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      Police increase presence at Wembley for England’s Euro 2024 qualifier tonight after two fans killed in Brussels horror

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      COPS are ramping up security at Wembley for England’s Euro 2024 qualifier tonight after two fans were killed in Brussels yesterday.Terror suspect Abdesalem Lassoued, 45, shot dead two Swedish football fans moments before their team’s Euro 2024 qualifier match against Belgium.
      Cops are beefing up security measures at England’s match at Wembley tonightCredit: Reuters
      Belgian armed cops at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels last night after two fans were shot deadCredit: EPA
      The match was abandoned at half time and fans were kept in the King Baudouin Stadium before being escorted out under protection of armed officers as the hunt continued for the killer.
      Self-styled ISIS-follower Lassoued was later shot dead by police in a cafe.
      Now, the Met have said a “highly visible policing presence” will be at Wembley this evening “given the events yesterday in Brussels”.
      England are aiming to book a spot at Euro 2024 in tonight’s clash with reigning champions Italy.
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      Superintendent Gerry Parker, match commander for tonight’s game, said in a statement: “We have been working with our partners, including the FA, in the weeks leading up to this match to ensure those attending the Wembley area enjoy this match.
      “Our officers are experienced in dealing with large-scale public order events, and a flexible plan is in place to reduce the likelihood of crime and disorder, and provide a timely response to any emerging incidents.
      “Please ensure you arrive in good time for the match and remain vigilant throughout; if you see anything suspicious then flag it an officer or one of the match stewards immediately so the necessary action can be taken.”
      In the wake of the Brussels shootings, Belgian authorities have raised the terror alert to its highest level in the capital.
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      The Three Lions have been close to faultless throughout their qualifying campaign so far and only need a draw to secure a spot in Germany.
      Italy come into the game just three points behind England following a routine 4-0 victory over Malta on Saturday.
      Victory over England would put them level on points with the group leaders but the Italians would still be significantly behind on goal difference.
      Both teams will be vying to win the group given the favourable seeding it would give them going into Euro 2024 in Germany.
      England kicked qualification for the Euros off with a win over Italy earlier this year in Naples before beating Ukraine and group minnows Malta and North Macedonia.
      Their perfect start came to a halt last month when they drew in Ukraine but a draw at Wembley, where they lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy, is all they need to confirm their qualification for next summer’s tournament.
      Gareth Southgate played a second string side against Australia last Friday but is expected to ring the changes as he looks to cap qualification off with a strong performance.
      Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are expected to return to the side with only Jordan Henderson expected to retain his place from Friday night’s win over the Aussies. More

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      Why was Belgium vs Sweden abandoned?

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      THE Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was abandoned at half-time.Players decided not to continue following a horrific attack.
      The Euro 2024Credit: Getty
      Why was the Belgium vs Sweden match abandoned?
      The Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was abandoned after two men, both wearing Sweden shirts, were gunned down in the street before the game in Brussels.
      Sweden players decided during the break to not resume the game, with the score 1-1 at half-time.
      This decision was agreed to by their Belgian counterparts.
      Fans were kept inside the King Baudouin Stadium until security services confirmed it was safe to depart.
      More on the Brussels shooting
      As an extra safety measure, footy supporters were allowed to enter the press room.
      What happened in Brussels?
      On October 16, 2023, two men were killed in an attack in Brussels.
      Videos shared online shows the alleged gunman in a fluorescent orange jacket arriving on a moped just three miles from the Heizel stadium.
      The alleged shooter then chases several people into a building while firing shots from an automatic rifle.
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      It is believed he first shot at a van, with one man dying inside.
      Meanwhile, a third victim was rushed to hospital.
      A second video shared on social media shows a man in an orange fluorescent jacket claiming responsibility for the attack.
      Cops in Belgium have now launched a terror probe following the shooting at Boulevard d’Ypres and the city has raised its terror alert to the highest level.
      In a clip filmed moments before the horror, the alleged attacker says he’s part of terrorist group the Islamic State.
      Speaking in Arabic, he allegedly claimed responsibility for the shooting and outlines what appears to be a terrorist manifesto.
      After a manhunt was launched a man was shot and arrested in a local cafe in the early hours of October 17, 2023.
      Will more Euro 2024 qualifier games be suspended because of the Brussels terror attacks?
      It is yet to be confirmed if anymore Euro 2024 qualifier games will be suspended – but security services and ministers have gathered at a Crisis Center, amid fears of a terror motive.
      The threat level for the Brussels Capital Region has been raised to level 4 – with officials telling locals to “avoid unnecessary movements”.
      Regions are placed under level four “when the threat is serious and very imminent”.
      What has the FA said about the Brussels terrorist attack?
      A Swedish FA social media post added: “Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels.”
      A Uefa statement on the incident, said: “Following a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels this evening, it has been decided, after consultation with the two teams and the local police authorities, that the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden is abandoned.
      “Further communication will be made in due course.”
      Sweden boss Janne Andersson told a press conference that shocked players decided not to carry on out of respect to the victims and their families.
      “When I came down for the break, I got this information. Immediately, I felt that it was completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in today?” he told reporters.
      “I came into the locker room and when the team started talking we agreed 100 percent that we didn’t want to play on out of respect for the victims and their families.”
      Sweden captain Victor Lindelof told the press conference that the players never felt in any danger.
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      He said: “Our security team handled it well and put us at ease. They explained that this is the safest place to be in Brussels.”
      Meanwhile, a statement from Belgium said: “Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier tonight, play is suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected.” More

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      Why the U.S. Offered to Swap Griner for Bout, a Russian Arms Dealer

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      The negotiations raise questions about what, if any, standards should apply when the United States agrees to trade prisoners.WASHINGTON — One is perhaps the world’s most notorious arms dealer, a man known as the “Merchant of Death” who sold weapons to terrorists, rebels and militants around the world before finally being hunted down and locked up for conspiring to kill Americans.The other is a basketball player who got caught with a little hashish oil.By no measure are they comparable, yet the Biden administration has proposed trading the merchant of death for the imprisoned basketball player as well as a former marine held in Russia on what are considered trumped-up espionage charges. In the harsh and cynical world of international diplomacy, prisoner exchanges are rarely pretty, but unpalatable choices are often the only choices on the table.Whether the swap would go through remained unclear. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken made the offer public in part to reassure the families of Brittney Griner, the basketball player, and Paul N. Whelan, the former marine, that the administration is doing all it can to free them.Russian officials, who have long sought the release of the arms trafficker Viktor Bout, confirmed the discussion on Thursday but said Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov was too busy to talk with Mr. Blinken now.The disclosure of the negotiations raised obvious questions about what, if any, standards should apply when the United States agrees to trade prisoners, a conundrum that has challenged the nation’s leaders since its founding.The debate becomes all the more complex when it involves exchanging not soldiers on a battlefield or spies in a Cold War but dangerous criminals for civilians whose real crime is being caught up in wrong-place, wrong-time international intrigue.“The fact that Bout is a big fish isn’t really part of the calculus,” said Jeremy Bash, who was chief of staff at the C.I.A. when the United States made a high-profile spy swap with Russia in 2010. “We value our own citizens a thousand times more than we value the foreign criminal. Israel takes the same approach. They’d trade a thousand Hamas fighters for one I.D.F. soldier. We in the U.S. take the same attitude. We will do almost anything to save an American life.”Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer, arriving at court in Bangkok in 2010. He was extradited and convicted of conspiring to kill Americans.Nicolas Asfouri/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesBut other veterans of past administrations expressed concern that such exchanges, especially one that seems on its face to be as imbalanced as swapping a death-dealing arms merchant for an athlete who may have vaped, would only encourage the imprisonment of more Americans who could be used as hostages.“I take a pretty hard line on it,” said John R. Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser. “It’s one thing to exchange prisoners of war. It’s one thing to exchange spies when you know that’s going on.” But “negotiations and exchanges with terrorists or with authoritarian governments” become dangerous “because then you’re just putting a price on the next American hostage.”What to Know About Brittney Griner’s Detention in RussiaCard 1 of 5What happened? More