Paris attack victims' testify to 'atrocious lack of preparation'

"We have a thousand questions and we expect answers," said Georges Salines, head of one of several victims' associations represented yesterday at the first of a series of hearings to be held over coming weeks.

Salines, a doctor, said he learned of his daughter's death at the Bataclan concert hall the day after the massacre there of 90 people at the hands of jihadist gunmen.

Recounting how he had heard of the death only indirectly through Twitter, he denounced an "atrocious lack of preparation" in terms of information-sharing on the bloody night itself and over the following days.

The commission of enquiry was set up at the request of the conservative opposition Republican party to look into the Socialist government's efforts to counter the terror threat since the previous set of attacks to rock France -- the assault in January 2015 that began with the killings at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly and ended with 17 dead over three days.

The total number of victims from the November attacks, including those left with emotional scars, is estimated at 4,000, according to the commission.

"We are not prosecutors or judges but rather investigators (seeking) transparency... Truth... And solutions," said commission president Georges Fenech.

Many told how they had learned of the death of a loved one only three days later, while others complained of saturated phone lines and employees' "shameful" behaviour at the main Paris morgue, which was overwhelmed.

Sophie Dias recalled that she was told when she came to identify her father at the morgue: "Don't worry, if you don't see the head you'll see a foot."
 Still others questioned French intelligence services.

"How could a terrorist who was barred from France and Europe manage to direct an attack of such magnitude?" asked Mohamed Zenak, the treasurer of another victims' association. He was referring to the suspected ringleader of the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was killed in a police raid on November 18.

The Belgian of Moroccan descent had been presumed to be in Syria when he was convicted and sentenced in absentia in July 2015 to 20 years in jail for helping to recruit foreign fighters for Syria. Zenak, whose daughter was injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a bar in eastern Paris, pointed to security failures.

World has slipped into new Cold War: Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev

With tensions high over the Ukraine conflict and Russia`s backing of the Syrian regime, Medvedev said: "All that`s left is an unfriendly policy of NATO against Russia".

"We can say it even more clearly: We have slid into a new period of Cold War," he said, speaking at the Munich Security Conference.

"Almost every day we are accused of making new horrible threats either against NATO as a whole, against Europe or against the US or other countries."

Medvedev criticised the expansion of NATO and EU influence deep into formerly Soviet-ruled eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

"European politicians thought that creating a so-called belt of friends at Europe`s side, on the outskirts of the EU, could be a guarantee of security, and what`s the result?" he said.

"Not a belt of friends but a belt of exclusion."

He added that "creating trust is hard ... but we have to start. Our positions differ, but they do not differ as much as 40 years ago when a wall was standing in Europe."

El Clasico arrives in Spain amidst security concerns

Real Madrid and Barcelona will play at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday in the first clasico of the season. ?

The biggest game of the year has arrived in Spain, filled with doubts over the presence of one of its biggest stars and surrounded by security concerns prompted by the attacks in Paris.

Real Madrid and Barcelona will play at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday in the first clasico of the season.

Authorities are promising unprecedented security measures because of what happened in France last week, but it remains unclear whether Barcelona's Lionel Messi will be fit to play following a long injury layoff.

Messi returned to practice this week, nearly two months after tearing a ligament in his left knee, but the club is yet to say whether he will be available.

"Messi can change the game and he's done incredible things in previous clasicos," Barcelona striker Luis Suarez said. "But it depends on the doctors and what they think is best for him. He has looked good while training with us over the last few days but it's an injury that could take a sudden turn for the worse."

Messi is the all-time leading scorer in the clasico with 21. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 15 goals, is guaranteed to start for Madrid.

Here are other things to watch for:

Increased Security

Spanish authorities have declared the game a high-risk event and announced they will double the police presence at the Bernabeu.

Nearly 1,500 private security agents will be working during the game, and at least 1,000 national police officers.

Security zones will be implemented outside the stadium, keeping those without tickets or credentials away from the 81,000-capacity venue.

Fighting for lead

Barcelona has a three-point lead over Real Madrid going into the match, but a loss will drop the Catalan club to second in the standings on goal difference. Madrid had been in front until its first loss of the season at Sevilla two weeks ago.

"I don't think we'll have won the league if we go six points ahead of them," Suarez said. "It's still too early to say who is going to win it. The league is going to be a long one, and Atletico (Madrid) will be up there, too, so this game won't decide anything."

Third-place Atletico, which plays at Real Betis on Sunday, is one point behind Madrid, and four behind Barcelona.

Attacking power

Suarez and Neymar have been carrying the load for Barcelona in Messi's absence. The South American duo have 20 of the team's 23 goals since Messi was injured. Neymar scored five in the last three Barcelona games, while Suarez found the net three times.

Ronaldo has scored in each of the last three clasicos, and scored at least one in a clasico in the last five seasons.

Karim Benzema has also done well against Barcelona in recent years, especially when at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he's scored in the last four clasicos.

Real Madrid arrives with the league's best attack with 26 goals, one more than Barcelona.

Injury woes

Madrid should have back goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who has missed action since the beginning of the month because of a muscle injury.

Sergio Ramos, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, also should be fit. The defender has yet to miss a clasico, having started in all 20 of them in his career with Madrid.

Benzema was not 100 percent guaranteed to play after coming off a long layoff because of an injury and a sex tape controversy that led him to be briefly detained in France.

It remained unclear whether Barcelona would be able to count on midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who has been recovering from a muscle injury.

Worldwide attention

The Spanish league said the clasico will be broadcast on large screens in Dubai, Shanghai, Miami, and a Spanish military base in Lebanon. The league organized the events abroad as part of its push to expand the brand internationally.

Syria football coach questions silence for Paris attacks

Syria's football coach Fajr Ibrahim (left), who had worn a T-shirt picturing President Bashar al-Assad at the pre-match press conference, courted controversy when he questioned the moment's silence for victims of the Paris attacks. 

 Syria's football coach courted controversy on Tuesday when he questioned the moment's silence for victims of the Paris attacks held before his team's 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Singapore.

Coach Fajr Ibrahim, who had worn a T-shirt picturing President Bashar al-Assad at the pre-match press conference, said similar commemorations were not held for those killed in ongoing violence in Syria.

"We stand now 30 seconds for French, but all Syrian people killed, no one stand one second, you have to know this," Ibrahim told reporters in broken English after the game at Singapore's National Stadium.

"We fight all terrorists. We fight all terrorist groups, Syria fight all terrorist groups... we kill all terrorists around the world," he added.

The two teams stood silently for 34 seconds, in a scene repeated at qualifiers around the region after the attacks at a concert hall, cafes and Paris's Stade de France football stadium killed 129.

The direction for a "moment of silence" had come from the Asian Football Confederation, whose president, FIFA hopeful Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, called the attacks "heinous acts".

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone across the world who condemns and has been outraged by these attacks," the Bahraini said in a statement.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attacks in Paris were organised from Syria, where French warplanes are pounding Islamic State militants.

Syria beat 10-man Singapore thanks to a double from Omar Kharbin, who scored the winner with virtually the last kick of the game -- a result which cemented second spot in Group E, and left Ibrahim jubilant.

"This game, this win, is meant for my Syrian people to make our people in my country, Syria, happy, that's very important. Also this is for our president Bashar al-Assad," he said.

The win comes a day after Ibrahim and midfielder Osama Omari addressed the pre-match media conference wearing white T-shirts with a large photo of the embattled Assad, calling him "the best man in the world".

"This is our president Bashar al-Assad, whom we are so proud of because this man fights against terrorists of the world, and he fights for you also," said Ibrahim, according to local media.