US bomb threats: At least six suspicious packages sent to Obamas, Clintons and news media organisations across America

Donald Trump says acts were 'domestic terrorism'

Alarm goes off in CNN newsroom while on air as Time Warner Center evacuated

Donald Trump has called the several packages containing explosive devices or suspected of containing them, acts of "domestic terrorism".

Mr Trump, addressing the situation at the White House, said it was "egregious" and said the American people need "to unify, we have to come together".

Suspected explosive devices have been sent to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and packages suspected of containing such devices were sent to former US Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA Director John Brennan, and US House Democrat Maxine Waters. The series of incidents come just two days after a bomb was sent to the home of billionaire George Soros.

The packages to the Clintons, Obamas, and Ms Waters were intercepted before reaching any of them.

Another package containing a “live” explosive device and “white powder” was sent to the mailroom of CNN at their offices in the Time Warner Building in Manhattan, just a few steps away from a Trump International Hotel.

House Democrat and former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida was listed as the sender/return address on the packages to the Clintons, Obamas, and Mr Brennan.

Her name, as well as Mr Brennan’s, was misspelled on the CNN package. Mr Brennan does not work for the network, but frequently appears on MSNBC.

An additional package was also sent to the Manhattan office of Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, but it was deemed as “safe” by the New York Police Department and contained a USB drive of “literature”.

Yet another package was labelled as “suspicious” in the building housing a district office of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris and the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper in San Diego, California. It was also deemed safe by police and was not addressed to the senator.

Follow the news updates as they happened

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Key Points

• Offices of Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senator Kamala Harris evacuated
• CNN offices evacuated over reports of 'pipe bomb'
• Secret Service find suspicious package outside home of Barack Obama
• Suspected 'bomb' found at New York home of Bill and Hillary Clinton

[24 October 2018 15:38 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Here is the exact moment when the CNN anchors in New York had to evacuate on air and hand over to the DC bureau.

[24 October 2018 15:44 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The package sent to the Clintons was the first one reported to be found this morning. 

Read more here: 

[24 October 2018 15:47 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The NYPD has said they feel they have "this particular situation under control" at CNN's offices in the Time Warner Building in midtown Manhattan.

[24 October 2018 15:51 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Police and other law enforcement agencies are keeping a watchful eye on the Obamas home in Washington, DC, after the suspicious package with a possible explosive device was intercepted on its way to the former President and First Lady. 

[24 October 2018 15:52 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Authorities are doing the same for the Clintons home in Chappaqua, New York. 

[24 October 2018 15:55 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

A US official has told The Associated Press investigators believe the explosive that was discovered near the Clintons' home in Chappaqua, New York, is linked to one found Monday at the compound of billionaire George Soros. 

Both homes are in Westchester, New York, just north of New York City. 

The official was not authorised to publicly discuss the ongoing investigations and spoke on condition of anonymity. 

The official said one of the packages had the return address of US House Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. 

[24 October 2018 16:02 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Hillary Clinton was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday and was not at the family's New York residence at the time the package was intercepted at a Westchester County facility, however Mr Clinton was present in the family's home. 

[24 October 2018 16:04 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

CNN has said an NYPD source told them the device, found in the mailroom of the Time Warner Center, was "constructed with a pipe and wires...Law enforcement authorities are treating the device as a real explosive".

The device was discovered in the mailroom of Time Warner Center.

[24 October 2018 16:05 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Authorities have reported to CNN the device addressed to the White House, intercepted at a military base, were "rudimentary but functional". 

The device also contained projectiles according to police. 

[24 October 2018 16:19 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Despite early reports, of a suspicious package sent to the White House - the Secret Service is only confirming the packages sent to Mr Obama and Ms Clinton.