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Brussels can never go back to normal says city's mayor

Belgian police and soldiers secure the area outside Zaventem Airport in Brussels. Picture by Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Associated Press
Belgian police and soldiers secure the area outside Zaventem Airport in Brussels. Picture by Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Associated Press Belgian police and soldiers secure the area outside Zaventem Airport in Brussels. Picture by Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Associated Press

THE mayor of Brussels has said the European Union's capital can never go back to "normal" again following last week's terror attacks.

Yvan Mayeur spoke in Paris during a meeting with his Parisian counterpart Anne Hidalgo to discuss the French capital's response to the November attacks.

Mr Mayeur is meeting Parisian first responders and holding a minute's silence in honour of victims of last week's attack on Brussels' airport and subway system, and also for those killed during a weekend attack in Lahore, Pakistan.

Asked whether life in Brussels is returning to normal, Mr Mayeur said: "There's no such thing as 'normal' any more. That's a concept we have to revisit."

Ms Hidalgo pledged solidarity with Belgium as it begins "a long and painful process of grieving and reconstruction".

A total of 35 people were killed in last week's attacks in Belgian capital.

Mr Mayeur acknowledged shortcomings by authorities ahead of last week's attacks but said he hopes the network behind them is being broken at last.

The mayor, who is facing criticism in the Belgian media for his own actions before and after the Brussels suicide bombings, said: "There are certainly some analyses to be done on the investigation. Were there mistakes? Did we miss anything? Certainly. Otherwise these attacks would not have happened."

Asked whether the Islamic extremist network behind the attacks in Brussels and Paris had been badly damaged, he said: "We do believe that and we hope so."