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Timeline of Paris attacks
- 9.20pm, Friday (Paris time) - Two explosions heard near the Stade de France, where France is playing Germany in an international football friendly
- 10.20pm - Reports of shooting at Petit Cambodge restaurant, about 8km away
- 10.20pm - French police confirm at least 18 people killed; also reports of shootings near the Bataclan theatre, south of the restaurant
- 10.30pm - Death toll rises to at least 26, including 15 reported killed in Bataclan theatre amid ongoing hostage crisis with up to 100 people held, including US rock band Eagles of Death Metal
- 11pm - French president declares state of emergency and closes borders; death toll rises to 42 people
- 11.20pm - French police confirm two suicide attacks and one bombing near the Stade de France stadium; at least three people believed dead in those attacks; reports of shots and explosions at the Bataclan theatre
- 11.35pm - Police storm Bataclan theatre; say at least two attackers killed; one official describes "carnage" - attackers had thrown explosives at hostages; at least 100 killed
- 1:25am, Saturday - Paris prosecutor says death toll at six sites could exceed 120; five attackers killed
WHAT WE KNOW
- Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday night's carnage.
- One attacker has been identified as French man Ismaël Omar Mostefai. The 29 year-old described as a young father with Algerian roots, has been on the radar or security services since 2012 and spent several months in Syria in 2013-2014.
- Boulevard Voltaire Charonne street opposite the bar La Belle Equipe (19 dead)
- Bataclan - official reports of 78 including 3 or 4 terrorists killed - but frequently reported as more than 100.
- Rue de la Fontaine au Roi (5 dead)
- Le Petit Cambodge and Le Carillon bar, (between 12 and 14 dead)
- Stade de France (3 explosions, reports of three or four killed including suicide bombers)
- 129 confirmed dead
- Eight attackers believed killed
- France is in a state of emergency for the first time in 70 years
- French borders have been closed
- Anyone concerned for family and friends urged to contact 1300 555 135 or +61 262 613 305 from overseas
UPDATES
4.35pm: Facebook's safety check feature was used by 4.1 million people in Paris to let their family and friends know they were safe, according to the social network.
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Roughly 85% of Facebook users in Paris and the surrounding suburbs used the alert system, which was switched on shortly after news broke of the attacks in Paris on Friday night local time, Facebook Vice President Alex Schultz said in a post to the site on Sunday morning AEST.
The Paris attack was the first time the feature had been used for an event that was not a natural disaster.
An early iteration of the Safety Check was first used during the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Tokyo in 2011. The feature was last switched on during the Nepal Earthquake in April.
Schultz defended Facebook's decision not to switch on Safety Check following messages from people asking why the feature was not used when terrible things happen in other parts of the world where violence is more common.
"We chose to activate Safety Check in Paris because we observed a lot of activity on Facebook as the events were unfolding. In the middle of a complex, uncertain situation affecting many people," Schultz wrote in his Facebook post.
"So we made the decision to try something we've never done before: activating Safety Check for something other than a natural disaster.
"There has to be a first time for trying something new, even in complex and sensitive times, and for us that was Paris," Schultz said.
"We want this tool to be available whenever and wherever it can help," he said.
3.50pm: The comments of a senior French foreign ministry official uttered months ago foreshadowed Friday's brutal attacks.
In an interview with visiting Australian journalists in Paris in June – five months before terrorist attacks killed at least 129 people in the French capital on Friday – the official detailed how France perceived the threat of terrorism and how authorities were tackling it.
Given France's population of five million Muslims and the effectiveness of IS propaganda, it was a "daily miracle" there had not been a repeat of the January attack on the satirical French weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo that left 11 people dead in Paris. Continue reading.
3.45pm: NSW Premier Mike Baird spoke to the media as he arrived at Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral for a service of prayer and sorrow following the Paris attacks.
He said Australians are united against the terrorist attacks, and stood with the French people in condemning the senseless killing of innocent people.
"Today we are here to mourn the people of France, on teh tragic loss of innocent life. We also acknowledge the loss of life in Beirut; again, these are acts of terrorism taking innocent lives," he said.
"We are stronger standing together, and there is solidarity across the world, against these attacks. They may try and take our values, our freedoms, and what we believe in - but they can't, and they won't.
"I think for all of us, this is a time to think of those who have lost innocent lives across the world ... we are right behind you."
3.35pm:
3.24pm: Stocks are expected to tumble across the world on Monday as investors seek out safe havens in the wake of Friday night's terrorist attacks in Paris.
With sentiment already weak before the outrage, equity markets - starting with Israel's on Sunday evening Australian time and followed by Australia and the rest of Asia on Monday - are widely tipped to sell off as investors shift into traditionally less-risky assets such as the US dollar, Japanese yen, government bonds and gold.
Futures pricing before the Paris attacks already had the S&P/ASX 200 opening below 5000 points on Monday, from Friday's 5051.25 close, for the first time since late-September. Full story.
2pm: Malcolm Turnbull has conceded the scale and frequency of terrorist attacks feels like war, but has assured Australians they are safe, and expressed every confidence that in the end, civilisation would prevail over what he branded blasphemy against Islam by godless terrorists.
Fresh from emergency phone talks with the head of ASIO, Duncan Lewis, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin, and the National Security Coordinator, Greg Moriarty, Mr Turnbull said the terror alert level would remain on "High", but counselled Australians to be confident that their police and security services would protect them.
High means an attack on Australian soil is considered likely. Continue reading
1pm: Nationals MP Andrew Fraser has taken to social media to call on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to "close our borders" to refugees from the Middle East in response to the terrorism attacks in Paris. Continue reading
12.30pm: An Austinmer man who recently arrived home from a month-long stay in Paris warned his children the city was ‘’too dangerous’’ to visit.
‘’There were the obvious outward signs of police with military weapons, I am sure they were on an alert,’’ Chris Cox told the Illawarra Mercury after hearing of the deadly, stomach-churning terror attacks in the city he adores.
‘’In fact, I had written that there were inadequate travel warnings for Paris for Australian citizens,’’ the Austinmer-based educator said. Read more
12pm: A Hobart woman shot in the hip at the Bataclan theatre in Paris has a long road ahead recovering mentally from the terrorist attack, her aunt says.
Sam Gunner, who today represented Emma Grace Parkinson’s family in Hobart, said her niece was in a stable condition and good spirits.
Ms Parkinson, 19, suffered multiple gun shot wounds to her hip in the attack on Friday when four black-clothed gunmen wielding AK-47s entered and fired calmly and randomly at hundreds of screaming concert-goers.
She received hospital treatment and had texted her family after the shooting, Ms Gunner said. Continue reading
11.30am: The Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammed has described the events in Paris as a "time of unspeakable horror", saying Australian Islams stand "united in peace" with others around the world.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and people of Paris and Beirut at this time of unspeakable...
Posted by Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed - Grand Mufti of Australia on Friday, November 13, 2015
The Uniting Church in Australia has offered a prayer remembering those killed and injured in the past two days, and offering strength to the survivors.
"We pray for children without parents, parents without children, spouses missing, and families torn apart," Rev. Ji Zhang wrote in a post on Facebook.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/paris-attacks-day-2-search-for-answers-after-day-of-terror-in-french-capital-20151114-gkz7gd.html#ixzz3rW2fW1gi
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
10.20am: The father and brother of one of the gunmen at the Bataclan concert hall have been taken into custody, a source close to the investigation has told AFP.
The 29-year-old gunman, who was wearing a suicide vest, was one of three who reportedly opened fire on spectators at the venue, killing at least 89. His body was found after police stormed the music hall. Police were able to confirm his identity via a severed fingertip.
Police said they were searching the father's home in the small town of Romilly-sur-Seine, about 130km east of Paris, as well as his brother's in nearby Bondoufle.
The brother, 34, reportedly contacted police on his own initiative, according to the London Telegraph.
9.30am: Miraculous escape: Melbourne woman 'pretends to be dead'
A Melbourne woman and her friend who were among concert-goers at the Bataclan when multiple gunmen opened fire, killing at least 89 people, pretended to be dead.
Sophie Doran, 30, wept as she told her father Michael Doran how she and her wounded friend hid behind chairs and pretended to be dead for 30 minutes until police stormed the venue.
"From what she tells me, the carnage as it's described and the bloodbath seems to be an accurate reflection of what they all saw in there," Mr Doran told the ABC.
"It was a horrible thing, but I'm just pleased my daughter's alive. My sympathies go out to those people whose daughters and sons and brothers aren't alive."
9am: Malcolm Turnbull comforts injured Australian Emma Parkinson
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has spoken by phone with injured Australian Emma Grace Parkinson in Paris, saying he tried his best "to cheer her up" but nothing can compare to the comfort her mother will bring when she arrives in Paris.
Australia's ambassador to France, Steven Brady, was at Ms Parkinson's bedside in Paris when Mr Turnbull spoke to the 19-year old from Hobart.
"I spoke to her on the phone and did my best to cheer her up. I told her that we were all thinking of her," Mr Turnbull said.
He said Ms Parkinson was in good spirits, given the circumstances.
"Every parent can sympathise with the thought that their child has been injured in something like this ... She was a brave girl."
He said the phone call and visits from Mr Brady had "cheered her up a bit but nothing will equal how good she will feel when her mum arrives in a day or so."
Meanwhile, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said there could have been a "much different situation" in Paris if the country's gun laws were more relaxed.
"When you look at Paris – you know the toughest gun laws in the world, Paris –nobody had guns but the bad guys. Nobody had guns, nobody," Trump said during a rally at a community centre in Texas.
"They were just shooting them one by one and then they [security forces] broke in and had a big shootout and ultimately killed the terrorists.
"You can say what you want, but if they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry ... it would have been a much different situation," Trump said, to applause and cheers from the crowd.
The comments are similar to those made by the Republican presidential candidate after the attack on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January. At the time he tweeted: "Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?"
8.20am: Eiffel Tower area evacuated, Pullman Hotel declared safe
Anxiety continues to mount in Paris as police evacuate the area around the Eiffel Tower and heavily armed police declare the nearby Pullman Hotel safe after reportedly searching the hotel, room by room.
Witnesses at the hotel restaurant said police were clearing the rooms one at a time but have now given the all clear.
This has been confirmed by the French interior ministry, Reuters reports.
8am: Death toll confirmed as 129, likely to rise as 352 more injured
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins has provided an update earlier this morning.
At this moment there have been 129 people killed and the number will fluctuate since there are many wounded whose life is threatened, he said.
There are 352 injured, at least 99 are extremely seriously injured.
At least 11 foreign nationals have been confirmed dead by foreign ministries or authorities in their respective countries.
One Briton was killed and a "handful" are feared dead, the Foreign Office says. Nick Alexander from Colchester in Essex was working at the Bataclan concert hall when he lost his life, according to the London Telegraph. His family has released a statement, saying he died doing "a job he loved".
"It is with huge sorrow that we can confirm that our beloved Nick lost his life at the Bataclan last night. Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle, he was everyone's best friend - generous, funny and fiercely loyal," the statement reads.
"Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing how much he was cherished by his friends around the world. Thank you for your thoughts and respect for our family at this difficult time. Peace and light."
At least two Belgian nationals have been killed, according to the Belgian foreign ministry.
Two Romanians were killed according to the foreign ministry in Bucharest.
Two young Tunisians sisters who lived in the French region of Creusot and who were celebrating a friend's birthday in Paris
A 63-year-old Portuguese national, who lived in Paris and who worked in public transport, was killed near the Stade de France sports stadium.
29-year-old Spaniard Alberto Gonzalez Garrido was killed while attending a concert at the Bataclan theatre.
The Swedish foreign ministry is verifying information that one Swedish national was killed and another was wounded by gunfire.
US woman, Nohemi Gonzalez, from California, was in Paris completing a semester abroad at Strate College of Design when she was killed, according to Long Beach State University, her home university.
SATURDAY
9:56pm: Islamic State claims responsibility for attacks
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly Paris attacks in a statement posted online.
According to Reuters, Islamic State says the Paris attacks were a response to insults of Islam's prophet and airstrikes in IS territory.
9:23pm: Hollande says ISIS is to blame
French President Francois Hollande has blamed Islamic State for the deadly attacks on Paris, which he labelled an "act of war".
"It is an act of war that was committed by a terrorist army, a jihadist army, Daesh, against France," Mr. Hollande said.
"It is an act of war that was prepared, organised and planned from abroad, with complicity from the inside, which the investigation will help establish."
Islamic State released an undated video via their media arm the Al-Hayat Media Center on Saturday, urging Muslims to attack France.
The French leader has also declared three days of national mourning.
6.20pm: A 19-year-old Australian woman has been shot and injured in the Paris terror attacks.
Emma Grace Parkinson, from Hobart, was shot in the vicinity of the Bataclan theatre, the site of a deadly siege where at least 78 people were killed by multiple gunmen.
Ms Parkinson is the only confirmed Australian casualty of the Paris attacks.
She was taken to hospital for treatment. Fairfax Media understands her injuries are not critical.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has confirmed an Australian was injured in the attacks, which she said had all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack led by Deash, or ISIS.
"I am aware of an Australian who has been injured in the Paris attacks and we are providing consular assistance," Ms Bishop said in a statement late on Saturday afternoon.
Fairfax Media has approached Emma Parkinson's family in Hobart for comment.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear, however Ms Parkinson had been in contact with a friend shortly before she was shot, and said she was "next door" to the Bataclan Concert Hall.
A friend of Emma's, Kate Rees, 22, is also from Tasmania but has lived in Paris for two years.
Ms Rees told Fairfax Media Ms Parkinson had contacted her in the early hours of Saturday morning (Paris time) to tell her she had been shot in the backside and was in hospital.
"She told me that they just opened fire, I'm not sure if it was before or after the Bataclan was held hostage," Ms Rees said.
Speaking from an apartment in the twelfth arrondissement - just a few kilometres from the Bataclan theatre - Ms Rees said she had been concerned for her friend's safety immediately after she learned of the terror attacks.
"I saw her today and she was excited to be going to see Eagles of Death Metal," she said via Skype. "And then of course, I heard this and tried to call her. I managed to get hold of her on Facebook but only very briefly to tell me she was next door [to Bataclan Concert Hall]."
A few hours later, the teen contacted Ms Rees to tell her she had been shot and injured.
Ms Rees said she was "relieved" her friend's injuries were not life-threatening but "horrified that anyone, especially a 19-year-old had to see that". She plans to visit her in hospital on Saturday.
Ms Rees described Paris as chaotic shortly before midnight, just hours after the first reported gunfire and explosions. "There's sirens everywhere around Paris. Every 30 seconds, actually."
"Paris is on lockdown. The whole of France is on lockdown."
Ms Bishop said the Australian Government was continuing to work with French authorities to identify any other Australians who may be affected.
Earlier in the day, Ms Bishop told reporters they were not aware of any Australian having been injured or killed in the attack.
About 2500 Australians are believed to be in Paris, Ms Bishop said.
A consular assistance hotline has been set up for Australians with concerns for relatives or friends in Paris.
EARLIER on SATURDAY
5:30pm: The Islamic Council of Victoria has issued a statement saying it "is saddened by the violence targeting civilians in Paris and Beirut.The ICV unequivocally condemns these callous and senseless acts of violence."
"We offer our prayers and condolences to the victims and their families. Unfortunately it is easy to become desensitised to these tragedies but we need to resist this," a statement said. "Every life is sacred and we need to keep speaking out against all such atrocities."
5:19pm: In case you've just joined us, this is what we know about the Paris terror attacks that unfolded earlier today:
Black-clad terrorists appeared at at least six locations across Paris and opened fire with automatic weapons, then and detonated explosives
The casualty figures are still sketchy but we believe at least 120 people have died, with a further 200 wounded
Around 80 people are believed to have been killed at the Bataclan. Other victims were killed at the Stade de France football stadium and at several restaurants and cafes
Eight terrorists are dead. Seven reportedly blew themselves up in suicide blasts; another died when police liberated the Bataclan
4:50pm: One Australian has been confirmed among the wounded
Witnesses have reported that the gunmen shouted words to the effect: "This is for Syria"
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has confirmed at least one Australian has been injured in the Paris attacks.
"I am aware of an Australian who has been injured in the Paris attacks and we are providing consular assistance," Ms Bishop said in a statement.
The Australian Government is continuing to work with French authorities to identify any other Australians who may be affected.
4:50pm: Revised death toll - The French Ministry of the Interior has revised its death toll down to at least 120 deaths.
It has advised that at least 78 people were killed in the Bataclan theatre. 200 people have been injured.
4:36pm: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has released an extended statement on the Paris terror attacks overnight.
"The advice I have from the Federal Police and from ASIO is that the alert level remains as it has been since September last year. The security agencies do not believe that there is any evidence at the moment to justify any increase in that alert level. So we should be reassured by that," he said.
"We have a government that is utterly committed to protecting the safety of Australians at home and so far as we can abroad."
"We are working very closely with security agencies in other countries, of course , particularly now with the security agencies in France. And we are ensuring that Australians are protected in our own country by updated counter-terrorism legislation, as has been seen in the Parliament last week."
3:49pm: Eight attackers dead, seven suicide bombers
The French prosecutors office has advised that seven of the attackers who killed more than 150 people across Paris are dead after blowing themselves up with explosive belts.
The spokeswoman for the prosecutors office, Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, has told Associated Press that the eighth was shot dead by Police forces when they raided the Bataclan concert hall where more than a hundred hostages where being held.
3:43pm: Melbourne to light up for Paris
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will join the Sydney Opera House in lighting up in red white and blue in solidarity with Paris tonight.
Melbourne Arts Centre will also be lit up in the French colours from 7.45pm on Saturday night.
The centre's chief executive Claire Spencer said she was "deeply saddened" by the events in Paris.
"Our hearts go out to the people in Paris and everyone who is impacted by the attacks," Ms Spencer said. "Our hearts go out to the people in Paris and everyone who is impacted by these terrible events."
3:10pm Lucy Cormack writes: Climate leaders in Paris before attacks
Fairfax Media reporter Lucy Cormack spoke to former US Vice President Al-Gore in Paris just hours before the attacks which took more than 150 lives rocked the French capital.
It was just after 7pm on Friday evening in Paris when English synth-pop band Duran Duran finished a globally broadcast performance as part of the climate awareness-raising 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth, led by former US Vice President Al Gore.
The 24-hour event at the foot of the Eiffel Tower was to address the global climate crisis and demand action.
However the broadcast only reached its fifth hour, before multiple terror attacks broke out across Paris, locking down the city and killing scores of hostages.
Fairfax Media spoke with Mr Gore shortly after 7pm (Paris time), hours before the multiple shootings and blasts occurred across the French Capital.
"We're live and it's going extremely well. We just had a live performance here on stage from Duran Duran and Elton John will play later, and the Jon Bon Jovi," said Mr Gore.
French President Francois Hollande, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and artists such as Pharrell Williams and Mumford and Sons were among the officials and celebrities taking part in the event.
A statement on the event's website read, "Out of solidarity with the French people and the City of Paris, we have decided to suspend our broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth. Our thoughts are with all who have been affected and the entire nation of France. We send our condolences to the families of those who have been killed or injured."
Mr Gore shared his condolences with victims of the terror attacks on Twitter.
"Our thoughts are with all who have been affected and the entire nation of France. We send our condolences to the families of those who have been killed or injured."
2.40PM: It has been reported, eight terrorists have been killed.
1.54PM:
The head of the Paris police, Michel Cadot, has revealed the attackers of the Bataclan concert hall, where up to a hundred people have been killed, blew themselves with explosive belts up as police closed in on their positions.
He said the attackers had shot up cafes in the surrounding areas with automatic rifles before going inside the concert hall.
He added that all of those who attacked the Batclan concert hall are dead, but authorities remain on the hunt for accomplices.
1.22PM:
A police source has told Le Monde that four people have been killed, including three suicide bombers, at the Stade de France where the French national team was taking on Germany in an international football match.
Previous reports have suggested that only the suicide bombers were killed in the explosions.
HOW THE STORY BROKE
At least 118 people have been killed in the Paris attacks.
More than 100 were shot dead inside the Le Bataclan concert hall, according to Agence France-Presse.
This is on top of the 60 reported dead across Paris in a series of attacks in what experts are calling a "night of terror" on a scale never seen before.
Gunmen and bombers have attacked seven locations.
It is estimated 2500 Australians are in France. There are no reports of any having been injured.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is speaking at a press conference. She said one Australian in the vicinity of a shooting has been confirmed safe. Australian tourists are advised to stay in their hotels.
"There are no reports of Australians killed or injured at this stage... that's not to say it won't change later." she said. "The implications for Australia at this point is in relation to consular and travel matters."
"The circumstances have been absolutely horrifying and tragic."
Police have stormed a French theatre Le Bataclan where gunmen held hostages attending a rock concert.
French president Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency, and closed the French borders.
He announced an immediate inquiry into what most experts believe is a gross act of terrorism.
"We don't know where they are coming from, or who is striking us," said Mr Hollande. "In such difficult times, I have thoughts for the victims."
He said it was important to show compassion and "keep our cool."
A major French television network said as many as 100 people have died.
Facebook has re-activated the safety feature it used during the Nepal earthquake to allow users in Paris to let their friends know they are safe.
"If you're near a natural disaster, you can tell friends if you're safe and check to see if they're safe, too," Facebook's How It Works webpage says.
French police are telling Parisians to stay indoors, and taxi drivers turned off their meters, offering to drive people home for free.
Deputy french mayor Patrick Klugman said it was the worst ever terror attack seen in France. He said police suspected there were suicide bombers at the stadium. He said the explosions occurred during the half time break at the soccer game at the Stade de France.
Deputy Mayor Klugman said at least three sites were attacked, in addition to the stadium.
"It looks like a terror attack, the worst ever attack."
More than 60 hostages were being held at a historic theatre, Le Bataclan, and around 18 people have died.
An eye witness at the theatre, who was attending a rock concert, said there were at least two terrorists firing at people on the floor.
"Everyone was on the floor with their hands on their heads," he said. "I saw 25 to 30 people lying on the floor," said Julien Pearce, the eye witness.
He saw at least 20 people shot, and said the attackers appeared to be firing randomly at victims.
"It was a blood bath."
Other eye witnesses reported six to eight hostage takers were marauding through the theatre looking for people hiding inside the theatre. Around 10.20am Sydney time, gunshots and the sounds of explosions were heard from inside the theatre.