1 dead in north-east Paris shootout, Charlie Hebdo attackers cornered

2.41 pm: 1 dead in shootout in north-east paris, Charlie Hebdo shooters cornered

In more bad news France 24 is reporting that the shootout in the north east of Paris has claimed another life.

#BREAKING : 1 dead, several injured in shootout North-East of Paris (French radio @RTLFrance ) http://t.co/OYSXRQ9xuv#CharlieHebdo

— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) January 9, 2015

Meanwhile AFP reports that Paris hostages have been cornered in the dramatic car chase and hostage drama.

#UPDATE: Car chase, hostage drama as Paris massacre suspects cornered http://t.co/G958ogOrXZ

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) January 9, 2015

2.36 pm: Shots fired as police cars, choppers chase Charlie Hebdo attackers

Shots were fired during a car chase and at least one hostage was taken to the north-east of Paris Friday, in the same area police were hunting for two brothers accused of slaughtering 12 people in an Islamist assault.

The hostage drama was underway at a business in Dammartin-en-Goele, to the north-east of Paris, and came 48 hours into a massive manhunt for the Islamist gunmen who attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear how many people were being held hostage, according to a police source close to the investigation.

The frantic search for the pair suspected of committing the worst atrocity on French soil in more than half a century came as it emerged they had been on a US terror watch list "for years".

And as fears spread in the wake of the attack, the head of Britain's domestic spy agency MI5 warned that Islamist militants were planning other "mass casualty attacks against the West" and that intelligence services may be powerless to stop them.

2:10 pm: French authorities ask people to co-operate with police

French authorities asked people to co-operate with the police operation to track down the brothers allegedly involved in the shooting of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

French police convoy, helicopters rush to scene of operation to detain shooting suspects

According to a report on channel France 24, the two suspects hijacked a woman's Peugot car and had fled.

The whole area is reportedly in lockdown with a wide security perimeter, according to the report.

The duo then reportedly took hostages in the commercial area of Dammartin-en-Goele.

According to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve

1.58 pm: Gun shots heard in car chase north-east of Paris, one hostage taken by suspects 

According to an AFP alert, shots were fired in a car chase north-east of Paris.

An AP alert says that according to French security sources, suspects in the newspaper shooting stole the car and are on the move again.

The two, brothers allegedly with al-Qaeda sympathies, stole a Peugeot on Friday morning in the town of Montagny Sainte Felicite, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Paris, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a situation that was still developing.

According to a Reuters alert, "at least one hostage was taken in northern French town of Dammartin-en-Goele." The alert adds that the police has identified that two suspects in Charlie Hebdo killing are responsible for this hostage crisis.

12. 40 pm: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks out against Charlie Hebdo attack on his FB page

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has written a statement on his wall condemning the Charlie Hebdo attack and also spoke about how freedom of speech and ideas needs to be upheld.

He wrote,

"A few years ago, an extremist in Pakistan fought to have me sentenced to death because Facebook refused to ban content about Mohammed that offended him.

We stood up for this because different voices -- even if they're sometimes offensive -- can make the world a better and more interesting place.

Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas. We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.

Yet as I reflect on yesterday's attack and my own experience with extremism, this is what we all need to reject -- a group of extremists trying to silence the voices and opinions of everyone else around the world.

I won't let that happen on Facebook. I'm committed to building a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, the people of France and the people all over the world who choose to share their views and ideas, even when that takes courage. #JeSuisCharlie."

11.10 am: Charlie Hebdo promises special survivors' issue, says won't let stupidity win

According to an AFP report, Charlie Hebdo announced on Thursday it will defy its attackers and publish a special edition with a print run of a million copies next week, as a wave of public support rose up to save it from bankruptcy.

Surviving columnist Patrick Pelloux told AFP the magazine would bring out a "survivors' issue" next Wednesday to show that "stupidity will not win" after the attack on its headquarters which left 12 dead.

The newspaper's lawyer, Richard Malka, said that the 60,000 copies Charlie Hebdo would normally print was being multiplied because of the massive attention worldwide brought by Wednesday's bloody attack.

Malka spoke after attending a meeting of the 30 remaining staff that discussed the paper's future and how to bring out the issue.

10.10 am: Charlie Hebdo vows to be back with 1 million copies

Charlie Hebdo has already announced it will be back next week with a one million-copy memorial edition in response to the global outrage over the massacre.

Meanwhile,copies of the latest issue of the satirical French weekly were drawing bids of more than 70,000 euros ($82,400) online. The 60,000 print run of issue number 1177 sold out nearly instantly following the assault on the magazine's headquarters.

By midday Wednesday, scores of the three-euro magazine bearing a cartoon likeness of controversial French author Michel Houellebecq on its cover were popping up online at astronomical prices.

Of over 80 ads offering the issue on eBay, some were available for immediate purchase at up to 50,000 euros. "Rare, latest issue Charlie Hebdo," said one advert.

8.20 am: On Twitter, #JeSuisAhmed trends to remember Muslim cop who died in Charlie Hebdo attack

A day after #JeSuisCharlie ( I am Charlie) was trending) worldwide, another Twitter hashtag is becoming a rallying point on social media for those mourning the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. This time it is #JeSuisAhmed.

The last of the 12 victims slain in the terror attack on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo was a police officer, who was shot dead on the sidewalk by one of the assailants as they started their getaway.

In a graphic video, one of the gunmen in the Paris attack can be seen shooting Merabet in the head as he lies wounded on the ground, his hands in the air.

As details about his death became known, a campaign of solidarity quickly caught fire on social media Thursday, using the hashtag, "#JeSuisAhmed" - I Am Ahmed. Read more about the campaign on Twitter here.

7.30 am: Police shift focus to small town north of Paris after suspects seen

Reuters is reporting that French anti-terrorism police converged on an area northeast of Paris on Thursday after two brothers suspected of being behind an attack on Charlie Hebdo were spotted at a petrol station in the region.

Two police sources said that the men were seen armed and wearing cagoules in a Renault Clio car at a petrol station on a secondary road in Villers-Cotterets some 70 kilometres from the French capital. Amid French media reports the men had abandoned their car, Bruno Fortier, the mayor of neighbouring Crépy-en-Valois, said helicopters were circling his town and police and anti-terrorism forces were deploying en masse.

"It's an incessant waltz of police cars and trucks," he told Reuters, adding that he could not confirm reports the men were holed up in a house in the area.

End of updates for 9 January

10.33 pm: Thought it was a joke, when I arrived it was dreadful, says Charlie Hebdo columnist

An emotional Charlie Hebdo columnist on Thursday described the horrific scene that greeted him after his colleagues were shot dead at the French satirical newspaper's office and said "I couldn't save them".

Patrick Pelloux would normally have been at the editorial meeting that was the main scene of the attack that left 12 dead.

However on Wednesday, in his other job as head of the emergency room doctors' association in France, he was attending a meeting elsewhere in Paris to improve links between the different emergency services.

"I was at this meeting when Jean Luc, the graphic artist (of Charlie Hebdo) called me to tell me: You have to come here quickly, they have shot at us with a Kalashnikov," Pelloux told AFP in a phone interview.

"I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. When I arrived it was dreadful," he said, choking with emotion.

Pelloux arrived at the offices three minutes after the attack with a high-ranking fire department official, who Pelloux said acted "heroically" as he triggered the emergency response.

"And as we were taking care of the victims, they (the attackers), were still on the streets killing people," Pelloux said.

10.05 pm: EU to submit new proposals to fight terrorism after Charlie Hebdo attack

The European Commission will submit new proposals to fight terrorism in the next few weeks following the deadly Islamist attack in France, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday.

"I know from experience that one should not react on the moment to such events given the risk of doing either too much or too little," Juncker told a press conference in the Latvian capital Riga, which has assumed the rotating EU presidency.

Juncker added that the commission, the EU executive arm, "plans to submit new anti-terror proposals in the coming weeks".

EU officials meanwhile said foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on January 19 and interior ministers will meet in Riga on 28 January to discuss counter-terrorism efforts in response to the gun attack that killed 12 people yesterday at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper offices in the French capital.

In Brussels, commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud gave no details of the talks but said that the commission will "throw its weight behind the negotiations" with a reluctant European Parliament on forging a Passenger Name Record (PNR) system.

The PNR would enable the 28 EU countries to collect and share data on all airline passengers in a bid to trace would-be militants, but it is opposed by civil libertarians who have strong support in the parliament.

EU counter-terrorism chief Gilles de Kerchove is a leading proponent of the PNR as a way to track EU citizens who travel to Syria and Iraq to wage jihad.

They are perceived as a potential threat to their hom countries as they will return battle-hardened veterans trained in the use of weapons.

8.45 pm: Terror attacks are a backlash, says Mani Shankar Aiyar on Charlie Hebdo attack

In an embarrassment to the Congress, party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has said that after what the US did in Afghanistan, there was bound to be a backlash.

In a shocking comment Aiyar said, "This is what US did in Afghanistan and Iraq. Countries like US did what they wanted. Terror attacks are a backlash."

Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha condemned the attacks saying, "The Congress party has been victims of terror attacks. India has been a victim. The party condemns the attack. That is our stand. Aiyar's comments are personal."

Meanwhile Nalin Koli of the BJP criticised the incident as saying, "It is highly condemnable. Aiyar's approach is dangerous."

8.15 pm: Tunisian jihadist may provide 'possible IS link' to Charlie Hebdo suspect

A French-Tunisian jihadist who assassinated two Tunisian politicians in 2013 provides a possible link between Charlie Hebdo suspect Cherif Kouachi and the Islamic State group based in Iraq and Syria, a researcher told AFP on Thursday.

Boubaker al-Hakim is a member of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group who last month claimed responsibility for assassinating two secular politicians, Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, in Tunisia in 2013.

He was previously part of the "Butte-Chaumont network" in Paris - alongside Kouachi - that helped send fighters to join Al Qaeda in Iraq in the mid-2000s.

Kouachi is wanted along with his brother Said for the deadly attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday that left 12 people dead.

Hakim "represents the link between the Kouachi brothers and (IS)," said researcher Jean-Pierre Filiu, a leading expert on radical Islam at Paris's Sciences Po university.

"It is impossible that an operation on the scale of the one that led to the massacre at Charlie Hebdo was not sponsored by Daesh," he claimed, using an alternative name for IS.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack, "but it is certain that (IS) is closely following it and waiting to see how it ends," said Filiu.

"I am sure that the video claiming responsibility is already prepared."

He added that Hakim is not a very senior figure in IS, but gained respect within the movement after killing Belaid and Brahmi.

Hakim claimed responsibility for the murders in a video released last month that was filmed in IS territory somewhere in Iraq or Syria.

Born in 1983, he is only around a few months younger than Kouachi and grew up in the same area of Paris -- the 19th arrondissement -- where the "Butte-Chaumont network" was established.

Both men were arrested and convicted together in Paris in 2008 for their role in the network.

Hakim was sentenced to seven years for running a way station in Damascus for young French Muslims en route to fight US forces in Iraq. Kouachi received three years.

"Hakim, and no doubt Kouachi, rejoined Al Qaeda's Iraqi networks after they were released from prison and accompanied them in their transformation into Daesh," said Filiu.

"The combat experience they acquired was useful in the cold-blooded assassinations they have carried out since."

7.28 pm: Petrol station manager says he recognised Paris attack suspects

According to AFP reports, the two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo attack had been located near a petrol station near the Villers-Cotteret commune in Aisne.

AFP quoted a the petrol station manager as saying, "recognised the two men suspected of having participated in the attack against Charlie Hebdo."

6.29 pm: Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi the two most wanted men in France

Two brothers are suddenly the most wanted men in France, suspected of the armed onslaught on a newspaper office that claimed a dozen lives and horrified this country and much of the world.

Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, became the targets of a mammoth manhunt following Wednesday's murderous attack at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris.

The younger Kouachi had been sentenced to 18 months of prison in 2008 after trying to leave to join Muslim fighters battling in Iraq.

Associated Press reporters who covered the trial, which exposed a recruiting pipeline for Islamic holy war in a rough multiethnic and working-class neighborhood of northeastern Paris, recalled a skinny young defendant who appeared very nervous in court.

Cherif Kouachi's lawyer said at the time his client had gotten in with the wrong crowd, and in over his head.

During the trial, Kouachi was said to have undergone only minimal training for combat, going jogging to shape up physically and learning how a Kalashnikov automatic rifle works by studying a sketch. The former pizza deliveryman was described as a reluctant holy warrior, relieved to have been stopped by French counterespionage officials from taking a Syria-bound flight that was ultimately supposed to lead him to the battlefields of Iraq.

But imprisonment changed his former client, attorney Vincent Ollivier told Le Parisien newspaper in a story published Thursday. Cherif Kouachi became closed off and unresponsive, and started growing a beard, Ollivier said. The time in prison, the lawyer said, may have turned him into a time bomb.

Less is known publicly about the older Kouachi, but Prime Minister Manuel Valls told French radio Thursday that both brothers were known to intelligence services and were likely being followed before the Charlie Hebdo attack.

A third suspect identified by French authorities in the assault, in which 12 people were injured, has turned himself in.

5.58 pm: Pope Francis holds Mass in memory of Charlie Hebdo victims

Pope Francis has celebrated a Mass in memory of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, decrying the "human cruelty" that people are capable of.

Francis asked for prayers for the victims at the start of Mass and said "we also ask for those who are cruel so that the Lord may change their heart."

Francis also sent a one-line tweet from his @Pontifex handle: #PrayersforParis.

The Vatican has sought to mend relations with Islam that were initially strained under Pope Benedict XVI. Francis has a long history of promoting interfaith dialogue.

During Thursday's Mass, Francis said: "The attack yesterday in Paris makes us think about so much cruelty - human cruelty. ... Let us pray, in this Mass, for the victims of this cruelty."

5.13 pm: Islamic groups in France urge imams to condemn terrorism

France's main Islamic groups urged Muslims across the country to observe a minute of silence on Thursday and for imams to condemn terrorism in the wake of the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

The groups called on "Muslim citizens of France to observe a minute of silence today at midday, along with the rest of the nation, in memory of the victims of terrorism."

The appeal -- issued by Muslim assemblies from across France -- also called on imams at Friday prayers to "condemn the violence and the terrorism with maximum firmness."

Muslim citizens were also asked to join "in massive numbers" a national day of solidarity on Sunday where demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of towns across France.

4.38 pm: France observes minute of silence for Charlie Hebdo victims

According to AFP reports, France has observed a minute of silence to honour those who lost their lives at the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

RT @achaon: Minute's silence on the Paris metro. #JeSuisCharliepic.twitter.com/FMZkXTGbUC

- Agence France-Presse (@AFP) January 8, 2015

4.16 pm: France struck in the heart, says Francois Hollande 

French President Francois Hollande says the country has been "struck in the heart" of its capital city in the attacks on a satirical newspaper that killed 12.

Hollande spoke Thursday morning during a national day of mourning.

4.05 pm: Two armed Charlie Hebdo attackers located in north France, says sources

Meanwhile sources have told AFP that two armed suspects who were involved in the deadly attack on satirical magazine have been located in north France.

3.54 pm: Charlie Hebdo will be published next week, says promises employee

Despite the attack on Charlie Hebdo that killed 10 journalists on Wednesday, former employee Caroline Fourest has remained defiant. In a radio interview she said that that next issue of the magazine will still be published.

In her interview the award-winning journalist described her colleagues at the satirical magazine as, "they were very sweet people, very funny people, very brave people."

Listen to her in an excerpt from her interview:

https://soundcloud.com/abc_rn/excerpt-caroline-fourest-defiant-1

3.25 pm: In fresh firing, policewoman succumbs to her injuries

According to France 24, the policewoman who was critically injured in the fresh attacks in Paris today morning has succumbed to her injuries.

#BREAKING : policewoman dies of injuries after shooting South of Paris http://t.co/OYSXRQ9xuv

- FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) January 8, 2015

3.18 pm: Several France mosques attacked after Charlie Hebdo killings, say officials

Meanwhile officials have said that after the carnage at satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, there have been several attacks on mosques across the country.

This comes after another fresh firing in the city of Paris where two people including a policewoman has been injured. In another incident, an explosion took place

3.11 pm: Attack on Charlie Hebdo a disservice to Islam, says Omar Abdullah

Outgoing Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the attack on the office of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo was a disservice to Islam.

"Nobody does a bigger disservice to Muslims & Islam then the those who go around murdering people in the name of my religion(sic)," Omar wrote on micro blogging website Twitter.

3.02 pm: Ex-prez Sarkozy calls for unity, new ways to enhance security in France

Former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy said that he was overwhelmed with emotions by the two deadly attacks on Paris in the last 24 hours.

Calling for new ways to enhance security, Sarkozy said, "These times call for unity among the people of France.We have a scheduled a new meeting in afternoon in the wake of this crisis."

"I am emotional because of the barbaric events we have witnessed recently," he said.

LIVE : Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace http://t.co/OYSXRQ9xuvpic.twitter.com/42aL7Bl5lr

- FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) January 8, 2015

2.50 pm: Gunman who shot cop is on the run, says French interior minister

Now the French Interior Minister has said that the gunman who shot the policewoman in the second firing in Paris is on the run.

2.28 pm: Policewoman, city employee critically injured in fresh firing

A policewoman and a city employee were critical Thursday after a man fired on them with an automatic rifle outside Paris, police said, but no link has yet been established with Wednesday's deadly magazine attack.

A suspect has since been detained, another source close to the case said. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has rushed to the scene of the incident near Porte de Chatillon south of Paris.

Meanwhile according to CNN-IBN reports French authorities have confirmed a link between the Charlie Hebdo attack and today's shooting.

2.20 pm: Explosion in Lyon restaurant near a mosque, say reports

There are also reports coming in of an explosion near a mosque in a restaurant in French city Lyon. However there are no reports of injuries yet.

1. 43 pm: Two policeman shot in fresh firing in Paris, suspect detained

A day after the attack on French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, shooting in southern Paris wounds two French officers. However, the connection with the Charlie Hebdoterror attack is not clear yet. According to French media, a suspect has been detained for questioning.

The fresh shooting was in the South of Paris. According to reports, the place where the shooting took place is a populated area.

According to reports in Telegraph, the police officer injured at Malakoff, southern Paris, is a woman. "She is in a critical condition. The site has been cordoned off, with droves of police and emergency services."

"According to iTele, two motorists were arguing after a collision, and when two police officers came over to help, one of the motorists opened fire. One suspect has been arrested, but the shooter has reportedly fled," reports Telegraph.

According to reports, the attackers fled in a metro following the incident.

France's top security official left an emergency government meeting to travel to the scene of Thursday's shooting, which comes amid high tensions. Paris police and a French security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said it was too early to draw any connection between the shootings.

12. 35 pm: French PM says 'several arrests' made overnight in hunt for suspects

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls says there were "several arrests" overnight in the hunt for two suspects in the deadly shooting at a satirical newspaper, reported Associated Press.

In an interview with RTL radio Thursday, Valls said preventing another attack "is our main concern," as he explained why authorities released photos of the two men along with a plea for witnesses to come forward.

Meanwhile, France's interior minister said that 7 held in hunt for Paris killers, reports AFP.

12:20 pm: Ready to pay Rs 51 cr reward to attackers, says BSP leader

A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader justified the attack of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, where three gunmen killed 12 people. "Whoever dare show disrespect for Prophet will invite death like the cartoonists and journalists of Paris-based satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo," Haji Yakoob Qureshi told Hindustan Times.

"Rasul ke ashiq unhe saja de dete hai (followers of Prophet punish them),” the former minister said.

The former minister said that he was ready to pay Rs 51 crore to the attackers. In 2006, he had announced a reward of Rs 51 crore for anyone who would kill the Danish cartoonist who had created a controversial cartoon of Prophet Mohammed.

10. 40 am: Hunt on brothers with possible links to al-Qaeda

One man sought in the deadly shooting at a French satirical paper has turned himself in. Mourad Hamyd, 18, surrendered at a police station in Charleville-Mezieres, a small town in France's eastern Champagne region, said Paris prosecutor's spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre. She did not offer details on Hamyd's relationship to the men, but said he turned himself in because he heard his name on the news in connection with the attack. However, he claimed he is innocent.

Police continued their hunt for two heavily armed men with possible links to al-Qaeda in the military-style, methodical killing of 12 people at the office of a satirical newspaper that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

French brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, in their early 30s, should be considered armed and dangerous, according to a police bulletin released early Thursday.

France raised its terror alert system to the maximum - Attack Alert - and bolstered security with more than 800 extra soldiers to guard media offices, places of worship, transport and other sensitive areas. Fears had been running high in France and elsewhere in Europe that jihadis trained in warfare abroad would stage attacks at home.

Meanwhile, we spotted this very powerful image on Twitter:

Try to kill one newspaper, face hundreds. Resilience. #JeSuisCharliepic.twitter.com/D1fZpuqL54

- Philippe Bertoux (@phbertoux) January 8, 2015

10. 20 am: IMF head attends vigil for victims in US The head of the IMF, Christine Legarde, has attended a vigil for the victims at the Washington Newseum in the US. Legarde said she attended the rally to show solidarity as well as sympathy for the victims. "We are all still in shock,” Lagarde said, recalling the "cartoonists who who have been a part of our daily lives for years.” 10.00 am: Hundreds hold San Francisco vigil to condemn Paris killings Hundreds of people are holding pens, tiny French flags and signs that read "I am Charlie" up in the air outside the French Consulate in San Francisco to condemn the killings of 12 people in an attack against a French satirical newspaper in Paris. A handful of participants in the Wednesday night vigil in San Francisco's financial district are lighting candles that spell out "Je Suis Charlie," while others deposit bouquets of white carnations and red roses or leave pens by the consulate's door. 

Crowd of several hundreds in near silence at French consulate in SF. #jesuischarlie#CharlieHebdohttps://t.co/q4sAAOH7dV - Kale Williams (@sfkale) January 8, 2015

8: 40 am: Gunman who surrendered now claims innocence According to The Guardian, French news broadcaster Itele is reporting the young alleged gunman who handed himself in to police earlier has claimed innocence. According to reports, the alleged gunman said that he was in school at the time of the attack. 8 Jan, 7. 20 am: Youngest suspect surrendersAccording to AFP reports, the youngest of three suspects in Paris attack has surrendered to police. The 18 year old suspect has been identified as Hamid Mourad. Meanwhile, the French police have released pictures of brothers wanted over magazine massacre. 

French Police issue wanted poster for #CharlieHebdosuspects, Kouachi brothers: "on the loose, armed & dangerous" pic.twitter.com/TrnPk9h6Mm- Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) January 8, 2015

Paris police said arrest warrants had been issued for Cherif Kouachi, 32 and his 34-year-old brother Said who were "likely armed and dangerous".

End of updates for 7 January

10.59 pm: #JeSuisCharlie, #IAmCharlie trending on Twitter

People on Twitter extended support to the people of Paris as #JeSuisCharlie and #IAmCharlie began trending on Twitter.

Nearly five hours after the incident, #JeSuisCharlie had been tweeted over 250,000 times, according to one social analytics website, said this Daily Mail report.

Lights off in Paris #jesuischarlie #iamcharliepic.twitter.com/QkzD9LNv2f

- Le Food Tour Paris (@LeFoodTour) January 7, 2015

That's the trouble with storytellers. There isn't anything you can do to us that can't be made art. #JeSuisCharliepic.twitter.com/MRrhJL7QiE

- charliecapen (@charliecapen) January 8, 2015

10.46 pm: UN chief condemns 'horrendous' and 'unjustifiable' attack

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the Paris attack, saying the international community must stand strong for freedom of expression and tolerance.

"I want to express my outrage at the despicable attack today against the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. It was a horrendous, unjustifiable and cold-blooded crime. It was also a direct assault on a cornerstone of democracy – on the media and freedom of expression," said the UN chief.

Expressing solidarity with the families of the victims and the French government, Ban said the horrific attack is "meant to divide" and "we must not fall into that trap."

Apart from the UN chief, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also condemned the attack. "This attack is an attack against the media and against freedom of expression." - PTI

10.24 pm: I stand with Charlie Hebdo, says writer Salman Rushdie

British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie paid tribute on Wednesday to the work of satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo following a deadly attack on its offices Wednesday, saying religion must be subject to satire.

"I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity," said Rushdie, who was the subject of a fatwa, or religious edict, calling for his assassination in the 1980s.

10.21 pm: After deadly attack, Kiran Bedi questions Charlie Hebdo's cartoons

Former top cop and activist Kiran Bedi in a shocking tweet questioned French magazine Charlie Hebdo's sarcastic cartoons saying, "France Terror-Shoot-Out sends a message: why deliberately provoke or poke?"

However she later tried to damage control by condemning the perpetrators of the attack.

France Terror-Shoot-Out sends a message: why deliberately provoke or poke? Be respectful and civil. Don't hurt people's sensitivities!

- Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 7, 2015

Neither is uncivil behaviour justified, nor is violence for revenge! For a peaceful society both have to change! For the sake of Humanity..

- Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 7, 2015

9.34 pm: American Embassy in Paris changes Twitter handle to 'Je suis Charlie'

The United States Embassy has changed its official Twitter handle to 'Je suis Charlie' which means 'I am Charlie' after the deadly attack on the magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

American Embassy in Paris changed official Twitter pic to "Je suis Charlie » french weekly pic.twitter.com/vTGpIcYxYw

- Gilles Klein (@GillesKLEIN) January 7, 2015

9.22 pm: Car in which gunmen escaped found in north-eastern part of city

Even as world leaders condemned the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the car in which the gunmen escaped was found in north-eastern Paris.

8.35 pm: Danish paper that published prophet cartoon steps up security

The Danish newspaper that caused a global stir with a series of controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed stepped up security on Wednesday after a deadly attack on a French satirical weekly, a report said.

Jyllands-Posten informed its staff by e-mail about the unspecified security measures after the armed attack on the Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which at least 12 were killed, the Danish paper Berlingske said on its website.

8.23 pm: Turkey condemns attack on Charlie Hebdo, calls for fight against Islamophobia

Turkey on Wednesday said it condemned all forms of "terror" after the shooting at a French satirical weekly that left 12 dead but added Europe should also fight against growing "Islamophobia".

"We, as Turkey, condemn with hatred any kind of terror. We are against any form of terror regardless of where it comes from and what its motives are," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.

7.47 pm: Obama, Arab League condemn attack on Charlie Hebodo that killed 12

President Barack Obama has condemned the deadly attack on the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Even the Arab League has condemned the attack, a report said.

Meanwhile, a tweet by the News On The Min said that a car explosion was reported in the city of Sarcelles outside a synagogue, hours after the Paris shooting. More details are awaited.

BREAKING: FRANCE - REPORTS OF AN EXPLOSION IN THE CITY OF SARCELLES OUTSIDE A SYNAGOGUE - A CAR EXPLODED pic.twitter.com/LC2TGmZoX1

- Breaking News (@NewsOnTheMin) January 7, 2015

7.10 pm: They said they were Al Qaida, says cartoonist who let men in at gunpoint

A cartoonist at Charlie Hebdo, Corine Rey, has said that she was the one who let the gunmen into the office because she was held at gunpoint.

France 24 quotes Rey as saying, "They shot Wolinski, Cabu… it lasted about five minutes… I took cover under a desk... they spoke perfect French... they said they were Al Qaida."

7.01 pm: 12 killed in Charlie Hebdo magazine that published Prophet cartoon

Heavily armed gunmen shouting Islamist slogans stormed a Paris satirical newspaper office Wednesday and shot dead at least 12 people in the deadliest attack in France in four decades.

Police launched a massive manhunt for the masked attackers who reportedly hijacked a car and sped off, running over a pedestrian and shooting at officers.

Police said witnesses heard the attackers, who were armed with a Kalashnikov and rocket launcher, shout "we have avenged the prophet" and "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest).

6.58 pm: Vladimir Putin condemns attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine office

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent his condolences to the victims of the Paris newspaper attack and condemned "terrorism" in all its forms, his spokesman said Wednesday.

"Moscow resolutely condemns terrorism in all its forms," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS news agency. "President Putin due to the tragic event in Paris... expresses his deep condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead and also to the people of Paris and all the French."

6.38 pm: NATO condemns deadly attack on Paris magazine office 

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attack at the office of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris today. This was a barbaric act and an outrageous attack on press freedom. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand in full solidarity with our Ally France. All NATO Allies stand together in the fight against terrorism. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations can never be tolerated or justified," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement.

6.35 pm: Markel vouches for freedom of the press

Condemning the carnage, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the shooting in Paris is not only attack on French citizens, but on freedoms of the press and free speech.

6.30 pm: Charlie Hebdo cartoonist "Charb" among dead

France24 referring to French media reports said that cartoonist "Charb", whose real name is Stephane Charbonnier is among the dead. Charbonnier was chief editor of Charlie Hebdo.

6.28 pm: EU expresses shock

"I am profoundly shocked by this brutal and inhuman attack," European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker reportedly told BBC.

6.20 pm: Canadian PM joins other nations in condemning attack

Many heads of nations have taken to Twitter to express their condemnation on the horrific attack on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris. "I'm horrified by the barbaric attacks in France. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tweeted.

6.16 pm: British PM condemns attack

British Prime Minister David Cameron has tweeted out condemning the attack at the magazine office in Paris.

"The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press," the tweet said.

6.15 pm: Attackers swore in the name of The Prophet

Reports are coming in citing witness accounts that the terrorists shouted: "The Prophet was avenged" while carrying out the killings. So far, the death of nine journalists and two policemen has been confirmed.

https://twitter.com/haaretzcom/status/552801558874714112

6 pm: The last tweet by Charlie Hebdo before the bloodbath

https://twitter.com/Charlie_Hebdo_/status/552773881283764224

5.45 pm: PM condemns Charlie Hebdo massacre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted condemning the killing at Charlie Hebdo. "Condemnable & despicable attack in Paris. Our solidarity with people of France. My thoughts are with families of those who lost their lives," the PM tweeted.

5.35 pm: French president Francois Hollande calls for emergency meeting

Terming the deadly attack at the office of Charlie Hebdo in Central Paris as a 'terror attack', French President Francois Hollande has called an emergency meeting of the cabinet at 2 pm (Paris time) to discuss the situation.

According to TV reports, France has been put on its highest level of security after masked gunmen indiscriminately fired and killed 11 people at the office of the satirical magazine. The gunmen are still at large and French police are hunting for the perpetrators.

According to a report in the Al-Jazeera, the gunmen wielded AK-47, Kalashnikovs and even a few rocket launchers. The streets of Paris were swarming with Army troopers and military men after the carnage happened.

The Guardian, reported that the president said that 40 people were saved but cautioned that the number of deaths may rise.

The news channel quoted a witness as saying he saw the incident from a building nearby in the heart of the French capital.

"About a half an hour ago two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs (guns)," Benoit Bringer told the station. "A few minutes later we heard lots of shots," he said, adding that the men were then seen fleeing the building. A police official, Luc Poignant, said he was aware of one journalist dead and several injured, including three police officers.

"It's carnage," Poignant told BFM TV.

A firebomb attack gutted the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in November 2011 after it put an image of the Prophet Mohammad on its cover, according to a report in Reuters.

5.30 pm: Shot from the terrace

5 pm: Bloodbath in French magazine office

At least 11 people were killed in a shooting at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper firebombed in the past after publishing cartoons joking about Muslim leaders, French TV channel iTELE reported.

France Info radio also said police had confirmed a toll of 10 dead and five injured. Reuters had no immediate official confirmation of deaths.

Reuters quoting the news channel quoted a witness as saying he saw the incident from a building nearby in the heart of the French capital.

"About a half an hour ago two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs (guns)," Benoit Bringer told the station. "A few minutes later we heard lots of shots," he said, adding that the men were then seen fleeing the building.

A police official, Luc Poignant, said he was aware of one journalist dead and several injured, including three police officers.

"It's carnage," Poignant told BFM TV.

A firebomb attack gutted the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in November 2011 after it put an image of the Prophet Mohammad on its cover.

Reuters