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Singapore comments on the multiple attacks in Paris
[SINGAPORE] Singapore strongly condemns the multiple terrorist attacks in Paris and hopes for a speedy resolution to the crisis.
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims on their tragic loss," said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Saturday, adding: "We stand in solidarity with France in this difficult time and will assist to bring those responsible to justice.
"These brutal acts of terror are another reminder of the need to remain vigilant and work closely to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism."
The MFA and Singapore's embassy in Paris are monitoring developments closely and contacting registered Singaporeans in Paris to ascertain their safety.
Singaporeans residing in and travelling to Paris are advised to stay indoors, monitor local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities, MFA said.
Singaporeans should contact the Singapore Embassy at +33 6 7503 2555 or singemb_par@mfa.sg if they require any urgent assistance, MFA said.
Alternatively, they may contact the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800 / 8855 or mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg. Singaporeans who are in or visiting Paris are advised to register with the Singapore Embassy at http://eregister.mfa.gov.sg/.
US President Barack Obama looks down as he speaks to the press in Washington, DC on Nov 13, 2015, after being informed about a series of deadly attacks that rocked Paris.
PHOTO: AFP
[WASHINGTON] US President Barack Obama condemned the night of violence in Paris as an "attack on all of humanity" on Friday, vowing the bonds of liberty, equality, fraternity would not be broken.
"Those who think that they can terrorise the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong," Mr Obama said in a hastily arranged appearance before reporters at the White House.
Mr Obama was briefed on the attacks, which have killed at least 39 people, by his counterterrorism advisor Lisa Monaco.
"We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberte, egalite, fraternite, are not just the values French people share, but we share." "Those go far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening."
The Department of Homeland Security reported there was "no specific or credible threat to the United States" in the wake of the attacks.
Earlier Friday, Mr Obama had spoken to French President Francois Hollande by telephone to discuss his visit to Paris later this month for climate talks.
Mr Obama said he had not immediately contacted Mr Hollande again, because the French president was busy responding to the crisis.
But Mr Obama pledged to work with France to bring those responsible to justice.
"Whenever these kinds of attacks happen, we've always been able to count on the French people to stand with us. They have been an extraordinary counterterrorism partner. And we intend to be there with them in that same fashion," Mr Obama said.
"We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance the government and people of France need to respond." "It's an attack not just on the people of France. But this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share." Mr Obama also expressed his resolve in tackling terror.
"We're going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people."
Paris attacks: Shock, horror for 80,000 fans at France-Germany friendly
Football fans gather in the field as they wait for security clearance to leave the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, after the friendly football match France vs Germany on November 13, 2015.
PHOTO: AFP
[PARIS] It started as a celebration of football, a glamour friendly between France and world champions Germany in front of 80,000 fans at Paris's showpiece Stade de France.
Then they heard the explosions.
"I thought it was just a firework, then my friends told me what was going on in Paris," said a French fan in his 20s as the grim reality of Friday's deadly attacks suddenly hit home.
When three loud explosions were heard from outside the stadium during the first half, football soon drifted from the minds of the spectators when it eventually emerged that three people had died near the arena in the north of the city.
Later, the death toll climbed to five outside the glittering venue which staged the 1998 World Cup final with 11 seriously hurt and around 30 people slightly injured.
It emerged that one of the explosions was near to a McDonald's restaurant on the fringes of the stadium.
A police source later said that one of the blasts was caused by a suicide bomber on the Rue Jules Rimet.
"A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up," said the officer.
French president Francois Hollande, who was in attendance at the game, was hurried from the stadium amid the early reports of shootings in central Paris and of the developing hostage crisis in the Bataclan theatre.
"The game's going on and it's awful - I'll be honest, I'm very spooked," said an AFP journalist as the match progressed.
At first, very few, if any, of the crowd appeared to be aware of the significance of what was happening despite the appearance of helicopters low in the sky overhead during the second half and the audible sound of sirens from outside.
The crowd still loudly celebrated goals by Olivier Giroud and substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac late in either half of the match that gave France the win.
However, with tight security building up around the stadium, there was evident confusion after the final whistle.
With exit points being restricted, large numbers of fans poured onto the pitch.
There was no visible sense of panic, but it was after 11.30pm local time (2230 GMT) before the pitch was emptied.
"One of the fast food restaurants was being searched by police forensics and officers dressed in white outfits," added an AFP reporter outside the ground.
The evacuation of the fans finished at around midnight, many heading for their cars, others to catch the train back into the city.
"The RER B (one of the main suburban train lines serving the station) isn't working...It's a black Friday the 13th," said 27-year-old Sarah Gopal, carrying a French flag in her hand.
The drama followed events earlier in the day when the German team were evacuated from their plush hotel in the west of Paris following a bomb scare.
When the players left the field at the end of the game, they had other concerns on their minds which went beyond the significance of the game.
As they gathered in the tunnel, world famous superstars like Germany's World Cup winner Thomas Mueller and Arsenal striker Giroud immediately turned their attention to the TV screens, staring blank-faced as the horror on the streets of Paris unfolded.
Paris attacks: French witness relates 'bloodbath' at packed concert venue
A French policeman assists a blood-covered victim near the Bataclan concert hall following attacks in Paris, France, Nov 14, 2015.
PHOTO: REUTERS
[PARIS] A French radio reporter who was inside the Bataclan theatre that came under attack Friday gave a harrowing account of the "10 horrific minutes" when black-clothed gunmen wielding AK-47s entered and fired calmly and randomly at hundreds of screaming concertgoers.
"It was a bloodbath," Julien Pierce, a reporter for France's Europe 1 radio station, told CNN.
"People yelled, screamed and everybody lying on the floor, and it lasted for 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 horrific minutes where everybody was on the floor covering their head(s)."
"We heard so many gunshots and the terrorists were very calm, very determined and they reloaded three or four times their weapons and they didn't shout anything. They didn't say anything." Pierce recounted seeing 20 to 25 bodies on the floor and others very badly injured.
Police sources later said at least 100 people were killed at the attack on the concert venue.
Another witness said gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) fired into the terrified crowd who had gathered to watch a concert by the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal at the Bataclan theatre in eastern Paris on Friday night.
Pierce said he was lucky to be near the front of the stage as the gunmen, wearing black clothes and wielding AK-47s, opened fire.
"People started to try to escape to walk on people on the floor and try to find the exits, and I found an exit when the terrorists reloaded their guns in the meantime, and I climbed on the stage and we found an exit." The journalist said he took a teenage girl who was bleeding heavily and carried her to a taxi where he told the driver to take her to hospital.
He said that as he was speaking to CNN some of his friends were still hiding inside the theatre.
"They are hiding in some kind of room in the dark and they text me, and they are very afraid, of course, and they are waiting for the police to intervene, but it's been over two hours now and this is terrible."
Later in the night police stormed the venue. Three suspected assailants were shot dead during the assault.
Pierce said he saw the face of one of the gunmen, who was probably 20 to 25 years old.
Asked if he could hear what language they were speaking, he replied, "Nothing. I heard nothing, just the yelling and screaming of the people. They didn't shout anything. They didn't say anything. They said nothing. They just shot. They just shoot. They were just shooting at people." "What happened was terrible. I mean, honestly, 15 minutes, 10 minutes of gunshots firing randomly in a small concert room. I mean, it's not a huge concert room. It's a small one. Two thousand people were there maximum and it was - it was horrible."
Paris attacks: France declares emergency; as many as 140 dead
Rescue workers evacuate an injured person near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris, on Nov 13, 2015.
PHOTO: AFP
[PARIS] Paris declared an emergency after a wave of deadly attacks on Friday, including one at a concert hall where gunmen seized hostages and about 100 people were killed, according to media reports.
There were also shootings at a restaurant, and bomb attacks near the national sports stadium. President Francois Hollande closed France's borders and imposed a state of alert as the cabinet held an extraordinary meeting. Police told people to stay indoors.
In some of the latest developments: Police stormed a Paris theatre, killing two gunmen, according to local media. Associated Press said more than 100 people were killed there.
Mr Hollande was headed to the scene.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US embassy in Paris is "making every effort to account for the welfare of American citizens in the city".
A convoy of French troops was deployed in central Paris.
The wave of attacks began earlier Friday when blasts rocked the Stade de France sports arena, where France was playing a football game against Germany. Mr Hollande was at the game and was evacuated to the Interior Ministry.
The hostage-taking occurred at the Bataclan theatre in the 11th district of Paris, where the US rock band Eagles of Death Metal was performing. There were also shootings outside a restaurant in the 10th district.
"Unprecedented terrorist attacks are underway. There are dozens dead," Mr Hollande said in Paris in a nationally televised address. "We must, in these difficult moments, show compassion and solidarity, but we also need to show unity and cool- headedness."
The French president canceled plans to attend a Group of 20 summit in Turkey starting tomorrow, and will convene a meeting of the defence cabinet at 9 am, his office said.
'TIER-ONE TARGET'
Mr Obama told reporters in Washington that Paris has witnessed "an outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians." He said the US stands ready to provide any needed assistance to its French ally. UK Prime Minister David Cameron also volunteered his support.
France has been on high alert for terror attacks ever since a series of killings at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in early January. The country is taking part in the US-led military campaign against Islamic State in Syria.
There's a strong chance the attacks are related to France's participation in the fight against extremists in Syria and north Africa, said Thomas M. Sanderson, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He said Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are the likeliest suspects.
"Long-standing grievances as well as contemporary activity by France makes them a tier-one target," Mr Sanderson said. "They're not the primary actor from the air, we are, but they are much more reachable than the US is."
The new documentary titled The Rise of History's Biggest Empire explores the origins and current mechanics behind America's forceful dominance on the world stage. According to the views expressed in the film, the United States frequently hides behind the guise of diplomacy and democratic outreach in its quest to force its will upon foreign regions throughout the globe. The wealthiest interests are the primary beneficiaries of these actions while the less fortunate are discarded and marginalized as never before.
Throughout history, the American empire has been established and sustained through episodes of intervention - usually in the form of military might - in places like the Middle East, Latin America, and even within its own borders. The film sets forth a series of examples in support of its thesis, including incendiary actions in Guatemala in 1952, Chile in the 1970's, and the invasion of Iraq in the past decade.
In some of the instances presented in the film, the United States operates in shadow to overthrow democratically elected leaders and to replace them with figures who are more sympathetic to U.S. interests. These interests are often not in step with those of their own people.
Another area of controversy explored in the film regards the countless military bases operated by the United States all over the world. The messages received from the highest levels of governmental authority assure the people that these bases are erected and continue to operate as a means of spreading and maintaining peace throughout each region. "These bases all too often are actually increasing military tensions," claims David Vine, an anthropology professor at American University, author of Base Nation, and a key interview subject in the film. "I think it's worth considering for people in the United States how we would feel with a foreign base on our soil."
The premiere episode of an investigative series from world news organization teleSUR, The Rise of History's Biggest Empire is a compact treatment of a complex history. Nevertheless, as with all worthwhile documentary works, the film presents its provocative material in a manner that inspires valuable thought and discussion.
[MOSCOW] Russia has banned EgyptAir from flying to the country, one of Moscow's airports and the company said on Friday, with Russian flights between the two already suspended following the Sinai plane crash.
Moscow's Domodedovo airport told AFP it had received a telegram from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) banning EgyptAir flights to Russian territory from Saturday.
But Rosaviatsia declined to comment on the claim.
Egyptian Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal said authorities had received notice from Domodedovo and had cancelled a flight for Saturday, and "reserved seats on other airplanes for passengers from Cairo and those coming from Moscow".
He added that the Egyptian aviation authority was "in contact with its Russian counterpart to try to learn the reasons for such a decision, which has still not been officially announced".
But EgyptAir chairman Fathi Sharif said the company had received instructions from the Russian authorities to halt flights, calling that "unjustifiable".
He told AFP the ban, from Saturday, would continue pending a review by the Russians of an EgyptAir operational manual for which they had demanded a translation into Russian.
"We are surprised by this announcement and express our opposition," he said, demanding a "quick reconsideration of the Russian decision, which is damaging the image of our company and the interests of passengers."
He said EgyptAir had served Moscow for several years "without problems or complaints on the part of the Russians, and we do not see any justification for this announcement".
The news comes a week after Moscow halted Russian flights to and from Egypt as fears mounted that the Metrojet Airbus crash in the Sinai Peninsula may have been caused by a bomb.
The plane, operated by Russian firm Kogalymavia, came down shortly after takeoff from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 31, killing all 224 people on board in Russia's worst air disaster.
The Egyptian-led probe into the disaster is still ongoing, but Britain and the United States have said a bomb could have downed the plane after an Islamic State-linked group claimed responsiblity.
Russia says its flights are halted until adequate safety measures have been put in place at Egyptian airports. It has been flying out thousands of holidaymakers stranded in the country, although without any check-in luggage.
A senior Kremlin official has said the flight ban to Egypt could last for months, and Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot said it was not scheduling any flights to Egypt before March 27.
France declares emergency as dozens die in wave of Paris attacks
Police officers gather outside the Bataclan concert venue in Paris, France, 13 Nov 2015, where a gunman has reportedly taken people hostage.
PHOTO: EPA
[PARIS] Paris declared an emergency after a wave of deadly attacks late Friday in the French capital left dozens of people dead and dozens more reportedly held hostage at a rock concert.
President Francois Hollande, in a nationwide address, said the country has closed its borders and imposed a state of alert. French police asked people to stay indoors. Multiple shootings and bomb attacks in various parts of the capital left as many as 60 people dead, according to BFM television, though other news agencies cited a lower figure.
More than one blast occurred outside the Stade de France sports arena, where France was playing a soccer game against Germany. Mr Hollande was at the game and was evacuated to the Interior Ministry, AFP said.
There were also shootings outside the Bataclan theater in the 11th district of Paris, where a concert was underway, and there appeared to be hostages inside, BFM and other news services said. There were also shootings outside a restaurant in the 10th district, BFM said.
France has been on high alert for terror attacks ever since a series of killings at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in early January. The country is taking part in the US-led military campaign against Islamic State in Syria.
President Barack Obama told reporters in Washington that Paris has witnessed "an outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians."
He said the US stands ready to provide any needed assistance to its French ally. UK Prime Minister David Cameron also volunteered his support.
Police officers arrive at the scene of a shooting in Paris, France on Nov 13, 2015.
PHOTO: EPA
[PARIS] At least 18 people were killed in a series of gun attacks across Paris on Friday, as well as explosions outside the national stadium where France was hosting Germany.
Police said at least 15 people had been killed at the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris, only around 200 metres from the former offices of Charlie Hebdo which were attacked by jihadists in January.
Police said a hostage scenario was ongoing at the venue, which is in an area known for its busy nightlife.
Three people were killed in an explosion outside the Stade de France north of the capital, police said, during a match between Germany and France.
Spectators flooded the pitch as news of the attacks spread. Organisers started evacuating the stadium by three doors.
Another attack was reported at the Petit Cambodge restaurant, not far from the Bataclan venue.
An AFP reporter outside the Bataclan said there were armed police and some 20 police wagons with their lights flashing around the scene.
Stunned onlookers had begun to emerge from nearby bars, while many others continued to eat their meals in restaurants, apparently unaware of the carnage that had taken place only a few metres away.
President Francois Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced that a crisis cell had been set up.
"The president of the Republic, the prime minister, the interior minister are in a inter-ministerial crisis cell," the government said in a statement.
France has been on high alert since the jihadist attacks in January against Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 dead.
Several other attacks have been foiled through the year.
More than 500 French fighters are thought to be with IS in Syria and Iraq, according to official figures, while 250 have returned and some 750 expressed a desire to go there.
The government announced last week that it was restoring border checks as a security measure for UN climate talks that start in Paris at the end of this month.
Shanghai, Shenzhen exchanges raise margin financing requirement ratio
Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges will raise the base margin financing ratio to 100 per cent from the 50 per cent effective Nov 23, the two stock exchanges said on their websites on Friday.
PHOTO: AFP
[SHANGHAI] Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges will raise the base margin financing ratio to 100 per cent from the 50 per cent effective Nov 23, the two stock exchanges said on their websites on Friday.
The change will require investors to keep 100 per cent of the value of their margin loans on hand in the form of collateral.
The move will reduce the risk implicit in trading using debt, but may also impact market liquidity.
Chinese regulators have been moving steadily to reduce the riskier forms of trading after a sharp stock market crash in the summer was aggravated by the presence of heavy leverage.
