this morning on "world news now," terror manhunt. the search for the surviving suspected attacker in brussels. it goes into another day as belgium observes a day of mourning. we're going to take you live there. >> terror cell. the newly uncovered link between the brussels bombings and the paris attacks. frightening details about isis. >> the state of emergency in the great plains. >> the rapidly spreading grass fires burning in several states. the evacuations and concerns about gusty wind conditions. >> later in "the skinny," bridget jones returns. renee zellweger and her loveable character is back. a glimpse at her role in a new movie years in the making. it is thursday, march 24th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning on this

i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm reena ninan. let's get started this half hour with the latest in the wake of the brussels terror attacks. as the investigation and the manhunt continues, more and more links are being made between brussels and the attacks in paris. >> those responsible are now known to be part of the same isis terror cell. for the very latest we're joined right now from you brussels by abc's aaron katersky. good morning. >> kendis, good morning. there was supposed to be a third even more powerful explosion at the brussels airport on tuesday and this morning, the hunt is on for whoever placed that bomb. wearing masks and body armor, police hunt for a terrorist, they're looking for this man seen in a surveillance image moment before the two blasts at the brussels airport. authorities said he left a bag containing the biggest bomb that did not detonate as planned. the two other attackers seen pushing luggage that contained

identified. one of them has been linked to the paris attacks. the three were picked up in a taxi from an address where police later discovered signs of a bomb factory, explosives, chemicals, bags of nails. the shrapnel wounded 300 people at the airport and the metro station. at least 31 are dead. this is the second day of national mourning. the airport is closed to passengers till at least saturday. the subways are running on a limited schedule. and today a new worry. the main suspect from the november bombings and shootings in paris is due in a belgian court. sal la abdeslam was captured here last week after his fingerprints were found in an apartment rented by one of the brussels suicide bombers. >> his court appearance had been delayed over security fears here in belgium. there are still fears of the potential for follow-on attacks either here in this european capital or in another one as we get ever closer to the easter holiday.

and as you can see behind me, belgians have left the usual mementos we've seen after attacks around the world of terrorism and these mementos are going to linger. this has been a spot of gathering for people to stand in solidarity and defiance in the face of the latest terror attack. kendis, reena. >> aaron, what are police most concerned about when it comes to the terror threat there in belgium? >> reporter: i think there are two things. one the urgent manhunt under way for someone who may know about the attacks themselves on tuesday and perhaps their direct connection to the paris attacks and whether there are any more operatives out there. they've been searching for one person they believe but they've also continued to search for others at least somewhat linked to the paris attacks. so all of these hunts are quite urgent because as the belgians have found in the bomb factory, there are signs around this city that other attacks may have been

in the offing. >> abc's aaron katersky joining us from brussels city and a country that is observing an official day of mourning there. aaron, thank you. we're going to continue with brussels. because there's been some confusion about an american couple who remain unaccounted for in brussels. justin and stephanie schultz were last seen at brussels international airport. they had just been visited by her mother who was returning home to kentucky. one of the blasts separated them but the state department had told their family they had been found and were being treated at a hospital when in actuality, they are still missing. >> well, a troubling report from the "associated press" quotes officials as saying that isis has trained at least 400 fighters to target europe in deadly waves of attacks. it says that those fighters have orders to choose the time, place and method to create maximum chaos. abc's brian ross has more. >> it'

u.s. authorities that the deadly terror attack this week in brussels and last november in paris were the work of one interconnected isis cell based in belgium made of at least 16 terror recruits, 13 of them now dead, one under arrest. and two still being south. >> it's got more moving parts. it's got people attacking in different ways. it's a more resilient kind of terror cell i think. >> reporter: the culmination of more than a year of careful planning by isis central command in syria that allowed the cell to avoid detection for so long. >> they do train their people in the fundamentals of being a spy, of being a terrorist cell. fundamentals of secure communication. >> among those of documents ties to both paris and brussels is that suspected bomb maker, 24-year-old najim laachraoui who's weres were discovered in the brussels airport.

his dna and fingerprints at bomb factories that produced explosives for both paris and brussels. authorities now believe that cell in brussels is out of people, out of explosives. but the concern remains about other terror cells across europe still covert and still actively plotting. brian ross, abc news, new york. >> this morning there are major new very manies in the cyberattack on a new york area dam. the justice department is expected to announce as soon as today a criminal indictment against seven iranian-backed hackers. it's believed the group is behind the computer intrusion of the small new york dam and dozens of u.s. banks. the indictment is expected to directly link the iranian government to the attacks. the governor of kansas has declared a state of emergency because of a rapidly spreading grass fire along the border with oklahoma. the fire has burned more than 100 square miles and closed roads. about a dozen homes have been evacuated. winds are strong. and the fire is still out of control. ranchers and farmers are worried.

>> it's the worst possible situation as far as wind. >> if they don't get this thing shut down pretty quick, it's going to rank right up there. >> smoke and ash from the wildfire is making the air unhealthy as far away as wichita about 0 miles away. authorities say parts of new mexico and northwest texas are also at risk for wildfires. >> and the strong winds in the southern plains are creating other problems for drivers. highway crews are having to remove loads of tumble weeds. they're even rolling in from the mesa onto the streets of albuquerque. one resident says it's the worst she's seen in a decade in ten years. and there's been a run on pitchforks at hardware stores, as well. and travel through the denver area is even worse. look at this. a spring blizzard closing major highways. the plows having trouble with the heavy blowing snow. the denver international airport reopened but many flights today still canceled. the full force of the blizzard hasn't reached wisconsin yet.

but the governor has already declared a state of emergency and activated the national guard. >> today's forecast, up to a foot of snow in green bay as the blizzard moves east. rain from the eastern great lakes to new england. rain in the pacific northwest. severe weather and a threat of tornadoes in the deep south. >> 40s in minneapolis and boston. 50s in great falls, montana, and portland. 60s in dallas and new york. 70s in atlanta and l.a. >> a california college student is recovering after a freak accident involving e cigarettes. the 20-year-old was skate boarding across the campus of orange coast college when two spare e cigarette batteries suddenly burst into flames in his pocket catching his pants on fire. he suffered burns to his thigh and groin before a friend came to his rescue. >> one of his friends tried to put out the fire with his shirt. trying to put out the fire so he doesn't get hurt. >> authorities say batteries can explode when they come into contact with other metals such as keys or coins but the

student's father says he had nothing else in his pocket. one other excuse to give up smoking i guess for some. >> good point. so this is, you can't make this stuff up. a flying saucer stolen from the ufo museum in roswell, new mexico has been found torn to pieces. >> surveillance video shows three men loading the model spaceship into a pickup truck early saturday, then driving off. the fiberglass and metal ufo was later discovered in a ditch, ripped apart and ultimately destroyed. >> so the flying saucer had been a fixture outside the museum for years but it was recently knocked off its mount in a snowstorm. do we really think those are humans getting the flying saucer? or they just came back for what they own? >> definitely not humans. >> nice theme. >> coming up in "the skinny," the tribute to a rap legend. not from a fellow celebrity but from a tv news track reporter. >> this is a good one. >> also ahead, the super hero scene stea

wonder woman in the batman versus superman movie. >> that's supposed to be a good movie, too. >> as we return to our top story, the security concerns amplified here in the u.s. after the terror attacks in belgium. you're watching "world news now." sarcasm. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. my 60's. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare surance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years.

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floor safe. agents seized more than a ton of marijuana and arrested four people. >> a flight attend suspects of leaving behind 70 pounds of cocaine in her luggage at l.a.x. is due in court today. the dea says marsha reynolds you see her here with her luggage in two turned herself in yesterday in new york. she's a jetblue flight attendant. she was randomly chosen for a screening last week when authorities say she left behind her suitcase and then she ran from the airport. >> returning to our top story that we've been talking about, security at many of the nation's airports remains high this morning following the attacks in brussels. >> abc's david kerley has more on what's being done to protect soft targets. >> reporter: at atlanta's airport -- >> they're making us rush out of the terminal here. passengers run from the baggage areas after a dog alerted on a piece of luggage. it's the anxiety after brussels. it was a plane landing in orlando, searched.

at most u.s. airports, it's only beyond tsa checkpoints the boarding gates, the actual airfield that are secure areas. but should that circle of security be extended to the ticketing terminal or even out to the access road where identification and bags might be collected? -- checked? >> do we need to do that at this point after brussels? >> i don't know if after brussels those types of measures are necessary in this country yet. >> reporter: with an estimated 9.5 million americans expected to travel to europe this spring and summer, that state department travel warning is active. terrorists plan to target european sporting events, tourist sites and transportation. experts say the additional officers and dogs do make these open areas safer but to make them secure would take the radical and expensive step of moving security all the way to the outside doors or beyond. david kerley, abc news, reagan washington airport. >> spring break time. a lot of people concerned about air travel.

very, very, very busy year for air travel. so a lot of concerns indeed. coming up, why madonna finally has some good news to enjoy. >> plus a traffic reporter's hip-hop tribute. "the skinny" up next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations

♪ here we go, yo, so what, what is the scenario.

here we go, yo. >> here we go, yo, with the skinny scenario. starting with the tributes pouring in for hip-hop icon phife dog. >> malik taylor, phife dawg, was a founding member of the pioneer group a tribe called quest. he died late tuesday the age of 45, due to complications from diabetes. >> the other members of tribe including q tip released a statement saying they are devastated by the news as well as countless others remembering the emcee for his unique sense of wordplay, his lyrical flow, his fun loving attitude. it's not just other rappers influenced by phife. check out the traffic reporter from our atlanta station honoring the rapper by quoting his lyrics throughout the broadcast. >> you want point mark? we're on point, fred. absolutely seeing stone mountain freeway highway 78. one for the treble, two for the bass. you know the style,

time to flip this. mark mackay my man going each and every place with traffic tracker 2 in his hand. mark mackay, are things ludicrously speedy or infectionious with the slow mo? >> infectious with the slow mo currently. ♪ >> nice. >> i love it. >> that was awesome. >> the traffic reporter says a tribe called class was the sound track to his youth and credits phife dawg as one of the big influences in his life. >> he does traffic and rap. he does all of that and refuses to come back. >> good one, brian. >> if mark ever wants to do a hip-hop newscast, i'm in. was that good? did you approve of that? he actually wrote that because i'm not that cool. >> he was so proud like in the commercial break beforehand, he was like -- >> coaching me through it. >> here's how you have to hit it. >> then he laughed like this is not going to work. >> nice job. >> nailed it. >> nailed it. >> you needed to work in a little bonita applebum, as well. >> i'll perfect it for next time. >> good job.

let's talk about bridget jones back. a recognizable, that's key, renee zellweger emerges with the third installment of the beloved british character. we last saw bridget jones in 2004 when she was engaged to mark darcy. >> but the just released trailer for the sequel reveals she got jilted at the altar. so jones is still single and working in tv. but there's one major turn of events. she's pregnant and caught in a love triangle between the two suspecting fathers played by colin firth and patrick dempsey. >> oh. >> i'm pregnant. >> surprise. >> oh, no, bridget. who's the father? is it mark? >> there's at least a 50% chance. >> a 50% chance? did you have a three-way. >> >> i guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. "bridget jones baby" is set to hit theaters september 16th. i look forwarded to that one. >> it's so good to see her smile with all that botox. >> kidding.

next, madonna reaching another milestone on the road. >> the material girl has been under some stress recently with the custody battle over her son rocco and australian fans outraged over the singer's extreme tardiness. finally some good news. based on billboard's box 4 archives madonna has now grossed over $1.3 billion on tour throughout her career. >> her reb heart tour helped push her out in front of bruce springsteen as the top selling touring act of all time. >> finally a little throwback thursday here in "the skinny" with david hasselhoff going shirtless with a red switching trunk. it's 2016, and the hoff is back on the beach. >> this image circulating online showing hasselhoff in character on the set of the new "baywatch" movie with the tough task of having to stand next to the rock. >> yeah, it is tough. >> the hoff says he has been working out for the role in the film r

in may of next year. looking good, hoff, looking good. >> 63. >> he looks fantastic. >> he looks awesome. >> fantastic. >> wonder woman next. ♪ music ♪ introducing new k-y touch gel crème. for massage and intimacy. every touch, gently intensified. a little touch is all it takes. k-y touch. garden party for her birthday. a fabulous so i mowed the lawn, put up all the decorations. i thought i got everything. almost everything! you know, 1 in 10 houses could get hit by a septic disaster, and a bill of up to $13,000. but for only $7 a month, rid-x is scientifically proven to break down waste, helping you avoid a septic disaster.

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♪ wonder woman, get us out from under wonder woman ♪ >> that's the theme music that we play as reena walks onto the set every day. >> every morning. >> absolutely. >> before the show and after the show. >> now you know there's a new wonder woman that is in town and just in time, word is a couple of other guys are about to go at it in batman versus superman dawn of justice". >> the actress is primed for a breakout role and sat down with abc's nick watt telling him that this is just the beginning for female superheros. >> reporter: yes the movie is called batman versus superman but did you know that wonder woman nearly steals the show? >> is she with you? >> i love everything about her everything she s

had everything she symbolizes is things that i love and believe in. truth and love and compassion and justice. i want to be her. >> reporter: you are. >> yeah, but in real life, no, i am. you're right. i need to get used to the fact. >> reporter: gal gadot is actor, model and one-time israeli soldier. >> you were in the idf. right. >> i was, yeah. >> doing what? >> i was a combat trainer. >> reporter: training to play wonder woman, she says, reminded her of boot camp. by the way, a stand alone movie ready in the works. >> we're shooting wonder woman as we speak. >> landing at l.a.x. after a long flight from home. >> i saw 30 missed calls from my agents. so i caused them while still sitting in the airplane. and then they said, gal, you can't say anything to anyone yet but you got the part. and then i started yelling and screaming and i melted and i became one big puddle of myself. >> reporter: her life will never be the same. >> as a mother for a 4-year-old girl, my daughter is vermu

into princesses. the princess, she always falls asleep and then the prince is the one to wake her up. she doesn't do anything. i mean, she's passive. so for me, it made me feel really, really good about the fact that we're bringing wonder woman to life. what an amazing great role model she is. >> i don't think you've ever known a woman like me. >> i think that everyone are going to be very surprised when they're going to step out of the theater. don't you think? you signed the papers. >> reporter: yep, they made blabber mouth promise to keep my mouth shut. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> oh, do you know that they hired a trainer, the director hired a trainer for her because she was so skinny. they wanted her to hold her own against the men. >> you didn't need a trainer. >> are you trying to say i'm not so skinny? >> thank you for that very skinny mini and looking fierce. >> i did have a tennis match today.

into is that what

making news in america this morning, massive manhunt for one of the brussels attackers. raids across the country for a second straight day, plus new details on the bomb that didn't go off. and the intelligence failure allowing the bombers to plan the attack. we're live in brussels. and searching for the americans still unaccounted for after the attack. their families holding on to hope. severe weather on two fronts, high winds and drying conditions sparking wildfires. a state of emergency declared and springtime blizzard. over a foot of snow falling right now. smooth moves. president obama kicking up his heels, dancing the tango.