Most shopping centres in Brussels are closed today, with reports of at least one, the Woluwe shopping centre in the east of the city, being evacuated.

Professor Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, told the BBC's Tom Burridge there were "new tactics on the part of the so-called Islamic State". 

"We are seeing a major shift on the part of Islamic State, away from Syria and Iraq and, in particular, towards foreign targets and the heart of Europe," he said. 

He said European governments needed "iron-clad security in terms of prevention". 

But he added that it was important not to "play into the hands" of the militant group.

BBC Monitoring

The Le Soir live page reports: "La Librairie Filigranes bookstore, located in the Avenue des Arts in Brussels, which is normally open 7 days a week from 7 to 7, has decided to close its doors today following the terror threat. 

"It is on the advice and insistence of the Brussels mayor, Marc Yvan Mayeur that, Mark Filipson, the owner of the busiest bookstore in Brussels, has decided to keep the establishment closed. 'Ideologically, I cry,' he told us, [having been] forced to yield to an attack on our values."

Image source, Reuters

Military vehicles and troops could be seen on the streets of Brussels today, as this picture taken this morning shows. 

Investigators found weapons at the home of a person charged on Friday with terrorism offences related to last week's attacks in Paris, the Belgian prosecutors' office has said in a statement. 

The statement said that neither explosives, nor a suicide belt, had been found during the search. It did not give details of the weapons that had been found. 

Could the tap water of the people of Paris be a potential target in the event of a chemical or bacteriological attack? The threat is being taken very seriously by Eau de Paris, the public company that co-ordinates water production, storage, and distribution to three million users in the capital, the French daily Aujourd'hui en France, external has reported.

It says that six water storage sites of vital importance in Paris are being "closely watched, sealed and protected". 

In addition it says that chlorine levels in water supplies are being boosted to help identify and offset bacteriological contamination. 

"The water is always chlorinated for health reasons, but the dose injected has been raised,” Eau de Paris President Celia Blauel was quoted as saying. “When the chlorine level drops, it means there is biological contamination.”  

Islamic State (IS) militants have created "the most potent propaganda machine ever assembled by a terrorist group", The Washington Post, external says, "with powers that extend beyond the borders of the caliphate".

Paris attacks mastermind Abdel­hamid Abaaoud's appearances in "a barrage of Islamic State recruiting videos and statements makes clear that IS is not merely out to inflict terror on an adversary but also to command a global audience", the paper says.

BBC Monitoring

Image source, Reuters

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has announced a series of operational measures to be implemented in Brussels following the decision to raise the alert level, Le Soir reports.

The measures include cutting the number of big events, tighter security on the public transport system, especially on the metro, boosting the number of police and soldiers, especially in Brussels, and the setting up of a hotline (1771) for members of the public to call in emergency.

Here's some more detail on the UN Security Council's unanimous decision to adopt a resolution to "redouble" action against so-called Islamic State. 

The French-drafted document urges UN members to "take all necessary measures" in the fight against the militant group. IS has said it carried out the attacks in Paris. 

The UN Security Council called on member states to "eradicate the safe haven" IS and other militant groups have established across parts of Iraq and Syria.

The UN resolution 2249 also condemns recent attacks in Sousse, Tunisia, and Ankara, Turkey. 

Read the full story here.

Image source, AFP

All metro stations in Brussels have been closed today, after Belgium raised the capital's terror alert to the highest level with warnings of an "imminent threat".  

Image source, AP

Belgian soldiers patrol next to flowers left outside of the French Consulate in Brussels.  

From the moment the Paris attacks investigation began, it was clear that Belgium was central to the story and the Brussels area of Molenbeek its focal point.  

The BBC's Paul Kirby takes a look at the Belgian connection to the Paris attacks. You can read his report here.

French authorities have identified all of the victims of the 13 November attacks. Many of them were young concert-goers who had been attending a gig at the Bataclan. 

This page lists details of all of the victims for whom the BBC has details at this stage. 

BBC Monitoring

The Belgian French-language newspaper Le Soir says a sports centre and a swimming pool have been evacuated in Etterbeek municipality, Brussels. 

Another report says a concert by French singer Johnny Hallyday at Palais 12 has been cancelled. 

French President Francois Hollande will meet British Prime Minister David Cameron in Paris on Monday, his office has said. 

The leaders will discuss the fight against terrorism and the Syrian crisis. 

Hollande is also due to meet US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the week. 

Image source, Reuters

A Belgian soldier in Brussels stands near a poster for Le Soir weekly news magazine showing a photograph of the Paris attack that reads: "We are at war".