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Reuters live coverage of events around the world. Follow @ReutersWorld on Twitter for top news and @ReutersLive for live video events.
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An injured man lies at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport. REUTERS/Ketevan Kardava/Courtesy of 1tv.ge/Handout via Reuters
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We must strengthen our alliances to root out evil. Not dismantle them. #Brussels https://t.co/fscW7zzD64
9:26 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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Wall Street slips at the open after Brussels attacksWall Street opened lower on Tuesday after explosions in Brussels sparked fresh geopolitical concerns and sent investors scurrying for safe-haven assets.The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 39.45 points, or 0.22 percent, to 17,584.42, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 5.7 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,045.9 and the Nasdaq composite .IXIC dropped 25.28 points, or 0.53 percent, to 4,783.60. -
Wall St. slips at the open after Brussels attacks
ReutersWall Street opened lower on Tuesday after explosions in Brussels sparked fresh geopolitical concerns and sent investors scurrying for safe-haven assets. -
I have just spoken to the Belgian PM and offered our sympathies and condolences. We must stand with Belgium at this very difficult time.1:24 PM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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BREAKING: Belgium's Tihange nuclear power plant evacuated - according to VTM public broadcaster
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Brussels university tells everyone to stay indoors, possible new threatBrussels university VUB urged everyone at its Etterbeek campus in the southeast of the city to go indoors immediately and stay inside after twin attacks rocked Brussels on Tuesday, leaving at least 26 people dead. (Full Story)"Security counsel strongly urges everyone at campus Etterbeek to immediately move indoors and stay there," VUB said on Twitter.Toon Vanagt, a Twitter user reportedly inside the university tweeted, "police just ordered me to stay inside due to imminent bomb threat near VUB campus."
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Attacks in Belgium trigger row in Britain over EU membershipThe attacks in Brussels on Tuesday spilled over into Britain's political row over whether to remain in the European Union, with advocates for leaving claiming the bloc's open border policy allowed for the killings to take place.Other immediately branded the comments as inappropriate in a spat that primarily took place on sopcial media.Prime Minister David Cameron has argued that Britain will d be safer if it votes to stay in the bloc in a June 23 referendum that has divided both his party and the electorate.But less than an hour after explosives were detonated in Brussel's Zaventem airport, some eurosceptics questioned the stance."Brussels, de facto capital of the EU, is also the jihadist capital of Europe. And the Remainers dare to say we're safer in the EU!" Allison Pearson, a columnist for The Daily Telegraph newspaper, tweeted, referring to Britons wanting to remain in the bloc.Chris Bryant, a lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party, said Pearson's tweet was "truly vile" and others joined in.But the anti-EU UK Independence Party said the EU's leaders had failed their citizens by allowing innocent people to die."The fact that terrorists can strike at the heart of the EU with apparent ease shows that they are perfectly placed to exploit the lax security situation created by Schengen agreement and the EU’s open door policies," Mike Hookem, defence spokesman for the UKIP, said from Brussels.Cameron, when asked about linking the Brussels attacks to Britain's debate about EU membership, said: "I think it is not appropriate at this time to make any of those sorts of remarks."He offered his condolences and support to the people of Belgium.
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ENGIE says that non-essential staff have been evacuated from Belgium's Tihange nuclear plant at authorities' request. The plant continues operating and key staff remain on site.
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U.S. airlines divert flights from Brussels after blastsU.S. airlines including Delta, United and American rerouted and canceled flights on Tuesday following two deadly blasts that shut down the Brussels Airport at Zaventem.A suicide bomber blew himself up at the airport on Tuesday morning, killing at least 11 people, according to the Belgian health minister. At least another 15 were killed when a blast tore through a rush-hour metro train in the European capital shortly afterward, the city's transport operator said.Delta Air Lines Inc DAL.N said its flight DL42 from New York to Brussels was diverted to Amsterdam. Another flight, DL80 from Atlanta, had landed safely at the Zaventem airport and was parked remotely while the airline's local staff helped passengers exit safely.News of the multiple blasts, which have Brussels on lockdown, sent shares of U.S. airlines and travel-related companies lower in premarket trading. Delta was down 3 percent, while United Continental Holdings Inc UAL.N fell 1 percent.United Airlines, which had two flights due in Brussels on Tuesday morning, said one from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport arrived at 7:01 a.m. local time and customers exited normally.The other, flight 999 from Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York area, was rerouted to a location that the airline did not identify.United said all remaining flights to and from Brussels International were suspended until further notice.American Airlines Group Inc AAL.O said it had canceled flight 751 from Brussels to Philadelphia and would accommodate its passengers when the airport reopens.The explosions did not occur where American's check-in operates, the company said, so all of its airport employees are safe and accounted for.Ireland's Ryanair RYA.I canceled all flights to Zaventem but said those to and from Brussels' Charleroi Airport were running, though with some delays.Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc HOT.N said all of its hotels in Brussels were on lockdown, along with the rest of the city.Facebook Inc FB.O said it had activated its "safety check" feature that allows its users to check on friends who were in the area of the blasts.
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Brussels Mayor says believes 20 now dead in Metro blast.
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Turkish President Erdogan says attacks in Brussels show the need for common struggle against terror.
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Injured people are seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Ketevan Kardava/Courtesy of 1tv.ge/Handout via Reuters
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Turkish President Erdogan says no difference between terror organisations, whether PKK in Ankara or terrorists in Brussels.
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Trump calls for tough U.S. border security after Brussels attacksRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump called again for tougher U.S. border security following Tuesday's deadly attacks on the Brussels airport, saying "we have to be very vigilant and careful about who we allow into our country."Trump's comments, in an interview on NBC's "Today" program, came a day after he expressed skepticism about the U.S. role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and said the United States should significantly cut spending on the defense alliance. (Full Story)"As president ... I would be very, very tough on the borders, and I would be not allowing certain people to come into this country without absolute perfect documentation," he told NBC.Republican rival John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, struck a different tone, pledging to "redouble our efforts with our allies" and saying the United States "must strengthen our alliances" in the face of acts of terror.U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who is running second to Trump in the Republican delegate count, called the blasts in Belgium "the latest in a string of coordinated attacks by radical Islamic terrorists.""Radical Islam is at war with us," he said in a statement posted online.Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, said the Brussels attacks that killed at least 26 people at the airport and a rush-hour metro train, "bear all the hallmarks of an ISIS-inspired, or ISIS-coordinated attack," using an acronym for Islamic State.The attacks will likely revive national security as a key issue in the 2016 race for the White House, at least for now.Trump looks to take another step toward winning the Republican presidential nomination in contests in Arizona and Utah on Tuesday, aiming to deal another setback to the party establishment's flagging stop-Trump movement.The billionaire businessman has rolled up a big lead in convention delegates who will pick the Republican nominee, defying weeks of attacks from members of the party establishment worried he will lead the Republicans to defeat in the Nov. 8 presidential election.In Arizona, one of the U.S. states that borders Mexico, Trump's hardline immigration message is popular and he leads in polls, while in Utah Trump lags in polls behind Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas.
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One British national injured in Brussels explosions- UK PM Cameron spokeswomanA British national was among those injured after two explosions at Brussels airport on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said.The spokeswoman said there was no detail of other British casualties at this stage from the attacks on the airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital which killed at least 26 people."We don't have confirmation of any other casualties or, for the worst, fatalities at this stage but details are still emerging so that picture and that information could change," she said.British police have said they would step up their presence at key locations and transport hubs as a precaution following the attacks, and Cameron's spokeswoman said the British intelligence hub, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, had advised there was no need to raise the UK threat level.This currently stands at the second-highest level of "severe" meaning an attack is considered highly-likely.
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BREAKING: Police discover non-exploded bomb belt at Brussels Airport accordin to Belgian private broadcaster VTM
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Belgian prosecutors ask reportsto abstain from reporting on ongoing investigations #brusselsattack #brusselsairport https://t.co/VZuyLn8n9Q
12:35 PM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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Within a few minutes the explosives team of the Belgian Army will neutralise a supsicious package at #Zaventem Airport. #Brussels12:53 PM - 22 Mar 2016
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U.S. State Department says Secretary Kerry has been briefed on the blasts in Belgium, working on status of all U.S. citizens in Brussels.
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A suicide bomber at Brussels airport killed several people and another blast struck a metro station in Belgium’s capital, killing several more, according to Belgian news agencies. Social media is reacting to the news and tweeting out words of sympathy as the death toll continues to rise. There were more than 597,000 tweets about #Brussels as of Tuesday morning, making it the top-trending hashtag in the United States and worldwide. “Belgica,” #JeSuisBruxelles, and #PrayForBelgium were also trending worldwide as news of the attacks broke.
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BREAKING - Police found Kalashnikov assault rifle next to dead attacker at Brussels Airport - broadcaster VRT
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I strongly condemn these hateful attacks. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families. We stand united against terrorism.11:28 AM - 22 Mar 2016
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Belgian royals deny that Brussels palace evacuatedBelgium's royal palace in central Brussels was not evacuated on Tuesday following a bomb blast at a nearby metro station and two explosions at the city's airport, the palace said in an official twitter message. (Full Story)"Contrary to some reports, the royal palace has not been evacuated," the twitter message said.Earlier broadcaster RTBF had reported King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were in shock and the palace had been evacuated.
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Supporters of Islamic State praise Brussels blasts on social media
ReutersSupporters of Islamic State praised on social media blasts in Brussels that killed about 20 people on Tuesday. -
Our thoughts are w/ victims & families of today’s terrorist attacks in #Brussels. #UnitedAgainstTerrorism #Belgium https://t.co/uOYtB5Ea4D12:35 PM - 22 Mar 2016
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12:28 PM - 22 Mar 2016
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Approximately - "Shocked, my full support to the families" -
Death count has risen to 34 total at two #brussels attack sites according to local media but reports continue to fluctuate as info compiled12:32 PM - 22 Mar 2016
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French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve talks to journalists after a meeting about blasts in Brussels at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesFrance has stopped 10,000 people from entering the country since last November's attacks in Paris, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said as he announced extra security measures in the wake of deadly blasts in Brussels on Tuesday.
France's borders are officially open under the Schengen agreement that waives controls between some European countries, but it has put checks in place since the Nov. 13 militant assaults on cafes bars, a football stadium and a music hall, in which 130 people died.
Cazeneuve said those extra controls involving 5,000 police had been particularly focussed on its northern border with Belgium.
"In total, 220 points of entry are checked, 42 of them systematically and permanently. As a result over four months, 6 million people have been checked, and 10,000 individuals have already been prevented from entering," he told reporters.
Those who struck in Paris are believed to have planned their assault in Brussels. The prime surviving suspect from the assault in the French capital was arrested there last week.
Belgium's federal prosecutor said one of the explosions at Brussels Airport was likely to have been caused by a suicide bomber. There were two blast at the airport and another on a metro train.
Cazeneuve said that as of Tuesday he had deployed a further 1,600 police to bolster security at its borders and on public transport.
He was speaking after an emergency government meeting called by President Francois Hollande.
France has been on its highest alert status since Nov. 13 amid worries about another attack on its soil. After the arrest of Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam last week, police have been on alert for any reprisal action in both capitals, which lie about 315 km (200 miles) apart.
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On Tuesday morning Republican presidential candidate Ted
Cruz sent a series of tweets about the Brussels attacks, declaring that
“radical Islam is at war with us” and decrying President Obama for refusing to
“acknowledge this reality."“We will name our enemy -- radical Islamic terrorism. And we
will defeat it,” Cruz tweeted.Our hearts break for the men and women of Brussels this morning: https://t.co/Z3zl8ArMCG8:19 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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Radical Islam is at war with us. For over 7 years we have had a president who refuses to acknowledge this reality https://t.co/oeEKpWKbN68:20 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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That ends on January 20, 2017, when I am sworn in as president: https://t.co/FRA5WTKjgP8:21 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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We will name our enemy -- radical Islamic terrorism. And we will defeat it. https://t.co/Z7YTgUg3AA8:22 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek metro station after a blast, in Brussels, Belgium,March 22, 2016. REUTERS/RTL Belgium via Reuters TV
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FBI coordinating with Belgium counterparts after Brussels attacksTop U.S. military and Justice Department officials have been briefed on the attacks in Brussels and the FBI has begun coordinating with its Belgium counterparts and other U.S. agencies following the blasts, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were briefed, officials said. The two were due to testify before a congressional committee later on Tuesday on the Pentagon’s budget.Attorney General Loretta Lynch was also briefed on the explosions, according to a Justice Department official, who said the department and the FBI are also coordinating efforts across the U.S. government and with Belgium authorities.
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The U.S. Justice Department and FBI are coordinating with their Belgian counterparts and other U.S. agencies following the attacks in Brussels - according to DOJ official
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Brussels attacks death toll rises to 34 - broadcaster VRT
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Syrian Government condemns Brussels attacks, says they are 'Result of wrong policies' on terrorism according to state news agency.
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Video shows a large police presence at Brussels airport after deadly explosions media reports say was a suicide attack. Rough cut
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This was the scene a short while ago, between the Arts-Lois and Maelbeek metro stations in Brussels. https://t.co/aTZjqsF7Gt9:29 AM - 22 Mar 2016
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Several people injured in blasts at a metro station in Brussels are treated on the sidewalk by paramedics. Rough Cut
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Wie gestrand is in Brussel en wil blijven overnachten: #ikwilhelpen #PorteOuverte #OpenHouse PM please.11:44 AM - 22 Mar 2016
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Mensen die vastzitten in #Zaventem en richting #Mechelen moeten, ik werk in Kampenhout en kan straks proberen daar te geraken #ikwilhelpen11:43 AM - 22 Mar 2016- Reply
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Approximately - "Who is stranded in Brussels and wants to stay overnight: #PorteOuverte #OpenHouse #ikwilhelpen PM please."and -"People who are stuck in #Zaventem and need to head in the direction of #Mechelen , I work in Kampenhout and may soon try to get there #ikwilhelpen"People in Belgium are offering to help people who may have missed flights or could be stranded in Brussels. On social media they are using the hashtag #ikwilhelpen to share what they have to offer from a place to stay to something to eat. They encourage other social media users to retweet or pass the messages on. -
U.S. Defense secretary, top U.S. military officer briefed on Brussels attacks - U.S. officials tell Reuters.
Netanyahu's main election rival, Gantz, says it appears prime minister lost
JERUSALEM Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in a battle for political survival after exit polls following Tuesday's election showed the race too close to call and the Israeli leader's decade-long grip on power weakened.
