Explosions at Ariana Grande concert - 19 dead.

[ucim]

Explosion at Manchester Arena, Ariana Grande concert. At least 19 dead, more than 50 injured. It is being investigated as a terrorism incident (by British police) until they decide otherwise. Two nail bombs used. The area had been on a severe terrorist alert.

cbs news (US), live updating

The Guardian (UK)

Thoughts and prayers for all involved.

Jose

[Deva]

Increased to twenty-two dead.

New information on the attack:

Hopkins: We believe there was one attacker

The chief constable says they are treating it as a terrorist incident and they believe the attack was carried out by one person.

He says the attacker died at the scene.

He believes the attacker had a device which he detonated at the scene.

He says they are trying to find out if he was acting alone.

[HES]

The area had been on a severe terrorist alert.

As had the entire country, for a couple of years. Now raised to 'critical', the highest level.

And now we'll have soldiers on our streets. Not sure I'm ok with that.

[Thesh]

That's the great thing about authoritarianism: You'll get used to it, and then it will be the new normal and you will be much less worried when they say they are going to have security checkpoints.

[Angua]

Cross posting from the Trump thread:

Long time lurker here, can't remember a lot of my BBcode, so sorry if I haven't linked this properly

Not really wanting to go back to an old argument, but the current culture of leaking within American intelligence seems to be starting to have real effects.

American officials have been criticised for leaking the identity of the Manchester bomber before British police officially named him.
...
Thomas Sanderson, director of the transnational threats project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies thinktank in Washington, said the disclosures would be irritating to the British. “Suddenly you’ve got 10,000 reporters descending on the bomber’s house when maybe the police wanted to approach it more subtly,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/23/trump-administration-manchester-bomber-name-leak

This is certainly going to affect international intelligence sharing, and not for the better methinks.

[CorruptUser]

That's the great thing about authoritarianism: You'll get used to it, and then it will be the new normal and you will be much less worried when they say they are going to have security checkpoints.

Meh, everyone's a fascist in some form anyway.

[Deva]

Scheduled a benefit concert. Offered free tickets to anyone who attended the Ariana Grande concert. Received 25,000 requests. Estimated 14,200 people there that day. Source.

Sighs. Bent morals for this? Issued statements against reselling, at least.