A police helicopter was scrambled after a fight broke out when more than 100 people gatecrashed a party advertised on the social networking website Facebook, officers in the UK said today.

The mountainous landscape where a light aircraft crashed with the loss of three lives in south Down must be the subject of a safety probe, the Assembly heard today.

British and Irish holidaymakers forced to abandon their cruise liner when it struck ice are expected to be flown to mainland South America today.

Tornadoes ripped through parts of Britain today, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.