Hollande honours slain police officer

FRANCE’S top officials have joined presidential candidates at a national ceremony held in honour of the police officer killed by an Islamic extremist on the Champs-Elysees.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron, who will contest the May 7 presidential run-off, were present at the ceremony for Xavier Jugele at the Paris police headquarters.

French president Francois Hollande hailed the 37-year-old officer, who was killed last week when an assailant opened fire with an assault rifle on a police van parked on the most famous avenue in the capital. Two other officers were wounded.

The attacker was subsequently shot and killed by officers. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Hollande said the French people must “support the police”, adding: “They deserve our esteem, our solidarity, our admiration.”

Mr Jugele was one of the officers who raced to the Bataclan concert hall the night three armed men with suicide bombs stormed a show and slaughtered 90 people on November 13, 2015.

Meanwhile, researchers say the campaign of Mr Macron has been targeted by Russia-linked hackers. Staff with anti-virus firm Trend Micro have added more details to previous suggestions the politician was being singled out for electronic eavesdropping by the Kremlin.

The campaign’s digital chief, Mounir Mahjoubi, confirmed the attempted intrusions but said they had all been thwarted.