Charlie Hebdo sells out within hours as al-Qaida in Yemen claim attack

The first edition of Charlie Hebdo published after the deadly attacks by Islamist gunmen sold out in France within minutes of newspaper kiosks opening on Wednesday. People queued up to buy copies to support the satirical weekly, which will distribute 2,000 copies in the UK this week. A print run of up to 3 million copies was ordered for what is being called “the survivors’ edition”, but the initial release of 700,000 has already sold out. The remaining copies will be distributed later this week.

I’ve never bought it before, it’s not quite my political stripes, but it’s important for me to buy it today and support freedom of expression.

David Sullo, who was standing at the end of a key of two dozen people outside a kiosk in central Paris this morning

In a video purportedly released by the group, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have today claimed the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s offices. Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi of the Yemeni branch of AQAP posted the recording to YouTube. Confusingly, ISIS has also claimed responsibility for the attack with their ‘head of preachers’, Sheikh Abu Saad Ansari, praising the attack in an Iraqi mosque five days ago.

World Charlie Hebdo