Cat video helps revive tourism in Brussels

Belgium's tourist boards have latched on to the social media craze of cats, which gave Brussels light relief during a tense five-day security lockdown in the wake of militant attacks in Paris.

Images of deserted city streets as security forces hunted suspected Islamist militants have dealt a blow to Belgium's tourism industry, with hotels reporting many cancellations.

On Sunday, when police asked the public in Brussels not to share on social media the details of their operations, Belgians took to tweeting each other pictures of their cats.