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Key Paris attacks suspect charged with 'terrorist murders'

It is not yet possible to confirm whether Mohamed Abrini is the so-called ‘man in the hat’ seen at Brussels airport.

Updated at 4.30pm

BELGIAN-MOROCCAN MOHAMED Abrini has been charged with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group and terrorist murders” over the 13 November Paris massacres, Belgian prosecutors said this afternoon.

However it is not yet possible to confirm that Abrini is the third suspect, the so-called “man in the hat” seen with the two suicide bombers at Brussels airport on 22 March, the prosecutor’s office added.

Abrini’s arrest yesterday in the Brussels neighbourhood of Anderlecht marked an important step forward in the investigation into the November Paris attacks in which 130 died and the March attacks that killed 32 in Brussels.

Both attacks were claimed by the so-called Islamic State jihadi group.

Abrini, a Belgian of Moroccan origin, was seen at a petrol station north of Paris two days before the attacks with Salah Abdeslam, who drove one of the vehicles used in the November attacks.

Abdeslam, whose brother Brahim blew himself up in Paris, fled back to Brussels immediately afterwards and was finally captured on 18 March in the capital, just around the corner from his family’s home in the Molenbeek district.

He is now awaiting extradition to France.

Belgian investigators are also trying to establish if Abrini is the third man seen at Brussels airport with the two suicide bombers.

man in the hat Avis de recherche Avis de recherche

It was confirmed today that a sixth person had been arrested during the raids yesterday that resulted in Abrini’s detention.

The prosecutor said yesterday that five people had been been arrested but a spokesman confirmed today a sixth was being held. He declined to give any details about the sixth arrest.

First published 08/04/2016

Reporting by © AFP 2016 - edited by Daragh Brophy. 

Read: 300 factory workers abducted by Islamic State

Read: Police find 45 kilos of ammunition in flat linked to a failed terror attack on France

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    Mute Lou Tennant
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:36 AM

    If I ever met he creator of candy crush, it would take all my strength and willpower not to strangle them with my bare hands

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    Mute Valentino R
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:42 AM

    or beat them to death with a stick of rock.

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    Mute Sternn
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    Oct 29th 2015, 4:53 AM

    If you ever read the history of the game and the company which made it you most certainly would. They ripped off a free game called Candy Swipe which was released years before Candy Crush by a man named Albert Ransom. King.com robbed his idea, then trademarked it, and then sued him out of existence. Albert Ransom who made CandySwipe was trying to raise money and awareness for leukemia as his mother was diagnosed with it.

    Best part – that was not the first time King.com had done this to other small game developers, but due to US law they have robbed other games from smaller developers, changed one small feature, got a copyright on it, then sued the original creator for the rights and won thanks to their shady solicitors and mental IP laws in America.

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    Mute James Darcy
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:44 AM

    I loved Facebook but it’s constant look for more interaction and invites and likes and all the other insecure BS drove me insane. Longing for the no-frills social network.

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    Mute Amanda Horan
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    Oct 28th 2015, 1:02 PM

    Try twitter. At the minute it has less frills but it will eventually go the same way.

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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:58 AM

    If only my life was so boring that a few game invites infuriated me. Just ignore them, it’s a social media site .

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    Mute Dread Pirate Robots
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:53 AM

    James, we just call it Twitter.

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    Mute Imogene O'Brien
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    Oct 28th 2015, 11:18 AM

    Friends have become enemies over candy crush invites. Family members have been blocked because of candy crush invites.

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    Mute Barbara Christopher
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    Oct 28th 2015, 10:47 AM

    YESSSSSSS

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    Oct 28th 2015, 11:44 AM

    Thank Christ.

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    Mute Joe Harte
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    Oct 28th 2015, 12:15 PM

    It still isn’t enough to keep people fro using facebook the way they did say 5 years ago.

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