Letter bomb explodes at European Parliament

A letter bomb addressed to a leading politician has exploded at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The letter bomb, which was addressed to Hans-Gert Poettering, the head of the European Parliament's Christian Democrat group, burst into flames without causing injury.

Belgium bomb-disposal squad also dealt with a suspicious package in the offices of Jose Ignacio Salafranca, head of the Spanish conservatives in the EU parliament.

All the bombs are believed to have been posted on December 22 in Bologna. Investigators are examining whether the attacks are linked to four letter bombs that were sent to European Commission officials and agencies last week.