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Blast in Belfast city centre 'as area was being cleared'
DUP MLA Jonathan Craig has condemned the blast in a busy area of Belfast city centre as "absolutely reckless".
UTV News reports him saying that there was "an explosion as the area was being cleared" and that it was a "miracle" if no one had been injured.
There is no confirmation of this from the police and there are no reports of any injuries, UTV says.
Man, 58, arrested 'trying to blow up Kansas airport'
US authorities have arrested a man who they claim was plotting to blow up the Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas, with a carload of explosives.
Kansas District Attorney Barry Grissom told a news conference that the 58-year-old aviation technician intended to die a martyr in the bombing.
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Telephone bomb warning made before blast in Belfast
Police say the small explosion in the Cathedral Quarter area of Belfast came after a telephone bomb warning had been made.
Explosion close to busy area with restaurants and bars
The Exchange Street West area in Belfast where the explosion happened is close to many restaurants and bars.
The city centre was extremely busy with shoppers and festive revellers when the incident happened.
Government closes flagship free school in West Sussex
Parents and governors at the Discovery New School in Crawley have expressed their dismay after it became the first free school to be closed.
Read the full storyArmy bomb experts 'being sent to Belfast blast scene'
UTV News is reporting that Army bomb experts are being sent to the scene of the small explosion in Belfast Cathedral quarter.
There are reports that restaurants and other premises in the area are being evacuated.
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Prince Harry: 'Everyone is so happy'
Prince Harry has said his expedition team of wounded soldiers have shared "hugs and a few tears" upon reaching the South Pole after a gruelling four-week trek across the Antarctic.
Watch his video message:
Police: Explosion in Belfast Cathedral Quarter
UTV News is reporting that police has confirmed there has been a small explosion in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast.
'A number' of helicopters have fuel indicator problems
"A number" of helicopters from the same fleet as one that crashed into a Scottish pub have a problem with their fuel indicators, their aircraft's owner has confirmed.
One of their EC135 helicopters, leased to the police, hit the roof of the Clutha pub in Glasgow last month, killing 10 people.
The firms's 22 remaining type of choppers were grounded yesterday to undergo checks after a technical fault was found in one of them .
The firm's spokesman could not say how many helicopters had the fault, but added that the work was expected to have been completed by Sunday.
Fire Brigade: Get a takeaway when we strike
London Fire Brigade is asking people to get a takeaway rather than cooking whilst drunk this Friday and Saturday night as the Fire Brigades Union is on strike.
The service says young, well-educated, professionals cause more than a quarter of all accidental house fires in the capital, often by attempting to cook at home when drunk. This greatly increases the risk of someone having a serious fire which could destroy their home or, even worse, kill them
Brigade figures show:
• Two fires a day happen after Londoners have been drinking.
• One in four people who die in a fire has alcohol in their system.
• Three quarters of alcohol related fires are caused by cooking under the influence.
• Over half of these fires happen because someone has fallen asleep.
