Credit: Google Street View 11:15AM People urged to avoid area around supermarket The French Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account Friday that police and rescue operations were the priority. Authorities in the Aude region are warning people to avoid the area around the supermarket.
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