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Police officer shot in southern France, suspect may have hostages

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Police officer shot in southern France

Police officer shot in southern France

Authorities have surrounded a supermarket south of Toulouse

The Associated Press

French authorities say a police operation is taking place in a small town in southern France after a police officer was shot and wounded.

A suspect has been surrounded at a supermarket in the town of Trebes, south of Toulouse, and might have taken hostages, national police said.

The French prime minister has described the situation as “very serious.”

There are unconfirmed media reports that the assailant claimed connections to Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The Paris prosecutor’s office said counterterrorism investigators are taking over the probe into the ongoing incident, but did not provide details on why.

Interior Minister spokesperson Frederic Delanouvelle told The Associated Press that there is one suspect and police are trying to subdue him. He provided no details of how many people were inside the supermarket or were believed held hostage.

Armenian businessmen shot in Beirut

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Armenian businessmen shot in Beirut Armenian businessmen shot in BeirutArmenian businessman Haruth Kferkian was shot in his shoulder by unknown assailants in a luxurious residential district of the Lebanese capital city of Beirut.

Kferkian was transported to hospital in a stable health condition, reported Lebanese state-owned National News Agency (NNA).

A probe has been opened into the incident.

Breaking News: Russia’s ambassador shot, seriously wounded, in Turkey

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Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey was seriously wounded in a gun attack in the Turkish capital on Monday and was taken to hospital, Turkey’s NTV and other broadcasters reported.

An Associated Press photographer says a gunman fired shots Karlov at a photo exhibition in the capital city, where the ambassador was making an address.

Photographs from the scene showed a man lying on the ground with an armed man dressed in a suit standing near him.

More to come

The Voice’ star Christina Grimmie shot dead at Florida concert

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Voice' star Christina Grimmie

Voice’ star Christina Grimmie

American singer-songwriter Christina Grimmie has died after an attacker shot at her at a concert in Orlando, Florida. She was signing autographs for fans when she was gunned down.

“We can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord,” publicist Heather Walsh said in a statement on Saturday. The Orlando Police Department also confirmed the death of “The Voice” singer.

Police said the singer was performing with the band, Before You Exit, at the Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. The concert ended around 10 p.m. at night and Grimmie was signing autographs when a gunman attacked her. Immediately after the shooting, Grimmie’s brother tackled the unidentified attacker, who then shot and killed himself.

Police said his motive was still not clear. “We don’t know if he was just a crazy fan that followed her on Twitter or on social media. We really don’t know,” spokeswoman Wanda Miglio said at a news conference. “Her brother is a hero for saving and stopping him from not hurting anyone else,” she added.

The singer was rushed to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Grimmie finished third in the sixth season of NBC’s “The Voice.” The singer, originally from New Jersey, has a huge following on YouTube.

NBC expressed its regrets at her death in a tweet.

 

The band Before You Exit, which was performing with Grimmie on the fateful night, said in a statement, “She was an absolutely incredible musician and an even better friend. We are so saddened by her passing and are completely heartbroken.”

Before You Exit’s Adam Levine posted his message on Instagram. “I’m sad, shocked and confused. We love you so much Grimmie,” he wrote.

Pop star Nick Jonas also expressed his sadness through a Twitter post.

mg/rc (AP, dpa)

 

Karabakh general: Azeris shot their fleeing soldiers

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Karabakh GeneralSTEPANAKERT. – The resumption of military actions by Azerbaijan didn’t come as a surprise. Turkey had to move the combat theatre to another place, and apparently had to choose Azerbaijan for this purpose.

MP and Major General of the Karabakh National Assembly (NA) Vitaly Balasanyan said the aforementioned on Public Television of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“This didn’t come as a surprise to us, since Azerbaijan  had begun preparing for war since the moment of signing the ceasefire agreement on 12 May 1994. The signing of this agreement was a serious political mistake for us. This was followed by the information disseminated by the Azerbaijani media outlets, events in Turkey and Middle East. It should have been clear to us that Turkey would move the combat theatre to another place, and this could be only Azerbaijan, Turkey’s shelter in the Caucasus. We should have felt this earlier. We should have analyzed the developments,” Balasanyan said.

In the night of April 2, when Azerbaijan unleashed its aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, the general headed for the 4th line of defense which led furious fighting without any losses. According to the general, only two soldiers sustained minor injuries.

“Azerbaijan should understand that the issue cannot be solved through military means. The World War III has started long ago, but no superpower confesses that it has started,” Balasanyan stressed.

In his words, on the first day the main attack was directed against Aghdam, and then in the southern and northern directions. The goal of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was to breach defenses in the center and separate two parts of the Defense Army from each other, the general noted.  But they didn’t manage to do this, he added.

The Karabakh Defense Army managed to retaliate on time and open aimed fire.

According to the MP, the Azerbaijani side suffered colossal losses and failed the offensive operations, despite leading a literate battle. “Currently the Azerbaijani Army is more improved. I’m sure they were seriously prepared, and weren’t weak tactically: one shouldn’t downplay them. Our task is to mobilize in the shortest period possible and deploy in order to come into positions. The adversary supposed that we wouldn’t be able to come into our positions after the rocket and artillery bombardment. All the roads along the frontline came under fire. This wasn’t an illiterate fight from their side. Moreover, it was easy for them to attack, since they had drones and could watch the fight from above,” the general said.

But why didn’t the Azerbaijani army achieve success? Because there are few people in the Azerbaijani army who are ready to struggle for their homeland. “The lowest echelon of the Azerbaijani army is constantly oppressed. We can see what is happening at their hungry and thirsty posts. We can see this both from the air and from our posts. Not every soldier there is ready to stand till the end. I’m sure that at least 80 percent of the Azerbaijani soldiers don’t consider it as their homeland,” he said.

The general also added that they saw the Azerbaijani militaries shoot their fleeing soldiers.

Journalists shot dead live on air in Virginia

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jrnl.thumbTwo US journalists have been shot dead during a live TV report in the state of Virginia, their employer has confirmed, the BBC reports.

WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were killed during an interview in Moneta, Bedford County, the TV station said.

During the live broadcast, shots could be heard, sending the reporter and the woman she was interviewing running.

Police say they are investigating the incident and still searching for the suspect.

The station said the woman who was being interviewed had survived the attack.

“Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out. We do not know the motive or who the suspect or the killer is,” the station’s general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air.

“I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team… our hearts are broken,” he said.

The attack took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.

Ms Parker was starting an interview about tourism at the shopping centre when suddenly eight shots rang out, the camera spun and dropped to the ground, and her screams could be heard.

The footage captures what appears to be a fleeting image of the gunman, who is wearing black trousers and a blue top – and holding a handgun.

Istanbul the crime capital of the world another visitor “Swedish woman shot dead in Istanbul”

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n_82909_1A Swedish woman has been shot dead in a random shooting by a gunman who had been denied entry into a bar in Istanbul.

Maggie Bogda, a Swedish hairdresser who was visiting Istanbul with her friends, was shot dead by a gunman who randomly shot her in the head after he was not allowed to enter a bar in Istanbul on May 24. Report hurriyetdailynews

The victim was smoking outside the bar when she was fatally shot in the head by the perpetrator.

Bogda went to the bar located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul on May 24 with her friends to spend the night.

She was outside the entrance of the bar smoking with a friend when the bar’s doormen stopped two men from entering. The two men then fired random shots in the air from their car as they passed the bar and one of the bullets hit the woman in the head.

The two men sped away after the shooting.

The police have identified who fired the lethal shot after collecting eyewitness testimonies and security camera recordings of the bar and are searching for the two men.

Life Getting Worse For Women In Erdogan’s Turkey, TV talent show: Woman contestant shot in head,

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_83081666_ef97b0aa-f9df-47ea-b72e-b975aa09a71cA Turkish woman who has been taking part in a talent show on national TV has been shot in the head while rehearsing at home, Turkish media say.

Mutlu Kaya, 19, was in a critical condition after being shot in Diyarbakir province early on Monday.

Diyarbakir is a conservative region in south-east Turkey and Ms Kaya had reportedly received death threats for singing on the show, Sesi Cok Guzel.

One person has reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.

The gunman was said to have been in the garden and fired through a window into the house.

Sesi Cok Guzel is similar to shows like Britain’s Got Talent. Ms Kaya’s mentor is Sibel Can, one of Turkey’s best-known folk singers.

Ms Can had visited Ms Kaya at the school canteen where she worked in March, in order to make sure she joined her team in the competition.

However, the Posta newspaper reported on Sunday that Ms Kaya had received death threats after appearing on the show.

“I am afraid,” Kaya was quoted as telling the show’s production team.

Ms Kaya’s father, Mehmet Kaya, told local media his daughter had been rehearsing to go back on the show when she was shot at her home in the Ergani district.

“I just want my daughter to be healthy and don’t want anything else,” he said.

“I am expecting help from Sibel Can, she is like a mother to Mutlu.”

“My beautiful girl Mutlu, how could they wound you? I am very sad,” Ms Can wrote on Instagram, Agence France-Presse reported.

 

Turkey: Two assailants shot in attack on Istanbul police HQ

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n_80482_1Security forces have shot two assailants during an attack on the police headquarters in Istanbul in which two policemen were injured, Doğan News Agency reported on April 1.

The assailants opened fire on police stationed at the entrance of the building in Istanbul’s Fatih district with long-barreled weapons, the report said.

The female assailant carrying a bomb was shot dead on the spot, Istanbul Governor Vasif Şahin said in a statement.

The male assailant, who initially ran away wounded, has been detained, the agency later reported.

The police closed one of the main roads of the city, Vatan Street, to traffic immediately after the attack, which has still not been claimed by any group.

The attack came a day after two suspected members of the outlawed far-left group, the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), took a prosecutor hostage in an Istanbul courthouse, before all three were killed during a late night confrontation with the police.

The DHKP-C has recently threatened to attack police stations in Turkey.