I type in my password & instantly get the message 'Disconnected from server' I immediately try again & see the message 'Connecting' for the best part of a minuet & then 'Authenticating' for a prolonged period of time & then 'Disconnected from server' message again. Rinse & repeat.

What is happening? How can I fix? Are the servers even up?
Would be nice to see breaking news messages to inform of any known technical issues or an official form response.