The weekend's terrorist attacks in Paris by the so-called Islamic State have raised new questions over the group's capabilities and its threat to global security. On Friday evening, a group of Islamist terrorists targeted Parisians in a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks. Bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France were the site of shootings and explosions in which most of the attackers detonated suicide belts. The attacks left 129 dead and hundreds injured. Speaking to French radio station RTL Monday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said French intelligence services had prevented several terrorist attacks since the summer and that police knew other attacks were being prepared in France as well as in the rest of Europe. He added that 150 raids had been carried out across France since Friday night. Follow our live blog for the latest analysis and developments Analysts are viewing the attacks as a "game-changer" for Europe as the Islamist ...

A general view of the scene outside a restaurant following shooting incidents in Paris, France, November 13, 2015 Paris attacks: The West’s fatal misunderstanding of Islamic State. The horrendous attacks on Paris have an eerie resemblance to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, in that they seem to have caught everyone off guard. Until perhaps Friday, the main perception among Western intelligence agencies and Washington policymakers has been that Islamic State poses “no immediate threat” to the United States or the West. “Unlike Al Qaeda, ISIS is more interested in establishing a Caliphate and not so interested in attacking the West,” a retired CIA officer explained during a closed meeting at one of Washington’s think tanks. He was echoing a common sentiment, and insisted that “Al Qaeda remains the main threat.” Even U.S. President Barack Obama recently said with confidence that Islamic State was being “contained.” But we cannot forget that Islamic State came to the world stage barely ove...

European equities ended mixed to slightly higher Monday as investors digested the potential impact of a series of terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed slightly higher, up 0.2 to 0.3 percent provisionally, boosted by trade in the U.S. London's FTSE 100 closed 0.5 percent higher, while France's CAC and Germany's DAX closed around the flat line. Paris terror attacks: Market response Symbol Name Price   Change %Change Volume FTSE FTSE 100 Index 6146.38   28.10 0.46% 621592768 DAX DAX Index...