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Updated 11.43
https://www.facebook.com/FoxNews/videos/10154148920766336/
TOP PARIS ATTACKS suspect Salah Abdeslam, Europe’s most wanted man, was wounded and captured in a dramatic raid by armed police in Brussels.
Abdeslam, 26, and four other suspects were arrested in the gritty Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek, where the Franco-Moroccan allegedly helped plan the 13 November attacks in which 130 people died and 350 were injured.
Abdeslam was lightly wounded in the leg with French President Francois Hollande saying the country would swiftly seek his extradition.
A video which supposedly shows the moment of his arrest shows the 26-year-old jihadists struggling with police before he’s put into a car.
Prosecutors said special forces raided a house in Molenbeek because of evidence found in an operation in Brussels on Tuesday, in which a Paris-linked suspect died in a gunbattle with police and two other people escaped.
One of Abdeslam’s fingerprints was found at the scene of Tuesday’s raid, sparking the huge manhunt that led to his capture.
Also arrested was a man known under the fake name of Amine Choukri who also used a false Syrian name, Monir Ahmed Alaaj.
Abdeslam had been on the run since the November 13 attacks.
Former small-time criminal Abdeslam is believed to be the last surviving member of the 10-man jihadist team that carried out attacks on the Bataclan rock venue, restaurants, bars and the Stade de France stadium.
He apparently fled by car to his hometown Brussels the day after the rampage, having refused to blow himself up, and is believed to have spent much if not all of the subsequent four months in the city.
Investigators believe Abdeslam hired one of the cars used in the attacks and then used it to drive suicide bombers to the Stade de France with the task then of blowing himself up.
But he apparently backed out, and an explosives-filled suicide vest was later found in Paris in a region that mobile phone signals indicated he had been in.
Police believe he fled across the border the next morning. Several people have been arrested on suspicion of helping him
US President Barack Obama has called French and Belgian leaders to congratulate them on the arrest.
Hollande, whose embattled presidency will be defined by his response to the worst terror attacks on French soil, said Paris would request Abdeslam’s extradition from Belgium “as rapidly as possible.”
“Our fight is not over, and tomorrow morning, in the light of the information that has been given to me, I will chair a meeting of the defence council,” bringing together ministers and senior officials in charge of security, Hollande said.
© – AFP 2016 with reporting by Rónán Duffy
Read: On-the-run Paris attacker spotted on CCTV at petrol station the day after the attack >
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My son was just telling me that one of his teammates who lost is part time job in March, just got 250 into his account today on top of the 203 he typically gets, and he’s soon due a Christmas bonus. When he was working his part time job in a petrol station job he used to bet no more than 150 euro. He is a 21 year old who is more than fit enough to find himself another part time job but instead he’s sat at home profiting big time. I’m by no means against the unemployment payment and I thinks it’s been critical to those who need it, but it’s scary to think how many others out there are doing the same as the lad I mentioned above.
@Michael Fielding: I’m not sure there are many other part time jobs that he could get at the moment but I get your point in that he has no incentive to even try look for one. Imagine how it would be if Sinn Fein got their way and everyone was on a minimum PUP of €350+ a week!
@Michael Fielding: I agree it’s far too broad but for every person like that lad who is getting ‘too much’ there are 100s who need this to get by and it is still a lot less than some were making. I would guess/hope that they considered it more expensive to look at it case by case than just paying standard 350 across the board.
@Michael Fielding: we are screwed, live in a hand out state
@DK: I can’t speak on behalf of the whole country, but there’s plenty available here in Cork. My son works part time in a dunnes stores and he said they can’t hire enough people coming into Christmas, and I’d hazard a guess that’s the case for most of their busy branches. Places like Musgraves etc are always actively taking on too. The opening of the restaurants and pubs will most likely open up some waiting and bartending opportunities, similarly with the opening of gyms and leisure centers. If he really wanted one I’d be confident he got could get one, but what incentive does he have to do so when he’s getting just as much, if not more, sitting at home?
@Michael Fielding: that’s lie. Petrol station remained opened so he wouldnt got PUP.
@DK: I’d beg to differ on that one! I’ve been trying to fill a number of positions over the past 6 weeks and the level of applicants is appalling, knowing the sheer number of people on layoff in my industry. I’ve also had great difficulty getting people to come back to work. All taking great advantage of the PUP. I fully support it for those in need, but it’s being abused.
They failed to pay me for my first 3 weeks. Today, they only paid me one of those weeks (the 1st week), leaving me still short of 2 full weeks of arrears. Completely incompetent.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’m owed a few weeks but will sit it out as I’d imagine they are kind of busy.
@Paul Furey: If they made the payment, they could have saved themselves from making extra work for themselves by paying it all. They paid me for my first week of arrears, but not the 2nd or 3rd. They literally just made things busier for themselves as now I WILL be contacting them daily until it’s rectified.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: had to sign on twice. First I was completely without work took one week to get sorted. Got that week’s arrears. Second time I was reduced to part time and it took 3 weeks to get sorted, didn’t get any of that.
@Paul Furey: bear in mind, the longer you leave it and the closer to 2021 it gets, the less likely you are to receive your payment.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’m due 3 weeks payments in total and haven’t got any today. Hopefully will get it in next week or week after. I’m behind on bills due to missed payments and now getting the debt collectors letters from gas and electricity. With a baby due any day is just so stressful.
@Sam Glynn: I spoke with DSP today, and they said that today was the only day arrears were being paid. If you didn’t get it today, you’re not getting it at all. Sorry, Sam.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: it seems the report on the news suggests different to what I just wrote. Not sure why the DSP agent told me otherwise.
Meanwhile spare a thought for the hardworking student nurses who worked hard throughout this pandemic. They got a clap from the public but not a cent for their efforts. This is positively shameful
I have to say when I got it , I applied on the Wednesday and got my first payment on the Tuesday , that was during the first lockdown. It really was a lifesaver. I was on it six weeks
Thanks Leo
I think it’s disgraceful. All the health are workers got was a ’round of applause’. They worked over & above, through their annual leave, sacrificed seeing their families so that other families could be taken care of. The very least the Minister for Health could offer them is to pay their annual retention fee to the NMBI of €100 per nurse. They certainly deserve that much.
that’s very generous of the government, so a lady with a children today would get 700 euro and 280 child allowance, and another 700 double week next week. Super stimulus for Christmas. Well done government giving back to those who need it.
@Padraig Carey: and nothing for student nurses who worked so hard throughout this pandemic. Why are we not challenging our government on their behalf
Everyone moans about what others are getting and legally entitled to. Very significant numbers of these moaners would take the moaney money and we would never hear a word about it.
have your say