Hero' officer who swapped with French supermarket hostage dies
New post
'Hero' officer who swapped with French supermarket hostage dies
Image:Arnaud Beltrame (L) offered himself up to Redouane Lakdim (R) in exchange for the final hostage
A French policeman who took the place of a hostage during a terror attack at a supermarket has died of his injuries.
Arnaud Beltrame had voluntarily swapped himself with a female hostage and surreptitiously left his mobile phone on so his colleagues could hear what was going on inside.
The 45-year-old was left fighting for his life after being shot by Moroccan-born Redouane Lakdim.
Counter-terrorism officers then stormed the supermarket in Trebes, southwest France, and shot the terrorist dead.
Mr Beltrame's death takes the number of people killed to four - in addition to the gunman - and 15 others were injured.
Paying tribute to the police officer, interior minister Gerard Collomb tweeted: "Dead for his country. France will never forget his heroism, bravery and sacrifice."
Lakdim, 25, had hijacked a car in the nearby city of Carcassonne - gravely wounding the driver and killing the passenger - before driving toward Trebes.
He shot at police officers before hiding in the supermarket, taking several people hostage.
During the resulting stand-off with police, Lakdim demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the only surviving member of the Islamic State cell that attacked Paris in 2015.
Image:Abdeslam is the only surviving member of the IS cell that attacked Paris in 2015
Lakdim killed two people before giving most of the hostages up, keeping one woman as a human shield, who Mr Beltrame traded places with.
President Emmanuel Macron had said of Mr Beltrame's actions: "He saved lives and honoured his colleagues and his country."
Mr Beltrame, who was married, had taken part in an exercise on dealing with a mass shooting in a supermarket as recently as December.
Video:Police on the ground during France siege
Lakdim, who was born in Morocco, was known to police, but only for "delinquent" crimes, like drug dealing.
He was on a watch list from 2014, according to France's prosecutor Francois Molins, but was not believed to be preparing any terrorist acts.
One neighbour told Le Parisien newspaper that the terrorist had dropped one of his little sisters off at school on Friday morning.
Another called him "calm" and "nice" and said he "always had a kind word to say".
Dozens of mourners 'killed by Boko Haram' at a funeral in north Nigeria Share this with Facebook Share this with WhatsApp Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share Image copyright AFP Image caption AFP journalists saw charred items and smouldering ashes after the attack At least 65 people have lost their lives after suspected Boko Haram militants opened fire on a funeral in Nigeria's north-eastern state of Borno. Gunmen arrived on motorcycles and in vans at the village near the state capital, Maiduguri, on Saturday, eyewitnesses say. A number of mourners were reportedly killed straight away, while others died trying to chase off the attackers. There has been an increase in Islamist attacks across the region. Local government official Muhammed Bulama said he thought the latest attack was in revenge for the killing of 11 Boko Haram fighters by the villagers two weeks ago. Agence France Presse journalist...
Mushroom Soup Yield : 4 servings Time: 30 minutes If the word “mushroom” conjures for you white buttons in little supermarket tubs, you’re not alone. But there is a big world of mushrooms out there, and you don’t have to be a forager to live in it. Wild mushrooms can be found in spring, summer and fall, but farmed mushrooms, grown mostly in the dark, are always around and a little easier to find than the ones hiding in the woods. So are dried mushrooms, which may be domesticated or truly wild and which are among the most flavorful ingredients you can keep in your pantry. This lovely soup is made with a combination of dried and fresh. It's delightfully simple – it comes together in about a half hour – which allows the complex flavors of the mushrooms to really shine through. INGREDIENTS 2 to 3 ounces dried mushrooms (like cremini, morel; whatever you like) ½ stick butter 1 sprig fresh thyme or rosemary 1 large yellow onion or 3 or 4 shallots, chopped 1 ...
Coconut-Dill Salmon With Green Beans and Corn Time : 40 minutes A fillet of salmon is foil-wrapped and placed on a hot grill to steam in its own juices after being bathed in a fragrant mixture of coconut cream, lemon, and dill. The fish is served with a light salad of fresh corn, tomatoes, green beans, and a sprinkling of feathery dill. The outcome, either warm or cold, is an excellent low-lift dish for a large gathering or a supper that can be prepared ahead of time. INGREDIENTS Yield : 6 to 8 servings 1(2-pound) salmon fillet (skin on or off) 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil Coarse kosher salt (such as Morton) and black pepper 1cup unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk 2tablespoons dark brown sugar 1tablespoon sherry vinegar 1teaspoon Dijon mustard 1lemon 1cup chopped fresh dill 8ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise 1cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears corn) 1pint cherry tomatoes, lightly crushed open or sliced into halves PREPARATION Step 1 Hea...
Drinking water is essential for life, but many rural towns in the U.S. are struggling to provide safe and reliable water to their residents. For decades, these towns have neglected their drinking water systems, resulting in aging infrastructure, water quality violations, and financial challenges. In this blog post, we will explore some of the causes and consequences of this crisis, and what can be done to address it. Causes of the Crisis One of the main causes of the crisis is the shrinking population of many rural towns. As people move to urban areas or other states, the tax base and the customer base of the water systems decline. This means less revenue to cover the costs of operation, maintenance, and improvement of the water systems. According to a report by the American Bar Association³, in 2015, 9 percent of all water systems had a documented violation of water quality standards, exposing 21 million people to unhealthy drinking water. These violations were more likely to occur in...
Comments
Post a Comment
comments below