Terrorist attack hits global markets - Updated

NEWS Terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC have halted trading on the Nasdaq and NYSE stock exchanges. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York shortly after 09:00(EST). Since then Manhattan has been engulfed in smoke, and the Centre's two towers have collapsed. At the time of writing, official reports say six people have been killed and thousands injured, though around 50,000 people regularly work in the buildings. Trading has ceased on the Nasdaq, and the NYSE has suspended the opening of trading indefinitely. The FTSE100 index was down over 200 points, with Frankfurt's DAX 40 down over 350 points. Other Euro bourses were also hit. TV News channels have also been showing pictures of smoke pouring out of the Pentagon, the US military headquarters in Washington DC. Reports also say that a car bomb has been detonated outside the US state department.
Wire services have been reporting that a fourth plane is now in the air, heading for Washington. CNN has reported that a total of seven planes have been hijacked. The BBC also reported that a fourth plane has crashed in western Pennsylvania. All flights from US airports have been stopped. A Palestinian terrorist group, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was originally thought to be behind the attacks. But the group has now denied any responsibility.
A shaken Prime Minister Tony Blair cancelled a planned address to the TUC Conference, giving a statement describing the attacks as "terrible, shocking events." More to follow...