Bastille Day Attack: Leaders Divided Over Blame

France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls has clashed with the country's Interior Minister over the wider blame for the terrorist attack in Nice.

At least 84 people were killed, including 10 children, when Mohamed Bouhlel drove a 19-tonne truck along the city's famous Promenade Des Anglais on Thursday night.

Of the 202 people injured, 52 are in a critical condition and 25 of those are on life support.

No group has yet claimed responsibility but Mr Valls told France 2 television's evening news: "(Bouhlel) is a terrorist probably linked to radical Islam one way or another.

"Yes, it is a terrorist act and we shall see what the links there are with terrorist organisations".

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, however, was more guarded, saying that Bouhlel's motives were not yet known.

He was asked on TF1 television if he was in a position to draw a link between radical Islam and the attack but his answer was "no".

He added: "We have an individual who was not known to intelligence services for activities linked to radical Islam." 

France's chief prosecutor Francois Molins said earlier on Friday that Bouhlel, a Tunisian living in France, had a record for petty crime and had been sentenced to six months in jail in March for a road rage incident a few months before.

But, as the conviction was his first, the sentence was suspended.

The delivery driver and father of three "was totally unknown by the intelligence services and he had never been subject to any sign of radicalisation", Mr Molins said.

Bouhlel had driven more than a mile in the rented truck, zig-zagging across the road to mow down as many people as possible, witnesses said.

At 10.30pm, the road along the city's waterfront was particularly busy with revellers who had been watching a Bastille Day fireworks display only a few minutes earlier.

Many terrified people fled into the sea to escape the attack, with witnesses telling how people were "flying like bowling pins" as Bouhlel went on the rampage. 

The attacker then emerged from the vehicle and was confronted by onlookers, some of whom still thought it was an accident.

One, Egyptian Nader El Shafei, told BBC Radio 4: "The guy was very nervous and I tried to talk to him.

"I was just in front of the window of the truck and trying to wave to him to stop and tell him there is a lot of people under his truck.

"So in that time all of us thought it was just an accident and he had lost control. Suddenly I saw him taking out his gun."

Mr Molins told reporters on Friday afternoon that Bouhlel had shot three police officers before he was killed and his body fell onto the passenger seat.

Mobile phone footage shows police surrounding the lorry, firing their weapons at the driver. A pistol and several fake weapons were later found inside, authorities said.

Bouhlel's ex-wife was also arrested during police raids carried out at two addresses on Friday.

French President Francois Hollande described the attack as a "monstrous terrorist act", declaring three days of national mourning.

Various other world leaders also condemned the attacks, as did representatives of many Muslim groups.

Islamic State claims responsibility for France attack in Nice

NICE, France — The Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 84 in this coastal French city, the organization’s news agency said Saturday, as French prosecutors took four more people into custody in connection with the attack.

It remained unclear whether the Islamic State had directed the attack or whether they were simply taking responsibility for an attack that they may have inspired. The Islamic-State-connected Amaq news agency cited an “insider source” saying that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, “was a soldier of the Islamic State.”

“He executed the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations that fight the Islamic State,” the news agency wrote.

But the oblique claim of responsibility left open the question of whether Bouhlel had acted alone or had any prior communication with the group, which has also claimed ties to the attacks that struck Paris twice last year and Brussels in March. French authorities have been scrambling to determine whether Bouhlel acted alone or had a support network in Nice, where he appears to have been living for at least six years.

Investigators on Saturday detained four additional people in connection with the attack, including one person who is believed to have spoken to Bouhlel by phone minutes before he started his deadly journey down Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, local media reported. A day earlier, Paris Prosecutor François Molins said that police had detained Bouhlel’s ex-wife and were questioning her.

The scale of the carnage wrought by a Bouhlel came into grim focus Friday, with 10 children among the dead and 202 people injured. Among the wounded, 50 were “between life and death,” according to French President François Hollande.

The attack with a 19-ton rented Renault truck — the third mass- casualty assault to hit to France in 18 months — shocked the nation and sparked questions about whether authorities had done enough to safeguard a country that is an obvious target of terrorist groups. Many witnesses said Friday that the packed corniche had been only lightly guarded by police during fireworks on the gently warm night. Bouhlel, a truck driver, was easily able to drive around police fences blocking Nice’s famous Promenade des Anglais before jamming on the accelerator and zigzagging his way through the crowds in a method that seemed calculated to generate maximum bloodshed.

The identities of the victims testified to France’s diverse society and to the international appeal of the tony French Riviera. A vacationing father and his 11-year-old son from Lakeway, Tex. A headscarf-wearing Muslim woman who came to celebrate Bastille Day with her nieces and nephews. A French high school teacher, his wife, daughter and grandson. Others from Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Australia.

There were so many victims early Friday that survivors grabbed tablecloths from seaside cafes to cover the bodies strewn across the asphalt. The dead were marked by rectangular orange and white traffic-control barriers that stood like rows of tombstones.

Flights To Turkey Cancelled After Coup

Flights to and from Turkey have been cancelled and Britons in the country have been advised to "stay indoors".

The move follows an attempted coup which saw gunfire and explosions in Ankara and Istanbul and reports of shooting near the tourist resort of Marmaris.

Almost 200 people including soldiers, police and civilians have been killed in the violence.

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Turkey.

However, Turkish Airlines said its operations at Istanbul Ataturk Airport are back to normal and flights there are resuming.

A British Airways spokeswoman said: "In light of the events unfolding in Turkey,all flights have been cancelled today.

"We are keeping flights to Turkey under review. The safety and security of our customers and colleagues remains our top priority at all times.

"For the latest flight details please refer to ba.com."

Customers affected by the cancellations are being offered the choice of rebooking or a refund.

Despite the unrest an easyJet spokeswoman said the airline did not expect any changes to its schedule as it does not fly to Istanbul and Ankara.

EasyJet flies from the UK to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Ismir in Turkey and has 24 flights to and from Turkey scheduled on July 16," she said.

"Current advice from the British authorities is to continue our flying programme. This will be kept under continuous review."

Advice on the Foreign Office website said: "The situation now appears quieter in Istanbul, and the bridges across the Bosphorus are reopening. But there are reports of tank fire and small arms fire in Ankara.

"Some flights to airports in Turkey are being diverted or cancelled. The road between Marmaris and Icmeler remains closed, following earlier reports of gunfire between the resorts of Marmaris and Icmeler.

"We strongly advise you to stay indoors, avoid public places, in particular demonstrations, and remain vigilant."

People due to travel to or from Turkey over the next few days are advised to closely monitor travel advice and check with airlines or tour operators before setting out.

Thomas Cook echoed the Foreign Office as it urged customers to "stay in their hotels until further notice".

"We note the reports coming out of Turkey regarding a military coup. There is no indication that guests in the coastal resorts are affected," a spokeswoman said.

Turkey Coup: 'The President Is In Charge'

Turkey's president has told a crowd of supporters he is still in charge after an attempted coup by soldiers who "pointed the people's guns against the people". 

The country's acting chief of staff, General Umit Dundar, announced that 194 people had died in the clashes

He said 41 police officers, two soldiers, 47 civilians and 104 people described as "coup plotters" had lost their lives.

The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that 1,154 people had been injured in the coup attempt.     

In addition, 1,563 military personnel were arrested after a group calling itself the Council for Peace in the Homeland declared martial law and a curfew. 

Speaking outside Istanbul Ataturk Airport, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "The president, whom 52% of the people brought to power, is in charge. This government brought to power by the people, is in charge. 

"They won't succeed as long as we stand against them by risking everything."

Mr Erdogan has also condemned the uprising as an act of "treason".

"This is a betrayal ... and they are going to pay for this," he said. 

At one stage, Mr Erdogan conducted an extraordinary television interview, in which he addressed the nation from a mobile phone held up by the presenter.  

General Dundar said the coup had been prevented by swift measures taken by police and prosecutors. 

He said those taking part were from the air force, the gendarmerie, and what he called "armoured elements", adding that the government was determined to wipe out members of a "parallel structure" from within the military.

He said that anyone who betrayed Turkey would not go unpunished. 

The Anadolu agency said almost 200 soldiers had surrendered at the military HQ. 

Special troops have been sent in to secure the complex. 

Turkey's chief of police, Celalettin Lekesiz, said 16 plotters were killed during clashes at the military police command.  

Aerial attacks, explosions and gunfire ripped through Istanbul and the capital Ankara through the night. 

Multiple blasts reportedly struck the parliament building in Ankara over the course of several hours, with lawmakers forced to retreat into shelters. 

A military jet also dropped a bomb near the presidential palace in Ankara, according to a Turkish TV station, quoted by news agency AFP.

:: LIVE: Gunfire And Blasts In Turkey Coup Attempt

A military helicopter, apparently firing at the offices of the state satellite operator Turksat, was reportedly shot down. 

At least three people were wounded when Turkey's intelligence agency headquarters were attacked by military helicopters and heavy machine gun fire, according to an intelligence source speaking to the Reuters news agency.

The source added that the agency's head, Hakan Fidan, was at a secure location and in constant contact with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. 

A live television broadcast showed dozens of pro-coup soldiers who had seized Istanbul's Bosporus bridge abandoning their tanks with their hands in the air. 

An email statement from the pro-coup faction insisted, however, that they were still "determinedly" fighting. 

The uprising began late on Friday with reports of the sound of gunfire and military fighter jets screeching through the skies of Istanbul and Ankara.

Soldiers then stormed Turkey's state broadcaster TRT, forcing a presenter to read a statement live on air announcing that the military had "fully seized control" of the country.

:: Attempted Military Coup: The Key Moments

Among the first reported casualties were seventeen police officers killed in a helicopter attack on the police headquarters in the capital, according to the Anadolu news agency.   

There were unconfirmed reports of explosions at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, forcing the cancellation or diversion of all commercial flights.

Soldiers loyal to the government have since regained control of the airport, according to one Turkish official.

Turkish Airlines later announced that its operations at the airport were returning to normal and flights were resuming.  

Blasts were also heard at Istanbul's famous Taksim Square, where large crowds gathered after news of the attempted coup broke

Meanwhile, Turkish television stations TRT and CNN Turk have both resumed broadcasting after being stormed by the military and briefly taken off the air.

It is unclear who has been leading the uprising. However, Mr Erdogan insisted some in the military have been taking orders from Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish cleric who the president has repeatedly accused of fomenting unrest. 

He said the attempted uprising was the work of a "parallel state" and "Pensylvania" - a reference to the state where the cleric is based.

Gulen's movement has denied involvement, saying in a statement that it was committed to democracy and was opposed to any military intervention

According to Turkish media, the military said it had taken action to: "reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated".

The military statement said "all international agreements and commitments will remain. We pledge that good relations with all world countries will continue".

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, says he has spoken to his Turkish counterpart and underlined the UK's support for Turkey's democratically elected government. 

The United States has issued a call for all parties in Turkey to support Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government against the coup attempt. 

Qandeel Baloch: Pakistan social media celebrity 'killed by brother'

Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch has been killed by her brother in an apparent 'honour killing' in the province of Punjab, police say.

Ms Baloch, 26, recently caused controversy by posting controversial pictures of herself on social media, including one with her alongside a Muslim cleric.

Police say she was strangled to death.

Cases of women being killed for 'dishonouring' their family are commonplace in Pakistan. 

Qandeel Baloch became a household name for posting bold, sometimes raunchy, photographs, video and comments.

Conservatives condemned her behaviour when she recently made headlines after posting pictures of herself with a prominent cleric, Mufti Qavi.

Police say the killing took place on Friday night.

"The brother was also there last night and the family told us that he strangled her to death," police official Azhar Akram told the AFP news agency.

Police said the brother had not been arrested and was on the run.

Hundreds of women are murdered every year in Pakistan in so-called honour killing cases. 

Ms Baloch rose to fame in Pakistan in 2014 when a video of her pouting at the camera and asking "How em looking?" went viral.

While many younger people hailed her liberal views she was also subjected to frequent misogynist abuse online.

Coup Crumbles Leaving '194 Dead'

Acting Chief of Staff Dundar has claimed that 104 coup plotters have been killed in the attempt and that a total of 1,154 people have been wounded.

The worsening political situation and terrorist threats in Turkey will have the affect of weakening international and regional stability, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. We have also received reports that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has spoken with his Turkish counterpart and expressed support for the government.

More than 1,500 soldiers have been detained, according to a Turkish military official. The newly appointed Gen. Umit Dundar says those who took part in what he has described as the "betrayal" will not go unpunished, adding that those who "sided with democracy and the rule of law" thwarted the attempt.

Russia has reiterated its readiness for constructive, joint work with the legitimate leadership of Turkey, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Turkey Coup: Dozens Killed In Act Of 'Treason'

More than 100 people have been killed and 1,563 members of the armed forces arrested after an attempted military coup in Turkey. 

Turkey's state news agency said almost 200 soldiers had surrendered at the military HQ. 

Special troops have been sent in to secure the complex. 

Turkey's chief of police, Celalettin Lekesiz, said 16 plotters were killed during clashes at the military police command.  

The Anadolu news agency also reported that 1,154 people had been injured in the coup attempt.     

Aerial attacks, explosions and gunfire ripped through Istanbul and the capital Ankara through the night. 

Multiple blasts reportedly struck the parliament building in Ankara over the course of several hours, with lawmakers forced to retreat into shelters. 

A military jet also dropped a bomb near the presidential palace in Ankara, according to a Turkish TV station, quoted by news agency AFP.

:: LIVE: Gunfire And Blasts In Turkey Coup Attempt

A military helicopter, apparently firing at the offices of the state satellite operator Turksat, was reportedly shot down. 

At least three people were wounded when Turkey's intelligence agency headquarters were attacked by military helicopters and heavy machine gun fire, according to an intelligence source speaking to the Reuters news agency.

The source added that the agency's head, Hakan Fidan, was at a secure location and in constant contact with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. 

A live television broadcast showed dozens of pro-coup soldiers who had seized Istanbul's Bosporus bridge abandoning their tanks with their hands in the air. 

An email statement from the pro-coup faction insisted, however, that they were still "determinedly" fighting.

Earlier, Mr Erdogan, whose whereabouts were unknown for the first few hours of the coup, touched down in Istanbul to hundreds of cheering supporters. 

In an address to the nation, he said he remained "at the helm", condemning the uprising as an act of "treason".

"This is a betrayal ... and they are going to pay for this," he said.

The president claimed his hotel on Turkey's Aegean coast was bombed after he left and that his general secretary, Hulusi Akar, was abducted by the coup makers. Mr Akar has since reportedly been rescued.

At one stage, Mr Erdogan conducted an extraordinary television interview, in which he addressed the nation from a mobile phone held up by the presenter. 

The uprising began late on Friday with reports of the sound of gunfire and military fighter jets screeching through the skies of Istanbul and Ankara.

Soldiers then stormed Turkey's state broadcaster TRT, forcing a presenter to read a statement live on air announcing that the military had "fully seized control" of the country.

:: Attempted Military Coup: The Key Moments

The statement said Turkey, a NATO member, was being run by a "peace council". It declared that martial law and a nationwide curfew were in place.

Nothing was initially heard from the Turkish president until an extraordinary television interview, in which he addressed the nation from a mobile phone held up by the presenter.

Among the first reported casualties were seventeen police officers killed in a helicopter attack on the police headquarters in the capital, according to Turkish news agency, Anadolu. 

There were unconfirmed reports of explosions at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, forcing the cancellation or diversion of all commercial flights. Soldiers loyal to the government have since regained control of the airport, according to one Turkish official.

Blasts were also heard at Istanbul's famous Taksim Square, where large crowds gathered after news of the attempted coup broke

The well-being of a number of hostages, including a top general, who were reportedly taken at the military headquarters in Ankara remains unknown.

Meanwhile, Turkish television stations TRT and CNN Turk have both resumed broadcasting after being stormed by the military and briefly taken off the air.

It is unclear who is leading the movement. However, Mr Erdogan insisted some in the military have been taking orders from Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish cleric who the president has repeatedly accused of fomenting unrest.

He said the attempted uprising was the work of a "parallel state" and "Pensylvania" - a reference to the state where the cleric is based.

Gulen's movement has denied involvement, saying in a statement that it was committed to democracy and was opposed to any military intervention

According to Turkish media, the military said it had taken action to: "reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated".

The military statement said "all international agreements and commitments will remain. We pledge that good relations with all world countries will continue".

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, says he has spoken to his Turkish counterpart and underlined the UK's support for Turkey's democratically elected government. 

The United States has issued a call for all parties in Turkey to support Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government against the coup attempt.