West Indies vs India World T20 Semi-final highlights

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West Indies chased down India’s 192 to enter the finals of the 2016 ICC World T20.






West Indies vs India World T20 Semi-final highlights


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West Indies vs India World T20 Semi-final highlights


Food companies move away from potentially toxic chemicals in cans

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Food companies move away from potentially toxic chemicals in cans” was written by Alison Moodie, for theguardian.com on Thursday 31st March 2016 22.14 UTC


Major food companies are still coating the lining of their metal food cans with Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has been linked to serious health problems like cancer, infertility and obesity, according to a new study.


The study, conducted by a group of nonprofit organizations including the Breast Cancer Fund and Ecology Center, tested nearly 200 cans from food giants such as Campbell Soup Company, Del Monte and General Mills. Two out of three cans had the additive in their lining, according to the authors.


All of the 15 Campbell Soup cans tested contained BPA, while more than half of the Del Monte and General Mills cans tested positive for the chemical. BPA was also found in the majority of private-label canned goods tested at national grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons, and at big box retailers such as Target and Walmart.


BPA has been used commercially since the 1960s to harden the plastic in bottles and to act as a protective layer between food and the metal found in cans. The chemical can sometimes leach into food, and can be absorbed when that food is consumed. In a 2004 study, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found BPA traces in the urine of nearly all participants – some were as young as six.


However, the effects of even low doses of BPA have been disputed for years. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that the amount that passes into our food is safe at current levels. However, some studies have shown BPA to mimic the hormone estrogen, which can be harmful to the female reproductive system and affect brain development in young children. The chemical has also been linked to a host of other illnesses and disorders including breast cancer, heart disease, adult obesity and behavioral problems in children.


Concerns over the potential health risks of BPA have led governments and companies to limit the use of the additive in food products and packaging. In 2013, the FDA banned the chemical from baby bottles and infant food packaging, but insisted the decision was not based on safety concerns. Large food companies have also faced pressure from consumers and advocacy groups to make the switch to BPA-free cans.


The authors of this latest report say big brands and grocery, retail and dollar stores should eliminate BPA from all of their packaging, and clearly label any substitute chemicals used.


This week, food giants Campbell Soup and Del Monte heeded the call. Both companies announced they would be shifting away from BPA packaging. Campbell Soup said it would eliminate BPA in the linings of all of its cans by the middle of 2017. The company said it started using alternative linings made from acrylic and polyester in March, and it was on track to have 75% of its soups in BPA-free cans by the end of the year. The change will apply to all its soups and gravies, SpaghettiOs pasta and Swanson broth.


“Our priority throughout this transition has been, and will continue to be, food safety,” Mike Mulshine, senior program manager of packaging, said in a statement. “We have tested and conducted trials with hundreds of alternatives to BPA lining and believe the acrylic and polyester options will ensure our food remains safe, affordable and tastes great.”


Del Monte said it would be switching to BPA-free lining in all of its fruit and tomato products and the majority of its vegetable items. The food manufacturer, whose ready-to-eat fruit cups are a popular school lunchbox snack, said it planned to start changing the lining in May and complete the conversion by October.


Both companies said they were responding to consumer demand for safer products.


The report also highlighted companies such as ConAgra, Amy’s Kitchen and Hain Celestial Group that have successfully transitioned away from BPA, and have disclosed the BPA alternatives they are using. Whole Foods was lauded as an industry leader for its policy not to accept any new canned items containing BPA.


But BPA alternatives aren’t necessarily a safer option. Studies have shown that BPS, a common replacement for BPA, could have similar negative effects on reproductive function and fetal brain development. The report found traces of potentially harmful substances in up to 50% of BPA-free cans tested, including PVC-based lining, which the authors called a “regrettable substitute” for BPA because it contains “highly hazardous chemicals” such as vinyl chloride, which some groups have said is dangerous to human health.


Tensie Whelan, director of New York University’s Center for Sustainable Business, said that while companies should be applauded for switching to BPA-free lining in their cans, they need to make sure they aren’t swapping out one potentially dangerous chemical for another.


“It’ll be critical that they publicly and transparently disclose the substitutes they use and work with scientists, government and civil society to ensure those alternatives are safe as well,” she said.


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Food companies move away from potentially toxic chemicals in cans


Miitomo first look review – is Nintendo's mobile app any good?

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Miitomo first look review – is Nintendo’s mobile app any good?” was written by Stuart Dredge, for theguardian.com on Thursday 31st March 2016 13.53 UTC


The first thing to know about Nintendo’s Miitomo is that it isn’t a game. Not really.


The way the company is describing its long-awaited mobile release is “an app from Nintendo that brings out a side of you your friends have never seen before”. So Miitomo isn’t competing directly against Clash Royale, Game of War and Candy Crush Saga.


It’s hard to say what it is competing against though: it sits somewhere between Snapchat, Bitstrips (which Snapchat has just bought) and any social app using emoji and digital stickers.


Miitomo was released in Japan earlier in March, notching up more than 1m downloads in its first three days. Now it has launched in a host of other countries – including the UK, Ireland US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and various European countries – as a free download for iOS and Android devices.


Your Miitomo avatar can look like you, thanks to the camera.
Your Miitomo avatar can look like you, thanks to the camera.

At its centre are the Mii avatars that will be familiar to anyone who’s owned a device from Nintendo’s Wii and DS families in recent years.


The app gets you to create a Mii character – including using your smartphone’s camera if you want it to look like you – and tweaking how it moves and speaks, before sending it off as a “social go-between” for you and your friends.


They’re nosy little so-and-sos: asking questions about what you’ve been doing recently to kick conversations off. You can also set standard responses for them when they encounter Miis of friends, although Nintendo may have to be nimble on its feet when policing how this feature is used:



It’s like a chatbot within a traditional messaging app and is impressively on-trend, given that Microsoft has just announced that “bots are the new apps”. Although thankfully the Miis appear to be steering well clear of racism, sexism and drug-smoking. For now.


Kitting your Mii out with virtual clobber is a big part of Miitomo: there’s an in-app shop selling virtual clothes, which you pay for with virtual coins – either earning them from your use of the app, or by spending real money on them.


Coins are sold in quantities of between 1,000 for £0.79 and 105,000 for £54.99. From 250-coin shoes to 6,400-coin robot outfits, there seem to be plenty of items to choose from.


You’ll also need coins to play the gaming bit of Miitomo: a built-in mini-game called Miitomo Drop, which involves dropping your character into a Peggle-y pinball-y environment to win prizes, including virtual clothes that aren’t available in the shop.


The Miitomo shop and mini-game.
The Miitomo shop and mini-game.

It’s less a game and more a daily draw with bells on: a mildly diverting means to an end – more items. You’ll get much more amusement from the other major feature of the app, which is called Miifoto.


This is a photo-editing tool where you can insert Miis (your own and those of your friends) into photographs, adding in other stickers, text and backgrounds. It’s a lot of fun, and you can expect to see plenty of Miifotos appearing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks if you move in Nintendophile circles.


That’s the main appeal or drawback of Miitomo: ultimately it will only be as fun as the number of friends you have using it too.


I’d say it’s aimed at two groups of people (who may crossover) – teenagers and people who love Nintendo. The former may be hard to attract away from the holy SoMo trinity of Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp, so that leaves the latter group.


Nintendo’s last public figures show it has sold 12.6m Wii U consoles and 57.9m 3DS handhelds, not to mention the 101.6m Wiis that introduce the Mii avatars in the first place, so there’s definitely an audience for Miitomo – many of which will own smartphones.


The Miifotos feature in action.
The Miifotos feature in action.

The younger members of that audience may be ruled out: my six and eight year-old sons would love Miitomo but its social and data-collecting aspects mean Nintendo has placed a minimum age limit of 13 on the app. That said, ask all the 11- and 12-year-olds on Snapchat, Instagram etc what they think of age limits…


If you’re old enough, if you love Nintendo enough and if you have enough friends who fall into both categories, Miitomo is an inventive and fun, first mobile app for the company. Everyone else? The wait will continue for Nintendo to make some more ambitious mobile games based on its most-loved brands.


The location-based Pokémon Go is due this year, with the hope that Nintendo and its mobile partners are already dreaming up amazing games that take full advantage of smartphones and tablets – while avoiding the most over-aggressive approaches to the “freemium” models that dominate on these devices.


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Miitomo first look review – is Nintendo's mobile app any good?


West Indies v India: World Twenty20 semi-final – live!

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Watch LIVE From here


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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “West Indies v India: World Twenty20 semi-final – live!” was written by Nick Miller, for theguardian.com on Thursday 31st March 2016 13.29 UTC





Some more stuff on the issue of who to support from you, dear readers:


Simon Gates: “Ian Copestake doesn’t need to worry as these teams are only playing for the honour of being obliterated by England in the final. Possibly.”


Robert Wolf Petersen (great name): “I’m with Ian Copestake. Is there any chance we can eliminate them both and organise a rematch between England and New Zealand for the final?”


Colm: “I know it’s a cliché but- only in the Guardian!!”







On who to support for moral reasons, here’s Ian Copestake: “I am still struggling to disassociate the West Indies from Chris Gayle’s unreconstructed interview techniques and figured I would support India on the basis of gender equality. But a look at the Gender Inequality Index has India down in 130th place (of 150 or so nations), forty below Jamaica. So I kind of want them both to lose.”






Team news



India


RG Sharma, A Rahane, V Kohli, S Raina, M Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk, c), H Pandya, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, A Nehra, J Bumrah.


West Indies


J Charles, CH Gayle, MN Samuels, LMP Simmons, D Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, AD Russell, DJG Sammy, CR Brathwaite, S Badree, SJ Benn.


Umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Ian Gould (on-field), Marais Erasmus (third umpire), Michael Gough (fourth umpire), Chris Broad (match referee).






West Indies have won the toss



…and have chosen to bowl first.







Lovely bit of news from earlier – Mahela Jayawardene will play alongside Chris Gayle for Somerset in the T20 Blast this summer. Oh yes.






Preamble



So, sports fans, what do we want to see today? Would we like to see a close fought, squeaky tight game in which a run chase goes down to the very last ball, or are we all here just to see if Virat Kohli can do those Virat Kohli things again? Hopefully both, but let’s not get greedy. The other question is who would make a better final? The home team, with their cricket daft nation whooping it up around them, or the visitors, who can’t seem to find their collective bottom with both hands when it comes to Test matches, organisation or actually keeping any of their players happy, but when it comes to Twenty20 most definitely have their ish together?


Another thought it whether the last games of the two teams will have any impact. India of course roared back to beat Australia from an unlikely position, Kohli playing like the dreamiest dream and proving once and for all that – with apologies to all the very capable, erudite, talented people out there – he is almost certainly better than you. West Indies on the other hand stuck out a pseudo-reserve team that were torn a new one by Afghanistan, of all people, a result that might not mean a great deal since the reason for their second-string was that they had already qualified for the semis. But still, perhaps not the ideal way to prepare for such a supermassive game, neither might be an emotionally and physically draining encounter with Australia.


What seems rather more certain is that this should be a belter. Stay tuned.


Start: 14.30 BST







Hello. Nick will be here shortly for West Indies v India. Despite the Windies winning the group, hosts India are the favourites. West Indies captain Darren Sammy remains confident his team can book a rematch with England in Sunday’s final:


It is going to be 15 West Indian players versus thousands and how many billions here in India. It is a challenge we are ready to face. The guys who predict the results, I think they say it’s 80‑20 to India, so it feels like a David and Goliath – but people tend to forget that David won the fight. It is something similar to that.


The next T20 World Cup is in four years. The World Universe Boss [Gayle] will be 40. I will be 36, so yes, we really put our all into this tournament and the guys in the dressing room are aware of what’s at stake


It is six steps to the cup. We have taken four, we had a little pothole in the road [against Afghanistan] but we will brush ourselves off and the step tomorrow is against India and we are looking forward to it. I think this year could be the year for the West Indies.



Read more here.




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West Indies v India: World Twenty20 semi-final – live!


Why should I upgrade from Windows 7 to 10?

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Why should I upgrade from Windows 7 to 10?” was written by Jack Schofield, for theguardian.com on Thursday 31st March 2016 08.58 UTC


You haven’t answered the most obvious question of all: why should I upgrade from Windows 7 to 10? What are the benefits? Please give a straight answer, which can include technical stuff. Tom


In the long term, I don’t think the question is “Why?”, it’s “When?” Eight months after launch, Windows 10 is running on 270m devices and it’s not going away. Some large organisations have already started to move, one of the most notable being the US Defense Department, which has started installing Windows 10 on 4m PCs.


By contrast, we know that Windows 7 is going away: Microsoft will stop supporting it in 2020.


Of course, Microsoft – like Apple and Google – would like everyone to use the latest version of its operating system. It has therefore encouraged early adoption by offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 – again, like Apple and Google, except that Microsoft’s upgrade offer is only available for a year.


Either way, once you have installed Windows 10, it will be updated free for the life of your device. There will (probably) never be a Windows 11, because Microsoft is now producing two small updates each year instead of one big update every three years.


Whether it’s worth upgrading now depends on what sort of PC you have, but the more mobile, the better. If you have an old desktop PC with no touchscreen, no camera and no microphone, there are fewer benefits. (The touchscreen isn’t essential, it’s just nice to have.) If you have a modern Windows laptop or 2-in-1 with UEFI firmware, the upgrade is more attractive.


I say “the more mobile, the better” because Windows 10 is a mobile operating system. I know this upsets people who think their PCs should work just like they did in a previous century, but the whole technology world is changing and Windows is changing along with it. Microsoft’s boss Satya Nadella keeps repeating his “cloud first, mobile first” mantra, and Windows will continue to become increasingly mobile and cloud-aware.


Ecosystem wars


The other thing to bear in mind is that we are in an ecosystem war that Microsoft wants to win. The main alternative ecosystems are run by Apple and Google. However, Apple’s approach is mostly “Apple only” (apart from iTunes), while Google’s is mostly “cloud only” (apart from Chrome). Both support only a very limited range of devices.


By contrast, Microsoft is building an ecosystem that supports both on-premise and cloud operation, and that runs across all three ecosystems: it has dozens of apps for Android and Apple’s iOS, and is increasing its support for Linux in Windows 10 and Azure. Windows runs on everything from USB sticks, games consoles and smartphones to giant server farms, and there’s an internet of things version for the Raspberry Pi and other devices.


If you only use one old desktop PC, you will get limited benefits from the Windows ecosystem. If you have a lot of different types of device, you will get more benefits from Windows 10 and all the related apps and cloud-based services such as Outlook.com and Office 365.


From 7 to 10


Depending on your hardware, a straight upgrade from Windows 7 to 10 may offer some benefits. These start with smoother and sometimes faster operations, more economical use of memory and disk space, increased security (SmartScreen, Windows Defender, encryption), and the integration of OneDrive cloud storage.


File Explorer is a better file manager, and DirectX 12 promises better gaming. Task View makes it easier to access running programs. Virtual desktops, which were easily added, are now built in. The system refresh and reset options make it simpler to maintain your PC.


Windows 10 also includes the new Edge browser, though IE11 is still there, hidden away. You can also search the internet from your desktop.


Further, Windows 10 provides better built-in support for newer types of hardware including secure boot capabilities with UEFI, USB 3.0, Bluetooth adapters, high-definition screens (ie better scaling), and solid state drives (eg NVMe).


With UEFI, Windows 10 machines boot up and resume from sleep dramatically faster than Windows 7. Almost instant-on was needed for smartphone and tablet use, of course, but it still benefits PC users.


Many Windows 10 features aren’t available on Windows 7. The most obvious are Cortana, an AI-based personal assistant, notifications and Windows Store apps. All three migrated from the smartphone world. There’s also Windows Hello, where your PC logs you on when it sees your face. However, that requires a camera compatible with Intel’s RealSense.


Windows Store apps – first introduced with Windows 8 – are written to a new application programming interface called Windows RunTime, not the traditional Win32 API. Windows Store apps are remotely installed and updated (like Android and iOS apps), run in secure sandboxes and can be cleanly uninstalled. “Universal” apps run on PCs, Windows smartphones and the Xbox One games console.


Windows 10 includes RunTime apps for Mail, Photos, Maps, Calendar, Groove Music and so on. You can download more from the 700,000 apps in the Windows Store. The quality is variable but they include free Microsoft Office apps, Adobe Photoshop Express, AutoDesk Pixlr, Code Writer, Dropbox, Flipboard, Fresh Paint, Line, Netflix, Notepad++, OneNote, Shazam, SkyScanner, TeamViewer Touch, Trello, TuneIn Radio, Viber and Wunderlist.


There’s one faction of tech fans that claims all smartphone and tablet apps are crap and there’s no substitute for real software, while another faction reckons that smartphone and tablet apps can do everything so the whole PC industry is dead. Both are wrong but why argue? In principle, Windows 10 can offer the best of both worlds.


The case against


You asked about the benefits of upgrading to Windows 10 and I’ve listed some immediate and some strategic (ecosystem) benefits. Even so, I don’t expect everybody to upgrade every PC. For example, my work desktop has no microphone, no camera, no touchscreen, no UEFI, it’s never turned off and it’s mainly used for Microsoft Office, photo processing and web browsing. It might stay on Windows 7 forever. But my touchscreen tablets and laptops get upgraded as soon as possible.


Only you can decide whether you want to jump in now or wait until you buy a new PC, which will have been designed to run Windows 10, and should make much better use of its new features.


Also, Windows 10 has improved a lot since its launch and while you wait, it should keep getting better. If you’re a “late adopter” or otherwise averse to change, you can stick with Windows 7 until January 2020. It’s your decision.


However, if that’s what you want, it’s a good idea to follow Microsoft’s opt-out instructions. This involves editing the registry, but Steve Gibson’s Never 10 will do the job without installing any software. You can delete it after using it.


Have you got another question for Jack? Email it to Ask.Jack@theguardian.com


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Why should I upgrade from Windows 7 to 10?


Dyson launches Pure Cool Link air purifier to clean up household air

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Dyson launches Pure Cool Link air purifier to clean up household air” was written by Samuel Gibbs and Damian Carrington, for theguardian.com on Wednesday 30th March 2016 23.01 UTC


Dyson’s new Pure Cool Link air purifying fan promises to clean up the air in your home, but also marks the first step of the British engineering firm into the Internet of Things.


The Pure Cool Link, which comes in both desk or tower versions, is a new version of the company’s luxury fans and adds an ultrafine filter that removes dirt from the air before sending it around your room.


Tobacco smoke, cookers and fires, moulds, aerosols and household chemicals can all create significant levels of pollutants in the home.


Dyson says the new activated carbon and 360-degree glass HEPA filter – which works in a similar manner to those fitted to high-end vacuums – captures up 99.95% of pollutants in the air in the home, including dust, smells, chemicals, pollen, spores, smoke and anything else 0.1micron or larger.


The fan can clean the air in a room in 30 to 60 minutes or monitor air quality to automatically bring it back to safer levels when it degrades.


Company founder James Dyson said: “We think it is polluted outside of our homes, but the air inside can be far worse. Dyson engineers focused on developing a purifier that automatically removes ultrafine allergens, odours and pollutants from the indoor air, feeding real time air quality data back to you.”


The fan could be particularly useful for allergy sufferers and has a Night Mode setting to make it quieter and dim the LED display when users are trying to sleep.


Hugo Wilson, design lead for Dyson, said: “Modern homes have been built to be more sealed against noise and trap heat, which means the pollutants we create inside the home are also trapped and build up to levels up to five times more polluted indoors than out.”


Although the impact of indoor pollution is not as well understood as outdoor pollution, a recent WHO report suggested indoor air pollution may cause or contribute to 99,000 premature deaths a year in Europe.


A 2012 study showed poor indoor air quality inside has short-term effects on asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and, more rarely, long-term effects. However another report said the health effects of volatile organic compounds from air fresheners, deodorants and cleaning products were “generally minor”.


dyson link app
The Dyson Link app will feed back air quality, humidity and temperature readings, and allow users to control the fan remotely. Photograph: Dyson

The Pure Cool Link also marks Dyson’s entry into the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) in the UK through its new Dyson Link app for iOS and Android, which has previously only been available with its robotic vacuum cleaner in Japan and the US.


The app will allow Pure Cool Link owners to monitor the air quality, temperature and humidity within the home, set air quality limits, see air quality history and start the fan remotely or on a schedule to clean up the air.


The Link app will unify Dyson’s connected devices, of which there are currently two, but the company is expected to expand its Wi-Fi-enabled product line where doing so will help a user control or understand actions taken while they’re not at home. The Link system does not currently integrate with other IoT systems such as Samsung’s SmartThings hub or Apple’s HomeKit, however.


The Dyson Pure Cool Link purifier fan will cost £350 for a desk model and £450 for the larger tower, which place it at the high end of the market, in-line with the company’s other fans, heaters and humidifiers. The £50 filter will need to be changed around once a year when the fan is run for 12-hours a day, of which the machine will notify users through the app and display.


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Dyson launches Pure Cool Link air purifier to clean up household air


Flipkart Offer March 2016: Buy Bed and get up to Rs. 6000 off

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Flipkart Offer March 2016: Buy Bed and get up to Rs. 6000 off


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Flipkart Offer March 2016: Buy Bed and get up to Rs. 6000 off


Images allegedly show EgyptAir hijacker posing for selfies with 'bomb'

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Images allegedly show EgyptAir hijacker posing for selfies with ‘bomb'” was written by Robert Booth, for theguardian.com on Tuesday 29th March 2016 17.24 UTC


A pair of bizarre photographs have been widely circulated online which appear to show the alleged EgyptAir hijacker, Seif Eldin Mustafa, posing for pictures with passengers in what is believed to have been a fake suicide belt.


One image shows the bespectacled Egyptian standing inside the cabin beside the plane door with an unidentified taller man who is grinning for the camera. Part of the pretend bomb Mustafa is alleged to have mocked up and tied around his waist is clearly visible through his open shirt. It is unclear who took the shot, which is believed to have been shown on Egyptian television.


Selfie with EgyptAir hijacker
Apparent selfie with EgyptAir hijacker. Photograph: Internet

In a second photograph, taken in the same location but showing part of what appears to be a different man beside him, Mustafa is holding up a pair of red and white wires taped together that seem to be connected to the pretend bomb belt, which itself has thick blue wires protruding from the top.


Internet users reacted with astonishment to the images which suggest passengers may have been taking turns for snaps with him. One wrote on Twitter: “Not sure who was crazier – The plane hijacker himself, or the dude who took a selfie with the hijacker.”


Another wrote: “How was your flight? It got hijacked. What? Yeah, got a selfie with the freak. Why? Because its 2016”.


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Images allegedly show EgyptAir hijacker posing for selfies with 'bomb'


US ends case against Apple after pulling data from San Bernardino iPhone

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “US ends case against Apple after pulling data from San Bernardino iPhone” was written by Danny Yadron in San Francisco, for The Guardian on Monday 28th March 2016 23.24 UTC


The US government dropped its court fight against Apple after it successfully pulled data from the iPhone of San Bernardino gunman Syed Farook, according to court records.


The development on Monday effectively ended a six-week legal battle poised to shape digital privacy for years to come. Justice Department lawyers wrote in a court filing Monday evening that they no longer needed Apple’s help in getting around the security countermeasures on Farook’s device.


“The government has now successfully accessed the data stored on Farook’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc,” the government said. It then asked the court to vacate a 16 February court order demanding Apple create software that weakened iPhone security settings to aid government investigators.


On a conference call with reporters that the Department of Justice organized, a law enforcement official declined to offer details on the technique other than to say that it came from outside the government. The Guardian has reported that the technique used by the government has been classified.


The official also declined to say if the government would share the technique – which likely exploits a security glitch in the phone – with Apple. Doing so would presumably cause the company to patch the security flaw. This leaves the Justice Department with a difficult choice: make all iPhones more secure from other hackers and governments who know how to get inside, or preserve an investigative technique.


Apple fought the February court order with a massive public relations and legal campaign. The company, America’s most valuable, argued that creating such software would force the company to betray its values along with the security and privacy of all of its customers.


Apple’s CEO Tim Cook argued that if Apple were forced to reengineer its products, it would open a Pandora’s box that could give the government outsize control over how Silicon Valley makes its products.


The case forced public leaders from Barack Obama to Bill Gates to declare where they stood on the balance between privacy and national security. It also kicked lawmakers into high gear to craft legislation governing a new generation of devices and messaging services that rely on strong encryption to protect user privacy.


Public opinion polls showed the public narrowly sided with the US government.


In some ways, the end of the battle turns the clock back to 15 February, the day before the San Bernardino iPhone fight went to court. The government and Silicon Valley remain in a sort of cold war over the growth of strong encryption in consumer technology, which can make it more difficult for investigators to access some digital evidence.


It’s unclear what the next step will be for each side.


Government lawyers already have earmarked criminal investigations that require getting around encryption or other privacy features of various messaging services, such as Facebook’s Whatsapp, but are yet to take those companies to court.


“It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties or through the court system when cooperation fails,” Justice Department spokeswoman Melanie Newman said. “We will continue to pursue all available options for this mission, including seeking the cooperation of manufacturers and relying upon the creativity of both the public and private sectors.”


In the call with reporters on Monday, the law enforcement official declined to say clearly whether the FBI would share its new iPhone-hacking technique with other agencies, such as state and local police departments, stymied by iPhone encryption.


“We continue to assist them in appropriate cases,” the official said.


Apple didn’t immediately return requests for comment.


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US ends case against Apple after pulling data from San Bernardino iPhone


What is Selfing?

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This week, we’ve got new info about the strange-looking Tully Monster, and a report on a fish that was able to self-fertilize.


What is Selfing?


[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt09lQP8JCE[/embedyt]



What is Selfing?


How are chocolate eggs made? A totally factual scientific explanation

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “How are chocolate eggs made? A totally factual scientific explanation” was written by Dean Burnett, for theguardian.com on Thursday 24th March 2016 11.00 UTC


It’s Easter. And what does Easter mean? Chocolate eggs all round. And also something to do with Jesus coming back to life, but it’s a lot harder (and somewhat macabre) to exploit that for easy financial gain, so chocolate eggs it is. And sometimes rabbits.


However, have you ever stopped to wonder how exactly these eggs are made? Tens of millions of them are consumed each year, and they don’t just come from nowhere. Chocolate eggs go back nearly two centuries, so clearly a lot of time and effort has gone into their production. But, like with many modern foodstuffs, the nature of this time and effort, and the processes involved, can often be unsettling to hear about. Truth is, the creation of chocolate eggs has required the involvement of some “questionable” science.


First, you need something that can create eggs. Luckily, oviparous animals are quite common in nature. However, in the first attempts at creating human-consumable chocolate eggs, most potential egg-layers these were immediately rejected as a basis for said eggs, for a variety of reasons. Turtle eggs were deemed “too rare”, fish eggs were deemed “too small/expensive”, spider eggs were deemed “too unutterably horrifying”, and so on. In the end, the common strategy of “stick to what you know” was employed, and it was decided that bird eggs should be used.


However, which birds was another issue. Chickens may the most commonly used for egg production, but chicken’s eggs, you’ve probably noticed, are a lot smaller than your “typical” chocolate egg.


Duchy of Cornwall milk chocolate easter egg
Chocolate eggs are nice, but beware the horrors that may lie within. Photograph: Sean Smith for the Guardian

Most people would assume that ostriches would be used, given the size of their eggs. A reasonable expectation, but bear in mind chocolate eggs are nearly two hundred years old, and the efforts and all the trial and error needed to create them go back even further again. In actuality, the egg-producing bird used is Aepyornithidae, specifically elephant birds, the largest birds (and therefore largest eggs) ever known.


Elephant birds disappeared from the wild centuries ago, and now we know why; they were rounded up and entered into an intense programme intended to convert their eggs to delicious chocolate ones. Not exactly ethical, but the demands of capitalism seldom worry themselves with such concerns.


Obviously, the next step was the trickiest. How do you get a gargantuan flightless bird to start laying eggs, usually a mixture of albumin, water and membranes surrounded by a calcium carbonate shell, that are made of tasty chocolate, suitable for children to consume? This is a tricky ask, to say the least.


Birds may lay eggs, but chocolate is derived largely from cocoa, typically in the form of cocoa beans, seeds from the cocoa tree. Chocolate comes from plants, essentially. Birds aren’t plants, so getting them to produce chocolate proved quite a hurdle. Feeding the birds an intense amount of cocoa in the hope of turning their eggs chocolate proved a disastrous approach, leading to mass theobromine poisoning. Luckily, an alternative approach proved useful: genetic engineering.


One lone genius, despite the primitive techniques available at the time, figured out how to splice cocoa DNA directly into the elephant bird’s egg-production systems. Sadly, these ingenious genetic methods and all records concerning them were later destroyed in a terrible incident involving a stampede of enraged and mutated giant-bird livestock, and it was many decades before they were rediscovered and used to implant spider genes into goats, and so forth.


It might be reasonable to assume that with the production of chocolate eggs, this was the job completed. Sadly, as anyone who’s into chocolate will tell you, dark chocolate is very bitter and something of an “acquired” taste, and that’s without it having gone through a bird’s anatomy. So, it became necessary for the birds to produce eggs of milk chocolate.


Unfortunately, birds don’t lactate, almost by definition (except in some rare cases). Mammals lactate. So producing milk chocolate eggs required contribution from bird, plant and mammal biology.


A system of extreme inter-species cross-breeding was attempted, but this only resulted in a bizarre, stunted bird-mammal creature that was frankly ridiculous. So embarrassing was it in fact, that all of these bizarre creatures were gathered up and taken as far away as possible to be disposed of, ending with them being thrown into a river in a remote part of Australia, where it was assumed nobody would ever find them.


Duck-billed PLATYPUS Ornithorhynchus anatinus Swimming underwater
Who genuinely believes that something like this could just “evolve”? Photograph: Dave Watts/Alamy

Eventually, despite their reservations, scientists were forced to re-use the genetic engineering techniques discussed earlier (this was before they were lost) and splice milk-producing glands and well as cocoa DNA into the bird’s systems. This proved an unexpected boon, as cow DNA was used for the lactation, meaning some birds ended up with extra stomachs, allowing for extra fermentation and a superior quality of chocolate.


The end result of this was giant birds producing large eggs with shells of pure chocolate. The chocolate-rich gloopy mass found within was typically extracted and used to make cakes, mousse, Nutella and, in a surprising number of cases, tarmac. The hollow shells were then packaged and sold in shops the world over.


You may point out that chocolate eggs come in many sizes, and you’d be right. That’s a handy result of domestication and intense selective breeding; you end up with a very wide variety of different shapes and sizes of the original creature. Given it’s been going on for over a hundred years, there are now many sizes and varieties of chocolate-egg laying birds.


So there you have it, to this day all chocolate eggs are produced in secret warehouses by hideously mutated giant birds, forced to lay them all day every day in utter defiance of morality, reason or the laws of nature itself.


Or maybe they’re just made with moulds in factories? I don’t know. Not really bothered about chocolate myself, to be honest.


Dean Burnett grew weary of people moaning about “having to” eat so much chocolate over Easter, so wrote this to help. He’s on Twitter, @garwboy.


The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.


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How are chocolate eggs made? A totally factual scientific explanation


India v Australia: World Twenty20 – live!

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “India v Australia: World Twenty20 – live!” was written by Daniel Harris, for theguardian.com on Sunday 27th March 2016 13.24 UTC





What a competition this already is! Well, to the extent that that’s possible. In the end, a great competition needs a great knockout stage, which, more or less, effectively, to all intents and purposes, as it goes, that starts here. Can India redeem themselves? Can Australia australia?



Updated





Preamble



Large, sizeable, of considerable size, substantial, considerable, great, huge, immense, enormous, extensive, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, prodigious, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, mighty, stupendous, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, epic, mountainous, megalithic, monstrous, Brobdingnagian; towering, tall, high, lofty; outsize, oversized, overgrown, cumbersome, unwieldy; inordinate, unlimited, goodly; capacious, voluminous, commodious, spacious, good-sized, fair-size, king-sized, man-size, family-sized, economy-size, jumbo, whopping, whopping great, thumping, thumping great, bumper, mega, humongous, monster, astronomical, cosmic, almighty, dirty great, socking great, tidy, whacking, whacking great, ginormous, massy.




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Bentley Continental GT Speed: car review

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Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Bentley Continental GT Speed: car review” was written by Martin Love, for The Observer on Sunday 27th March 2016 05.00 UTC


Price: £156,700
0-60mph: 4 seconds
Top speed: 206mph
Economy: 19.5mpg


“Is that a Rolls-Royce?” asked the unsmiling boy. “No,” I grinned. “It’s actually a Bentley Continental GT Speed.” He looked unimpressed. “It’s the fastest-production Bentley ever to come out of the factory in Crewe.” Still nothing, maybe a slight nod. He wandered off. My wife said: “Why do you bother showing off to a 12-year-old?” Little turd, I thought.


We’d driven to Broadstairs, Kent, on the Kent coast to watch my teenage daughter play football. They’d been heroic, but had lost 14-1. Now, on the way home, hunger pangs had set in and for my amusement we’d taken this magnificent super car to a drive-thru McDonald’s. But the lane was too narrow, so we’d had to get out. More unsmiling people stared at us. Maybe we deserved it, driving a car like this.


If you had access to a private runway, this Bentley would do 206mph. Floor the throttle and you hit 60mph in 4 seconds, keep pressing and you top 100mph in 9 seconds. I didn’t do that, but even at low speeds you can blip the throttle and relish the throaty roar of its huge twin-turbocharged W12 626bhp engine. It’s truly breathtaking, but I was soon overtaken by angst. Driving a car built for such unattainable speed is an exercise in relentless goal denial. Tantalus would have been right at home cruising at 70mph (a third of the Bentley’s top speed), but for the rest of us each journey is a lesson in acceleration self-abnegation.


Inside story: the sumptuous interior is so comfortable you could cruise all day.
Inside story: the sumptuous interior is so comfortable you could cruise all day. Photograph: James Lipman

But once you accept the abstinent nature of your relationship, there is still so much to admire. It has size and heft – the wheels are gigantic 21inchers – yet it is so beautifully sculpted it actually appears quite discreet – though clearly not if you get it in this shade of garishness.


There’s an unexpectedly sensible boot (it easily passes the golf club test) and it has four proper seats. Being a two-door it does require some lower-spine suppleness to clamber into the back. The interior is wonderful: a straight A-grade throughout, and with its deep swoops and glinting organ-stop controls the dashboard is a work of art in itself. At its centre is the infotainment screen. It’s clear and easy to use, but curiously lacking in information. Radio stations are hard to track down, and the trip computer doesn’t reveal the car’s economy or range. That might be because it only does a shameful 20 miles to the gallon.


Power is fed through a refined eight-speed auto to all four wheels. Thanks to the electrically assisted speed-variable steering, control is light and precise. But at speed (well, at 70mph) it settles happily into itself. Quiet and yet devastatingly compliant, this monstrously endowed Bentley is curiously calming, and driving it leaves you unflustered. You don’t arrive drenched in sweat, ticking with nervous energy. It’s more like visiting a spa; a luxury cruise through life which makes even a 14-1 drubbing seem beside the point.


Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166


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Bentley Continental GT Speed: car review


Ben Carson Defends His Endorsement of Donald Trump - The View

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On the road: Nissan X-Trail car review – ‘I tried to race Ocado vans and lawnmowers’

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “On the road: Nissan X-Trail car review – ‘I tried to race Ocado vans and lawnmowers’” was written by Zoe Williams, for The Guardian on Saturday 26th March 2016 06.00 UTC


However ugly your Nissan, you should always think, “It could be worse. I could be in a Cube.” In the X-Trail (which everyone at once called the En-Trail, due to the random splashes of reflective red across the back, which made it look as if its guts were on the outside) the excesses of the brand are toned down. No twiddly bits, just solid respectability, seven seats, six speakers, five-inch screen behind the wheel, seven-inch screen for the maddeningly slow satnav, leather everywhere, all the signs of being a grownup and as much safety as you can pad into a car without taking its wheels off.


The Tekna is the range-topper, with a six-speed manual engine and 1.6 litres of petrolly promise that it didn’t live up to. I got used to the shape, and when it came to say goodbye, you could say I almost liked it, and not just because it is hard not to like orange things once you get to know them. But it’s heavy for its engine, and the acceleration is a bit pathetic. I caught the children making side eyes of embarrassment as I tried to race Ocado vans and lawnmowers off traffic lights. “There’s no point pretending you’re not with the car,” I explained, “when you’re in the car.” “It’s you we’re pretending not to be with,” they whispered. “It’s your aggressive driving style and age-inappropriate hand gestures.” So I sang Abba over the top and admired the power-opening panoramic roof.


If you try to accelerate really hard, the steering goes awry, which is unsettling. It’s choppy in the city; so many gear changes, it’s like playing hippy music on your gearstick. Yet, otherwise, it feels quite urban, with its responsive steering and multi-monitors ensuring you scarcely, if ever, collide with anything.


It’s less charming on a long journey. There are useful motorway features for people who hate driving – speed-limited cruise control – but it’s not what you’d call poky. On roads where you need more agility, you don’t get it: it doesn’t recover well from road unevenness, you’d never want to accelerate into a corner, there is no sweet spot where it actively seems to enjoy speeding up and I was frankly incredulous at the top speed (as advertised). It’s also surprisingly thirsty for a car with such an ambivalent attitude to performance.


On the plus side, it’s very quiet, comfortable, feels plush and there’s a lot of space; it is, in short, a passengers’ car, perfect for the participant with no responsibilities. Don’t knock it; there are a lot of passengers out there.


Nissan X-Trail: in numbers


Nissan X-Trail interior

Price £29,895
Top speed 200mph
Acceleration 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds
Combined fuel consumption 44mpg
CO2 emissions 149g/km
Eco rating 7/10
Cool rating 5/10


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On the road: Nissan X-Trail car review – ‘I tried to race Ocado vans and lawnmowers’


Donald Trump Says Muslims Are Protecting Each Other | Good Morning Britain

Broadcast on 23/03/16
In the wake of the terror attacks in Brussels, U.S. presidential hopeful and reality TV star Donald Trump says that Muslims are ‘protecting each other’.


Donald Trump Says Muslims Are Protecting Each Other | Good Morning Britain


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ICC World T20 India 2016 - Watch Live Streaming free

The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 is a Twenty20 International cricket tournament currently being held in India from 8 March to 3 April 2016. It is the sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20, the first to be hosted by India and the last to be hosted every two years, with the next edition scheduled to be held in 2020.


Seven cities host matches at the tournament: Bangalore, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur, and New Delhi. The final will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Similar to the previous 2014 edition, the 2016 World Twenty20 will feature sixteen teams. Ten teams qualified automatically through their status as full members of the International Cricket Council, while another six qualified through the 2015 World Twenty20 Qualifier.


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Don Moen - Hiding Place | Live Worship Sessions

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Fox News Online Live Stream free


 


Fox News Channel (FNC), also known as Fox News, is an American basic cable and satellite news television channel that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. As of August 2013, approximately 97,186,000 American households (85.1% of cable, satellite & telco customers) receive the Fox News Channel. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. The channel was created by Australian-American media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who hired former NBC executive Roger Ailes as its founding CEO. It launched on October 7, 1996, to 17 million cable subscribers. It grew during the late 1990s and 2000s to become the dominant cable news network in the United States. Fox News Channel has long been accused of promoting conservative political positions and it has been widely criticized for biased reporting. Employees of Fox News Channel have responded that news reporting and political commentary operate independently of each other and have denied any bias in news reporting. A 2014 poll by Robert Morris University finds that Fox News is the most trusted for accurate reporting among the major television news organizations. 18.4% of the 1,004 respondents named Fox as “most trusted” while CNN drew 11.9%, with no others over 7.5% trust.


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Brussels explosions: Isis claims airport and metro attacks – live updates


 


Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Brussels explosions: Isis claims airport and metro attacks – live updates” was written by Matthew Weaver and Haroon Siddique, for theguardian.com on Tuesday 22nd March 2016 15.51 UTC





Belgium’s Royal Palace has confirmed that King Philippe will address the nation in a live broadcast on all television channels at 7pm (6pm GMT), writes Oliver Milne.








Bernie Sanders, currently fighting for the Democratic nomination to contest the presidential election said “the international community must come together to fight Isis”.








This video shows the aftermath of the bombing at Zaventem airport:



Video of attack on airport in Brussels

Updated





Belgian police release photo of man they wish to question



Oliver Milne writes:


Belgian police are appealing for help in identifying a potential suspect, who could have information about the attack on Zaventem airport this morning.


The unknown man, seen below dressed in white, is thought to be linked to this morning’s bombing which left at least 14 people dead.


The identity of the two other men is unknown.


The photograph was circulating on social media earlier this afternoon before Belgium’s federal prosecutor confirmed that the man in white was the subject of police inquiries.





Updated





Islamic State claims responsibility



Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the two bomb attacks in Brussels, a news agency affiliated with the group said.


Amaq agency said:


Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the centre of the Belgian capital Brussels.




Updated






Three Mormon missionaries based in Paris have been seriously injured in the Brussels attacks. Their families have been informed.









The UN official in charge of aiding Middle East refugees criticised people directing anger over the attacks at those fleeing Syria’s bloody civil war or violence elsewhere in the region.


Amin Awad, the Middle East and North Africa bureau and regional refugee coordinator for Syria, said:


To lump everybody together and say refugees are posing a security risk, that is not true. Any sort of hostilities [toward refugees] because of the Brussels attack or Paris attack is misplaced.




Updated






Rita Katz, director of the Site intelligence group, predicts that Islamic State militants will claim responsibility for the attack based on messages of support expressed on accounts linked to the group.






Updated





US official: ‘suitcase bomb at airport’



A US official says security officials believe at least one suitcase bomb was detonated at Brussels airport, AP reports.


The unnamed official confirmed a statement by a Brussels official that there is also concrete evidence of one suicide bombing at the airport on Tuesday as well.


The official said the explosives seen in Brussels appeared sophisticated. Investigators will examine them to see if they bear the same characteristics as those used in Paris last year.



Updated






Belgium’s interior minister Jan Jambon has announced three days of national mourning, writes Oliver Milne.


Jambon is expected to join Belgian prime minister Charles Michel at Zaventem airport in the next few hours, where they will tour the scene of this morning’s atrocities.



Updated






People in the surrounding area near Maelbeek metro station are still on lockdown, writes Rachel Obordo. Georgia Knapp, who works in the European commission building, arrived at Schuman, the next metro stop, just before the explosion.


“I feel very lucky but everyone is scared,” she said on WhatsApp. “We were a lot more terrified this morning and we could see smoke coming from the roof of Maalbeek station, people are just kind of in shock here. It’s very surreal. We are waiting for more information from our internal security about when we can leave. We don’t actually have a lot of information.”


Paramedics preparing to tend to the injured
Paramedics preparing to tend to the injured Photograph: Georgia Knapp

Brendon Pinch is also in the European Quarter. He walked to work this morning around the time the blasts were heard and is at work where they’ve been told to stay inside.


He said: “There were many people on the streets on their phones and looking dazed. There are constant sirens at the moment. It reminds me very much of when I worked in the City during 7/7. The confusion and upset is palpable. I’m strangely emotional, yet also quite detached. Terrorism does have quite the effect.”



Updated






Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has chaired a meeting of Scotland’s resilience committee in the wake of the attacks.





Updated






Europe’s foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, broke down in tears during a speech in Brussels.


She said it was a “a very sad day for Europe”.







Rudi Vervoort, minister-president of the Brussels-Capital region has said he feels “a horror that cannot be named” but praised the response of the Belgian people:


I would like to express my support to the victims of the attacks of this morning, at the Brussels airport in Zaventem and in the metro station Maelbeek. My thoughts are also directed to their families and closest.


This attack, without any precedent in Belgium, targeted strong symbols of its capital: its airport and its public transportation network. As a Brussels citizen, I feel a horror that cannot be named.


My greatest recognition goes to all members of the security and emergency force that are heavily mobilised to assist the victims.


I want to address our determination. We will let no one cowardly attack the values of democracy. Barbarism will be fought continuously. Brussels will overcome obscurantism.


Today, Brussels shows its true nature: an exemplar solidarity through massive blood donations, the gratuity of taxis and the numerous citizens that are opening their homes to host strangers in need on social networks.



He said that public transportation had been shut down but the authorities would do everything in their power to reopen the surface network today. He urged parents not to turn up at schools before the end of the day, saying children would be kept inside safely.


I call on the Brussels population to remain calm and to avoid all unnecessary movements.




Updated






Here’s more from Obama.







Obama offers support against ‘scourge of terrorism’



Barack Obama

Barack Obama has offered Belgium his support against the “scourge of terrorism”. He also offered his condolences in a phone call to Belgium’s prime minister, Charles Michel.


A read out of the call issued by the White House said:


The President reaffirmed the steadfast support of the United States for Belgium, and offered any assistance necessary in investigating these attacks and bringing those responsible to justice. The President reiterated that the United States stands together with the people of Belgium, as well as Nato and the European Union, and once again pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States in our shared commitment to defeat the scourge of terrorism.








Starbucks has said that one of the explosions appears to have occurred outside a coffee shop in Brussels airport, injuring an employee. It said in a statement:


We are deeply saddened by the senseless acts that have taken place in Brussels today.


Amidst reports of attacks targeting Brussels airport and at a metro station, initial indications are that an explosion took place outside of a store within the airport. While one partner (employee) was injured we can confirm that all our partners have been accounted for and are safe. This store and all other Starbucks stores in Brussels will remain closed until further notice.




Updated






The headquarters of the European commission will be evacuated by Belgian police at 4pm local time, according to VTM news.


The Berlaymont building, where flags were lowered to half-mast earlier today, will be emptied so that police can perform a full security sweep of the building, it said.



Labour MEP Richard Corbett is currently locked in at the nearby European parliament building.




Updated






Responding to the attacks, Pope Francis has condemned “blind violence which causes so much suffering”.


In a telegram to the archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, the pope “expresses his deepest sympathy to the injured and their families, and all those who contribute to relief efforts, asking the Lord to bring them comfort and consolation in this ordeal. The Holy Father again condemns the blind violence which causes so much suffering and, imploring from God the gift of peace, he entrusts on the bereaved families and the Belgians the benefit of divine blessings.”


There has also been reaction from different faith groups in the UK.


Dr Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said:


We are shocked to hear about the terror attacks in Brussels, coming as they did only a few days after the horrific atrocities in Istanbul. I hope the killers are brought to justice and face the full force of the law.


Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and communities affected.


As we come to terms with yet another attack on European soil, we must redouble our efforts to work together to defeat terrorism wherever it comes from. These mass murderers want to divide our society and pit people against each other. We must deny them this goal at every conceivable opportunity.



The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:


In the great holy week of Christian prayer and mercy, the Brussels attacks shock all those who seek peace and justice through the terrible cruelty and utter separation from all that is of God. Once again we see the contrast between the vain efforts to terrify through indiscriminate murder, and the call of God to be those who show mercy, who seek peace and pursue it. Let us at every service this week pray for those caught up in the traumatic events at the airport and in the city of Brussels.




Updated






People write down messages at the Bourse building in the city centre of Brussels after today’s terrorist attacks
People write down messages at the Bourse building in the city centre of Brussels after today’s terrorist attacks Photograph: Belga vi/REX/Shutterstock

A square outside the Bourse in Brussels has become transformed into a giant blackboard for people to chalk messages of defiance and solidarity.





Updated






And in case you didn’t believe us earlier, here’s video of Trump’s comments.







Here’s video of part of Cameron’s statement on the attacks.







Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner to be the Democratic presidential candidate, said the attacks “strengthen our resolve to stand together to fight terrorism”.








The French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said the attacks reinforced the need for “very high security” at this summer’s European football championship in France, AP reports.


Cazeneuve said that everything will be put in place during the tournament from 10 June-10 July to guarantee “collective security”.


In the wake of the Paris attacks that left 130 people dead in November, tournament organisers had already strengthened security measures and made changes to fan zones. Cazeneuve said the state would contribute up to €2m for video surveillance in the designated areas for the public.


Cazeneuve said Euro 2016 should bring “sportsmanship, festivities and security for teams, accompanying staff and spectators”.



Updated






Parents in Belgium have been told that there is no reason to panic and to pick up their children from school at the normal time, writes Oliver Milne.


Speaking to VTM News, the Flemish education minister, Hilde Crevits, said: “Parents’ concerns are understandable, but they should stay where they are. Your children are secure and safe in school.”


Crevits also told viewers that all after-school clubs and school trips had been cancelled and that extra security measures had been put in place in all schools in Brussels and Flanders.




Updated






As yet there has been no claim of responsibility, but social media accounts linked to Islamic State militants have praised the attacks, according to jihadi watcher Michael Horowitz, a security analyst at the Levantine Group.




Updated






The Belgian Taxi Drivers Union has urged its members to offer free rides to those stranded after the attacks, writes Oliver Milne.


The union tweeted: “Friends offer your services to your fellow citizens and help evacute people safely. Thank you.”








More than a hundred people were injured and at least 20 people were killed at the Maelbeek metro station, writes Oliver Milne.


Speaking at a press conference, the mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, said that at least 20 people died in the explosion at the metro station, but that it is “too early to say exactly what the number of victims will be”.


He confirmed that 106 people had been injured in the metro station blast.




Updated






The social media response to the Brussels attacks has many echoes of the reaction to the Paris attacks in November and the raid on the Charlie Hebdo magazine, writes Elena Cresci.


One of the most widely shared comes from Le Monde cartoonist Plantu:



Others have shared pictures of a crying Tintin:



Illustrators have also taken inspiration from Mannekin Pis, the landmark sculpture in Brussels of a boy urinating into a fountain.




Or this image of fries giving the middle finger:



There have also been cartoons criticising the difference between the reactions to attacks elsewhere in the world and in Europe. Ali Dilem, a cartoonist for TV5Monde and Algerian newspaper Liberté tweeted the following:



Commemorative hashtags used so far include #JeSuis



Updated






Witnesses describe explosions inside the terminal building at Brussels airport in this video.







A US official has said there are no current indications of a terror threat to the United States following the Brussels attacks, writes Spencer Ackerman.


The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), tasked with protecting the US from a domestic attack, encouraged Americans to “report any suspicious activity in their communities to the appropriate law enforcement authorities” following the attack.


DHS press secretary Marsha Catron urged public vigilance and warned that the department would “not hesitate to adjust our security posture, as appropriate, to protect the American people”.


A White House official said President Barack Obama, currently visiting Cuba, was “apprised” of the Brussels attack and that administration officials would “continue to be in close contact with their Belgian counterparts”.




Updated






Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has added his voice to those condemning the attacks. He said:


Today, our thoughts and sympathies are with the people of Brussels.


“We stand in solidarity with the victims of these horrific attacks, their friends and families, and the men and women of the emergency services.


“We must defend our security and values in the face of such terrorist outrages, and refuse to be drawn into a cycle of violence and hatred.


“We take pride in our societies of diverse faiths, races and creeds and will not allow those who seek to divide us to succeed.”



World leaders from across the world continue to express horror at the attacks.







Updated






Flags are being flown at half-mast on UK government buildings in solidarity with Belgium, and the Belgian flag is being raised over Downing Street.


After the Cobra emergency meeting chaired by the prime minister, David Cameron’s official spokeswoman said security has been increased in the UK at airports, Dover, Calais, London St Pancras International and the east coast ports. It has also been increased at key London transport interchanges and on the tube system.



Updated






Thomas Bignal, a Briton living in Brussels, sent this video to the Guardian after being evacuated from a metro train just outside Maelbeek station, which is 400m from his office.



He said:


“People stayed reasonably calm but there were a few very scared people, calling family and friends. After a minute or two, there was lots of smoke and a plasticy smell and it became increasingly warm and difficult to breathe.


“The STIB driver came out after a minute and told everyone to wait, that there was a bomb and that we would go out through the back of the train. It then took maybe about 15 mins for everyone to get out. We then walked back through the tracks to Arts Loi, two policemen came to help a man with a walking stick and the STIB driver was really excellent.”


“On the surface, there was not any support, everyone just went their own way. The police had blocked the roads – they also told us they didn’t know much more than us and it was all a bit surreal.”



If you’re in Brussels you can share your eyewitness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists by clicking on the blue button in the live blog.


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Please think about your security first when recording and sharing your content.



Updated






The confirmed death toll from both attacks now stands at 34.


Maggie de Block, the Belgian health minister, said 14 people died and 81 were injured in the airport explosions.


The Belgian metro authority, STIB-MIVB, and emergency services said 20 people were killed in the Maelbeek metro blast. STIB-MIVB said a further 55 people were injured, including 10 critically.



Updated






An unexploded suicide vest, thought to belong to a third terrorist at Brussels airport, was discovered at the facility, according to an unconfirmed report by the private broadcaster VTM.


It was blown up in a controlled explosion by a bomb squad.



Updated






Police have conducted a controlled explosion at the Vrije University in central Brussels.







One British national injured



One British national is known to have been injured in the bomb attack on the airport in Brussels, Downing Street said.



Updated






Oliver Milne writes


Flemish news channel VTM is reporting that the Belgian justice department is warning journalists, from Belgium and abroad, not to report on ongoing police investigations which could put the lives of the public or police officers at risk.



French language newspaper Le Soir pledged that it would not report on active police operations.




Updated






Reports saying that the Royal Palace in Brussels was evacuated after the attacks were incorrect, the Belgian monarchy Twitter account says.




Updated






The Guardian’s Arthur Neslen has been speaking to health officials at a hospital where some of the injured are being treated.


I asked Renaud Mazy, the hospital CEO if they wanted soldiers diverted here to help.


He said: “I’m not requesting help – we can organise ourselves and take the right decisions – but due to the fact that it’s a hospital with lots of people in it, it’s maybe better for the authorities to send specific protection here.”


Officials set up a ‘Mash’ operation – it’s actually called Mash – where 11 people are being treated so far.


They’re expecting more and I get the sense they’re worried about more attacks. The hospital is also in a kind of lockdown. There are body searches on way in.





Updated






People in Belgium are tweeting #ikwillhelpen, “I want to help”, offering rooms and shelter to people who are stranded in Brussels because of the attacks.



Belgians are also using #PorteOuvert and #OpenHouse:



The hashtag is similar to #PorteOuvert, which was used by Parisians in the wake of November’s attacks, to offer aid to those affected with nowhere to stay.



Updated





Report: 34 dead



The death toll from both the attacks has increased to 34, according to an unconfirmed report by the Belgium broadcaster VRT.


It said 20 died in the metro attack and 14 were killed at the airport.




Updated






Donald Trump
Donald Trump Photograph: NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

In phone calls to US television shows, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Brussels was a once beautiful place that had become a “disaster city” and an “armed camp” before today’s attacks, writes Amanda Holpuch.


He said such changes to the city, as in Paris, showed why the US should stop letting immigrants into the country.


Trump told Fox & Friends that if he were president, “I would close up our borders to people until we figure out what’s going on.”


Pressed by NBC’s Today Show, 15 minutes later, to explain who he would prevent from entering the country, Trump said he would exclude people from Syria and people who do not have “perfect documentation”.


He did not say that he would prevent Muslims from entering the country, as he has done repeatedly in the past, but he did suggest that Muslims were responsible for terrorist attacks if they did not report neighbours’ suspicious behaviour to authorities.


If Trump were president today, he said he would give US citizens a “pep talk”.


The Today presenters asked Trump what he would do if, as in the case in Belgium, he had Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in last year’s Paris attacks, in custody.


“If they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding,” Trump said. “You have to get the information from people.”



Updated





Cameron says ‘we absolutely stand’ with Belgium



David Cameron says “we absolutely stand” with the Belgian people and that he has spoken to the Belgian prime minister, offering condolences and security support. He says the attacks could just as well have happened in Germany or the UK.


We face a very real terrorist threat right across the different countries of Europe and we have to meet that with everything we have.



The UK prime minister said it was too early to say whether any British people were caught up in the attacks. All necessary measures had been taken including increasing security at ports and airports, he said. The threat level to the UK, currently at its second highest level, would not be increased.


He said Ukip’s comments that the attack showed the Schengen area was a threat to UK security were “not appropriate”.



Updated






American Airlines has said the explosions at Brussels airport did not occur near its check-in desk, as some reports suggested.




Updated






The mayor of London has suggested there might be one British “casualty” but it was unclear whether he was referring to someone possibly killed or injured.



The BBC’s Norman Smith reports that a British person is reported to be injured.




Updated






CNN is reporting that the Belgian royal family has been evacuated.








Journalist Matthew Keys has put together air traffic audio of a pilot being told of the attack as his plane approached Brussels airport.




Updated





Trump and Ukip blame ‘lax’ border controls



Reuters has a little more on Donald Trump’s reaction on Fox News.


He said: “I would close up our borders … We are lax and we are foolish.”


Ukip took a similar line. Its defence spokesman, Mike Hookem, blamed the attack on freedom of movement.


He said: “This horrific act of terrorism shows that Schengen free movement and lax border controls are a threat to our security.”



Updated






An Indian woman working for Jet Airways is among the injured, India’s minister of external affairs has said.





Updated






A Kalashnikov rifle has been found in the departure hall at Zaventem airport, according to Belgian news channel RTBF.








A Slovenian diplomat is among the injured, the Slovenian foreign minister, Karl Erjavec, has told reporters.


Erjavec told a news conference that the diplomat, who was not named, was in hospital and his life was not in danger.


Media reports said the diplomat was injured in the metro blast on his way to work.



Updated






Statements from officials put the death toll at 26, with 136 wounded.


Maggie de Block, the Belgian health minister, confirmed that 11 people died and 81 were injured in the airport explosions, which the Belgian prosecutor said were caused by a suicide attack.


The Belgian metro authority, STIB-MIVB, told RTBF that at least 15 people were killed in the Maelbeek metro blast and 55 were injured, including 10 critically.



Updated






The US president, Barack Obama, who is visiting Cuba, has been briefed on the blasts.


“The president was apprised this morning of the explosions in Brussels, Belgium,” an official said after the blasts at Brussels airport and a metro station. “US officials have been and will continue to be in close contact with their Belgian counterparts.”


Meanwhile US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump reacted by saying he would “close up borders”.



Updated






Flags at the European commission have been lowered.



A spokesman for the commission said Europe was united against terrorism.




Updated






The French president, François Hollande, says the whole of Europe has been hit by today’s attack.



There has been widespread international condemnation.







Updated






Belgian TV station Ring TV has posted an appeal to people living near Zaventem airport to bring blankets, water, food and essential medical supplies to the local gym being used as a makeshift shelter, writes Oliver Milne.



Updated






Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins calls for “patience and restraint” in response to the attacks.


He writes:


The blanket media coverage assured for any act of violence is reckless. The media must “report”, but it need not go berserk in revelling in the violence caused, as it manifestly has done to Islamic State brutality. More serious, the intention of the terrorist is clearly to shut down western society, to show liberal democracy to be a sham and to invoke the persecution of Muslims. Yet that is the invariable response of the security industry to these incidents. Convinced of its potency, it dare not admit there are some things against which it cannot protect us. So when incidents occur it jerks the knee and demands ever more money and ever more power. It must not be given them.




Updated






The Eiffel Tower is to be lit up in the colours of the Belgian flag as a mark of solidarity, writes Oliver Milne.


Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, tweeted: “In solidarity with the people of Brussels, tonight Paris will light the Eiffel Tower in the colours of the Belgian flag.”




Updated






Sarah, who is locked down in one of the EU institution buildings on Rue Belliard, less than 500m from Maelbeek station, contacted us via WhatsApp.


She told us that a controlled explosion took place on Rue de la Loi very close to Maelbeek station.


The following video was taken 15 minutes after the initial explosion this morning at Maelbeek station.



If you’re in Brussels you can share your eyewitness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists by clicking on the blue button in the live blog.


You can also email, text, tweet, fill in our form or contact us on WhatsApp on +447867825056.


Please think about your security first when recording and sharing your content.



Updated






Police patrols at Manchester airport have been stepped up as a precaution. In a statement Manchester’s assistant chief constable John O’Hare said:


“There is no specific threat in Greater Manchester following the events this morning but we remain at a threat level of severe.


“We are working closely with Manchester airport to ensure that the appropriate response is in place and we have increased our patrols to support this.


“We will continue to review the situation and maintain our increased patrols in crowded areas, iconic locations and transport hubs.


“The events today in Brussels reinforce the need for us all to remain vigilant and report any concerns whilst continuing with normal daily life.”




Updated






The Belgian prime minister, Charles Michael, has condemned the attacks as “blind, violent and cowardly”.


He added: “We must face this challenge in solidarity, united, together.”



Updated






The federal prosecutor, Fredere Van Leeuw, confirmed that the attack at Zaventem airport was carried out by a suicide bomber but gave no details about the second blast, writes Oliver Milne.


“It is too early to discuss any more details about the attackers,” Van Leeuw told journalists at the press conference.



Updated





15 killed in metro blast



The metro operator STIB-MIVB has confirmed that 15 people were killed in the Maelbeek metro station blast.




Updated






Here’s video of passengers walking through a smoke-filled underground tunnel following an explosion at Maelbeek metro. At street level smoke can be seen rising from the underground.



Updated





Belgian PM: ‘What we feared, has happened’



Belgium’s prime minister, Charles Michel, says terrorists have committed murder at the airport and the metro station.


“What we feared, has happened,” he said in a televised press conference.


He said it was too early to confirm casualty figures but said that there were “many dead, many injured”.


Michel confirmed that the attack at the airport was carried by a suicide bomber.


He also called for “calm and solidarity” after what he described as a “tragic moment”.




Updated






Small blasts, thought to be controlled explosions, have been heard close the Maelbeek metro. Local media said it appeared to be the work of the police bomb squad, Reuters reports.








Here’s video of a metro train being evacuated after the blast.








Brussels police have confirmed deaths at the Maelbeek metro station but they have not disclosed numbers, AP reports.


There are unconfirmed reports that 10 people were killed at the station.


Graphic images have emerged purporting to show at least one victim of the metro blast.



Updated






Here’s video of the aftermath of the blasts.







Mark Rowley
Mark Rowley Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Extra police are to be deployed at key locations in the UK, the Metropolitan police’s assistant commissioner Mark Rowley has announced.


Rowley, who is the national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said:


“As a precaution forces across the UK have increased policing presence at key locations, including transport hubs, to protect the public and provide reassurance. This is not in relation to any specific information or intelligence.


“In London specifically, the Metropolitan Police Service has mobilised additional officers, who will carry out highly visible patrols at key locations around the capital including the transport network. The number of officers deployed will be regularly assessed. These additional officers are deployed as part of reassurance measures.


“The police presence across London and the rest of the UK is constantly under review.


“We are in close liaison with the Belgium authorities and will continue to monitor the situation.


“The threat to the UK from international terrorism remains at severe as it has been since August 2014, meaning an attack is highly likely.


“We urge the public and businesses to be alert but not alarmed and report anything suspicious to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency always call 999.”




Updated






France is to deploy an extra 1,600 police at its borders following the Brussels attack, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has announced.


“It is essential to maintain a vigilance,” he said in a televised address.




Updated






Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport
Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station
Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat-rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station. Photograph: Laurie Dieffembacq/AFP/Getty Images
A victim receives first aid by rescuers near Maalbeek metro station.
A victim receives first aid by rescuers near Maalbeek metro station. Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
People react outside Zavantem airport.
People react outside Zavantem airport. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP

Updated






The visible police presence at London’s Heathrow airport has been stepped up, the airport has announced.


In statement a spokesman said:


“We take the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues very seriously. In the light of events in Brussels airport, we are working with the police at Heathrow who are providing a high visibility presence. We expect flights to Brussels airport to be affected and ask passengers travelling there to check their flight status with their airline.”




Updated






Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk Photograph: Xinhua / Barcroft Media

European council president Donald Tusk said the Brussels attacks “mark another low by the terrorists”.


In a statement he said:


I am appalled by the bombings this morning at Zaventem airport and the European district in Brussels which have cost several innocent lives and injured many others.


I extend my sincerest sympathies to the relatives and friends of the victims. These attacks mark another low by the terrorists in the service of hatred and violence.


The European institutions are hosted in Brussels thanks to the generosity of Belgium’s government and its people. The European Union returns this solidarity now and will fulfill its role to help Brussels, Belgium and Europe as a whole counter the terror threat which we are all facing.




Updated






There is confusion about the death toll at the Maelbeek metro station close to EU offices.


Earlier the public broadcaster VTM said 10 people were killed. But another broadcaster VRT has since reported that no one was killed in that explosion.


Passengers were injured in the blast, AP reports.


Rescue workers set up a makeshift treatment centre in a pub. Dazed and shocked morning travellers streamed from the metro entrances as police tried to set up a security cordon.


“The metro was leaving Maelbeek station for Schuman when there was a really loud explosion,” said Alexandre Brans, 32, wiping blood from his face. “It was panic everywhere. There were a lot of people in the metro.”


Françoise Ledune, a spokeswoman for the Brussels Metro, said on BFM television that there appeared to have been just one explosion, in a car that was stopped at Maelbeek.


First responders ran through the street outside with two people on stretchers, their clothes badly torn.




Updated






Belgium’s federal prosecutor has confirmed that the explosions at Brussels airport were carried out by a suicide bomber, according to broadcasters VTM and RTBF reported.







All trains to Brussels stations from Paris have been cancelled, writes Angelique Chrisafis.


At Paris’s Gare du Nord station scores of passengers on a morning Thalys train ready to depart for Brussels were told to get off the train and that all international departures to Belgium had been suspended.








Were the apparent attacks revenge for Salah Abdeslam’s arrest, asks Jason Burke.


Any threat from Islamic militants to Europe may rise and fall, but does not disappear when a single figure is arrested, however much he was sought. The “major blow” struck on Friday, as senior policymakers called it, now looks less major.


Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam shot and arrested in Brussels Read more


The second is that both terrorists and those trying to stop them seek to keep the initiative. This has a practical and a psychological aspect. For counter-terrorism agencies, the aim is to get information fast enough to mount raids and sweep up suspects before they even have time to work out who among them has been picked up and who might have talked, let alone plan a new strike. Networks quickly fall apart under such relentless pressure, as was shown in Iraq in the middle of the last decade.


For the terrorists, the aim is to show they can still terrorise, mobilise and polarise with violence. This is not so much about revenge, but simply demonstrating a continued capability. They may be down but, they are saying, they are not out.




Updated






American Airlines said all of its employees and contractors are accounted for after the blast at the airport departure hall.



Here’s an aerial view of the blast site.


Aerial view of Brussels airport





There’s been some bitter reaction to the attacks in Russia, writes Shaun Walker.


The chair of the Duma’s foreign policy committee, Alexei Pushkov, tweeted: “While [Nato chief Jens] Stoltenberg, is busy fighting the imaginary ‘Russian threat’ and putting troops in Latvia, under his nose in Brussels people are blown up.”



And more Russian schadenfreude came from foreign ministryspokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who reportedly said: “You can’t support terrorists in one part of the globe and not expect them to appear in others.”




Updated






Belgium’s prime minister, Charles Michel, has warned the Belgian public to “avoid any movement” for the time being.



Reinforcements have arrived at Michel’s office.




Updated






Brussels airport will stay closed until 6am on Wednesday.




Updated






Eurostar in London has suspended trains to and from Brussels Midi station.




Updated






Martin Schulz, president of the European parliament, has condemned what he described as “heinous attacks”.




Updated






This aerial view shows how close the metro blast was to the EU buildings in Brussels.


Brussels aerial view
Brussels aerial view





There are unconfirmed reports that 23 people have been killed in both attacks.


The Belgian broadcaster VTM said 10 people were killed in the blast at the Maelbeek metro station. Earlier, it said the death toll at the Zaventem airport in Brussels had risen to 13.


Brussels blasts
Brussels blasts

Updated






British counter-terrorism officials are watching events in Brussels as the government’s emergency committee prepares to meet, writes Vikram Dodd.


The United Kingdom threat level remains at severe, the second highest level. It means security officials assess an attack on the UK is highly likely. The UK threat level assessment is made by the joint terrorism assessment centre, which sits within MI5.


How the terrorists carried out their attacks and tactics, especially any change in tactics , will be of interest to security officials across parts of the world facing a terrorist threat.


Past attacks in Europe, for instance last November’s assault on Paris, led UK police to review the threat level. Then they left it at severe.




Updated






You can share your eyewitness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists by clicking on the blue button in the live blog.


You can also email, text, tweet, fill in our form or contact us on WhatsApp on +447867825056.


Please think about your security first when recording and sharing your content.



Updated





Report: 10 dead in metro blast



The Belgian broadcaster VTM says 10 people were killed in the blast at the Maelbeek station. The station is about 500 metres from the EU buildings.




Updated






Michael Ryan, head of the EU delegation to Rwanda, said he felt the Maelbeek metro blast in the next station.








The European commission has locked down its staff after the apparent attacks.


Kristalina Georgieva, the EU’s vice-president in charge of personnel, has told staff to stay inside.



Updated





Cobra to meet



David Cameron is to chair a meeting of the UK government’s emergency committee, Cobra, following the Brussels attacks.



Earlier, the prime minister expressed his shock and concern.



Updated






The death toll at the Zaventem airport in Brussels has increased to 13, according to the Belgian broadcaster VRT, with a further 35 people severely injured, Reuters reports.



Updated






An image appeared on twitter of passengers being evacuated from a train after the blast at Maelbeek metro station.


The scene in a tunnel near Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, Belgium
The scene in a tunnel near Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, Belgium Photograph: @evanlamos/PA

Updated






Brussels is in lockdown. The metro stations and airport have been closed. And now the city’s museums are also reported to have been shut.




Updated





Airport attack blamed on suicide bomber



The Belgian broadcaster VRT says the Brussels airport explosion was a suicide attack, Reuters reports. This is unconfirmed at this stage.



Updated





‘Several injured’ in metro station blast



Several people were injured in the explosion at Maelbeek metro station, AP reports.


Here’s video of the aftermath of that blast.



Metro blast

Updated





David Cameron expresses shock and concern



David Cameron has expressed his shock and concern.



Other world leaders have tweeted similar sentiments.













Sky News has the latest video from the metro station blast and the explosions at the airport.







According to French media reports, there were two explosions minutes apart just before 8am at Brussels airport – one in the departures area and one on or near the runway, writes Angelique Chrisafis.


A false ceiling collapsed, causing lots of dust and smoke.


The departures area had easy access to the public, but the runway area would have been closed to public access and raises questions about how the explosion could have happened there.



Updated





Hospital source says 10 dead



The Belgian broadcaster RTBF says up to 10 people were killed and 30 wounded in the airport explosions. It cited a hospital source for the figures, according to Reuters.






Metro system closed



The entire metro system in Brussels has been closed.




Updated





Reports of metro station blast.



There are unconfirmed reports of an attack at a Brussels metro station close to the EU buildings at Maelbeek.





Updated






Extraordinary video has emerged of the aftermath of the airport blast.




Updated






Here’s where the blasts took place.


Belgium airport map




Belgium PM ‘following minute-by-minute’



Belgium’s prime minister, Charles Michel, says his government is monitoring the situation minute-by-minute. In a tweet he said the “top priority” was the victims of the blasts.




Updated






Le Soir confirms the terror alert level has been increased to the maximum of four.




Updated






The Belgian government has put the country on the highest alert level following the explosions, according to a reporter for the Belga news agency.




Updated





Police confirm one dead



Belgium police have confirmed that at least one person was killed in the explosion, AP reports.


“One person has died and perhaps there are several more,” a police official said.



Updated






The Belgian news agency Belga said shots were fired and there were shouts in Arabic shortly before the explosions, Reuters reports.


It provides this context:


The blasts occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of a suspected participant in November militant attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Belgian police had been on alert for any reprisal action.


Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect for November’s Paris attacks on a stadium, cafes and a concert hall, was captured by Belgian police after a shootout on Friday.


Belgium’s interior minister, Jan Jambon, said on Monday the country was on high alert for a possible revenge attack following the capture of 26-year-old Abdeslam.


“We know that stopping one cell can … push others into action. We are aware of it in this case,” he told public radio.


French investigator François Molins told a news conference in Paris on Saturday that Abdeslam, a French citizen born and raised in Brussels, admitted to investigators he had wanted to blow himself up along with others at the Stade de France on the night of the attack claimed by Islamic State; but he later backed out.




Updated






The explosion is reported to have taken place at the American Airlines area of the departure hall.








Pictures are emerging from Brussels airport


.
.
.
.





Brussels airport has been closed and flights have been cancelled.








There are unconfirmed reports that 11 people have been killed in the blasts.


A local journalist cited firefighters for the death toll of 11. The Belgian news agency Belga said one person was killed and several injured.




Graphic images have emerged showing some of those injured in the blasts.



Updated






Brussels airport has confirmed there have been two explosions and that the airport has been evacuated. It also warned people to stay away from the area.




Updated





Opening summary



Welcome to our live coverage of the aftermath of two explosions at Brussels airport.


At this stage details are sketchy and the cause of the explosions is not clear.


Belgian media said several people were injured.


Video from the scene showed people running from the airport as smoke rose from the building.



Rail traffic to the airport has been suspended and planes are being prevented from landing.




Updated



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Brussels explosions: Isis claims airport and metro attacks – live updates


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