BBC News with Jonathan Izard

The man who said he killed seven people in al-Qaeda-inspired attacks in France has been shot dead by a police marksman. Mohammed Merah was hiding in the bathroom of his apartment in Toulouse when commandos broke in after a 30-hour siege. A French prosecutor said he fired more than 30 bullets at them before being killed. Our correspondent Christian Fraser reports from Toulouse.

The final acts of the most dramatic siege that had lasted over 30 hours. It was thought Mohammed Merah had taken his own life in the early hours of this morning. But as elite commandos moved in to clear the apartment, picking their way through each room with fibre-optic cameras, the gunman suddenly appeared at the bathroom door. There was an intense shoot-out. Merah advanced wearing a bullet-proof vest, firing wildly before he jumped out of the window. But outside was a police marksman who shot him dead. President Sarkozy said French Muslims must not be stigmatised because of the gunman's actions.

There's been international condemnation of Malian troops who've overthrown the government of President Amadou Toumani Toure. A rebel spokesman said the soldiers would return the country to democracy as soon as national unity and integrity were assured. The United States joined France and the African Union in denouncing the coup. The American position was expressed by the State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

"The United States condemns the military seizure of power in Mali. We echo the statements of the African Union, of Ecowas and of other international partners in denouncing these actions. We've called for calm; we've called for restoration of the civilian government under constitutional rule without delay so that the elections can proceed as scheduled."