Daily Pulse: The World Reacts to Paris Attacks

What We Know: At least 129 people (link in French) died in coordinated attacks in six locations in Paris and St Denis, north of the city. (Click the map below for details.) More than 350 people are wounded, 99 of them critically, according to the Paris prosecutor. It is the most deadly terrorist attack on European soil since the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

Seven assailants are dead and police have identified three of them: Brahim Abdeslam, 31; Ismail Omar Mostefai, 29; and Bilal Hadfi, 20. A brother of one of the assailants, Mohammed Abdeslam, has reportedly been arrested in Belgium and a manhunt is under way to find a third brother, Salah Abdeslam, a French citizen born in Belgium. The inquiry turns to Brussels, where several of the men were from and where two rental cars used in the attacks were licensed. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, though the veracity of that claim has not yet been confirmed.

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What's Next: France launched missile strikes Sunday night on Raqqa, ISIS's
"capital" in Syria. It is Paris' most aggressive action in Syria -- it had avoided doing so until now for fear of making more civilian casualties and shoring up Bashar al-Assad's power. Today, President François Hollande will exceptionally address both chambers of Parliament to request a 3-month extension of the state of emergency. That means authorities can set curfews and limit public gatherings (technically already the case though that hasn't stopped Parisians meeting in defiance and remembrance at the attack sites); law enforcement can operate with less judiciary control; and upcoming regional elections will be held under heavy military presence. 

The attacks also rock the foundations of the European Union: France is demanding a return, at least temporary, to border controls within the Schengen zone, and Poland has already announced it is done taking in refugees from the Syrian conflict. Most are themselves fleeing ISIS, but one attacker appears to have come to Europe amid a refugee group through Greece. 

“We believe in the rights of every individual to seek his fortune, in respect for others and in tolerance. Let us reply to the terrorists by resolutely living our values and by redoubling those values across all of Europe -- now more than ever.”
- Angela Merkel

Hollande skipped the G20 summit in Antalia, Turkey. There world leaders observed a minute of silence for French victims, and US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked for half an hour, a first since Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict. The next time world leaders will meet is at the COP21 climate summit in December... in Paris. (For excellent geopolitical analysis in the days ahead, follow Influencer Ian Bremmer.)

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In Solidarity: The Paris attacks shocked because they were in a city that seemed so remote from the Syrian strife. And they shocked me because it's home. But they overshadowed another tragedy: on Thursday, 43 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in a double suicide bombing in Beirut. ISIS claimed responsibility there too. Beirut may be more volatile, but it was the city's worst attack in more than two decades. No buildings were specially lit, no Facebook profile photo was changed. We remember them too.

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Business as Almost Usual: Parisians started defiantly returning to cafés and restaurants as soon as Saturday. Schools, universities and museums reopen today. Trains run as usual. The stock market has not altered its schedule. A popular (and excellent) café near the sites of the attack opened Sunday and donated half its proceeds to the Red Cross's work with migrants. The department store Galeries Lafayette opened in defiance Saturday, though it wasn't quite ready, and the national soccer team is traveling to England for its next match. But fear and restrictions imposed under the state of emergency could impact business: tourism, a vital industry for France, suffered from the Charlie Hebdo attacks, with hotel bookings down 3.3% in the first quarter as a result.

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When Tech Gets Involved: Social media served to find missing friends, share news.. and spread rumors. Facebook activated its Safety Check feature Friday to allow people in Paris to alert their friends they were safe. While the feature is largely praised (I can't tell you the relief of seeing that little box go green), some questioned why it hadn't been activated in other violent situations, such as the suicide bombings Thursday in Beirut. Facebook had so far used the year-old feature only in natural disasters but says it will now use it more frequently. Choosing which emergency situations require it -- much like when Google draws borders -- is a fraught political debate for a tech company to enter.

“There has to be a first time for trying something new, even in complex and sensitive times, and for us that was Paris.”
-  Alex Schultz, Facebook’s vice president of growth

The hashtag #porteouverte (open door), used by Parisians willing to host people stranded in the city, quickly went viral. Airbnb allowed free bookings. Uber quickly deactivated its surge pricing so people could get home whatever the demand -- but because people will believe the worst of Uber, Twitter erupted in criticism anyway. 

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In Other News: 

Marriott is buying Starwood, becoming the largest hotel company in the world. It's the biggest acquisition in Marriott's 88 year history, and brings Westin, St. Regis, Sheraton, and other hotel chains under the Marriott umbrella. "We are convinced the greater size will help us stay competitive in a quickly-evolving marketplace," Marriott International President & CEO Arne Sorenson writes on LinkedIn, citing increased competition from Airbnb, Tripadvisor, Google, and other companies. Executive Chairman Bill Marriott reflects on the move: "I can’t quite imagine what my parents would have thought today. A business they started as a root beer stand is about to merge with Starwood and become the largest hotel company in the world."

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The Chinese yuan is set to become a world reserve currency, with the support of IMF staff. It's the culmination of months of lobbying and policy changes from the Chinese government. ** The Japanese economy relapsed into recession, down 0.8% in the third quarter and down the previous quarter as well. ** Tens of thousands have marched in Seoul to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye. ** UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will reportedly visit North Korea this week, a rare overture for the country. He had planned a similar visit earlier this year, which Pyongyang canceled at the last minute.

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What you've written about Paris:

• Influencer Cass Sunstein republished his seminal essay "Why They Hate Us," written after 9/11, on the social dynamics behind terrorism. 
• "Islamic extremism reflects all the horrible darkness we harbor about who we are as a species and why we seem hellbent on our extinction," Louis D. Lo Praeste responds. 
• Brad Marley writes of our responsibility in what news we share on Twitter and other social platforms.
• Rima Amin rounds up the good and the bad seen on social media over the weekend.
• The Paris attacks must not be used to start another war, argues Scott Craig, Ford Mozilla fellow at the Center for Technology and Democracy in the UK. 

Have you seen other worthy reads? Share them in the comments below.

Cover art (top to bottom, left to right): Sydney (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images), Seoul (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images), Berlin (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images), San Francisco (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images), Paris (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images), Rio de Janeiro (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images), Dubai (Warren Little/Getty Images), Jerusalem (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images), New York (Daniel Pierce Wright/Getty Images).

Note to readers: This is a special edition of Daily Pulse. There is other news in the world; I can't write about it just now. My heartfelt thanks to the many LinkedIn members who have shared their sympathy and their friendship.