Police: At least 35 dead in Paris attacks; hostages taken

At least 35 people have been killed in shootings and explosions around Paris, many of them in a popular concert hall where patrons were taken hostage, police and medical officials said.
A police official said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement, and others said at least twice that number died elsewhere, primarily in the Bataclan concert hall, where the hostages were taken. It was unclear how many people were in the hall; one official said there were around 100 while another said there were far fewer.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to be publicly named in the quickly moving investigation.

Also late yesterday, two explosions were heard outside the Stade de France stadium north of Paris during a France-Germany friendly football match.
A police official confirmed one explosion in a bar near the stadium. It was not known if there were casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in the stadium last night heard two explosions loud enough to penetrate the sounds of cheering fans. Sirens were immediately heard, and a helicopter was circling overhead.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to be publicly named.
The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks, out of fear of violent protests and potential terrorist attacks.

Emilioi Macchio, from Ravenna, Italy, was at the Carillon bar near the restaurant that was targeted, having a beer on the sidewalk, when the shooting started. He said he didn't see any gunmen or victims, but hid behind a corner, then ran away. "It sounded like fireworks," he said.
France has been on edge since deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in January on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery that left 20 dead, including the three attackers.
The restaurant targeted yesterday, Le Carillon, is in the same general neighborhood as the Charlie Hebdo offices, as is the Bataclan, among the best-known venues in eastern Paris, near the trendy Oberkampf area known for a vibrant nightlife.

The country remains on edge after January attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery. The Charlie Hebdo attackers claimed links to extremists in Yemen, while the kosher market attacker claimed ties to the Islamic State group.
The country has seen several smaller-scale attacks or attempts since, including an incident on a high-speed train in August in which American travelers thwarted an attempted attack by a heavily armed man.