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Here are some need-to-know numbers for Tuesday.
A series of explosions struck Brussels on Tuesday morning, killing more than 30 people. The blasts, which hit an airport and metro station, prompted Belgium to raise “its terrorism alert to its highest level,” the BBC writes. ISIS said it’s behind the terrorist attacks, attacks Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel called “blind, violent and cowardly.” In response to the violence, Michel also said, “This is a day of tragedy, a black day…I would like to call on everyone to show calmness and solidarity.”
Other news in the world: one apparel company is gaining a foothold against Nike in the market for basketball shoes. Nike controls more than 90 percent of the market, but Under Armour is seeing a surge in basketball shoe sales. NBA star Stephen Curry, whom Nike passed on signing a deal with twice, has helped with those financial increases. Despite the increasing power of its rivals, growing demand for Nike products still exists, with many students in Europe and China donning its footwear.
Taking a closer look at financial matters in Europe, the Scottish city of Aberdeen is facing an oil downturn. The area has grown rich from tapping into oil and natural gas field reserves in the North Sea, where 15 billion barrels reside. Now, oil’s falling prices have made them unprofitable. But Aberdeen may have one possible antidote for its crumbling economic infrastructure: dolphins. Marketplace’s Stephen Beard writes about it here.
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