already is very explosive. you re watching bbc news. a reminder of our top stories: at least six people have been killed and 80 injured in an explosion in a busy shopping area in central istanbul. the uk finance secretary has told the bbc that everyone will pay more tax and there will be spending cuts when he gives his autumn statement on thursday. chancellorjeremy hunt said the most vulnerable would be protected, but difficult decisions had to be made. and he said in future there would have to be constraints on the government s support for people s energy bills. 0ur political correspondent ben wright reports.
from any group, nothing like that has emerged so far but i think we will have to wait before we can come to any conclusions about what has caused this explosion. it is because the loss of life today in an area thatis the loss of life today in an area that is the heart of istanbul, for anybody who has visited the city i am sure they will have walked through one of the main thoroughfares, it is lined with shops, small cafes, restaurants. it really is a destination, notjust for visitors who come to the city, but also for those who live in istanbul itself. but this is a strike at the heart of the city. 0rla, thank you and no doubt we will be returning to you later. we will bring you more details on that breaking news as we get it. the chancellor has told the bbc that everyone will pay more tax and there will be spending cuts, when he gives his autumn statement on thursday.
it has been beautiful weather up until now and suddenly it has closed in on quite windy and wet, but that is the falklands, full seasons in a day, often. remote from the uk but it has meant a lot to those veterans who have come back. painful memories for a number of them, who have come back. painful memories fora number of them, but who have come back. painful memories for a number of them, but they have come back for the first time since the war in 1982. now to our breaking news this hour. at least four people have reportedly been killed and 38 injured following an explosion in a busy area of central istanbul. the city s governor has confirmed the incident happened at around 4.20pm local time today, 1.20pm gmt, and described there being both casualties and injuries in a post on twitter. turkish authorities are yet to confirm the cause of the explosion.
popular destination for shopping, for visitors. it is now completely sealed off and there is a very heavy police presence. i have seen riot police presence. i have seen riot police arrive in the last half an hour, going streaming down the street and we have seen ambulances coming back and forward. there are a lot of police vehicles here with flashing lights and there is a police chopper which has been circling overhead for the last hour or so. they are looking around in the doorways, this is an area full of shops, very popular with tourists and visitors and shopkeepers are looking stunned. there is a sense of anxiety. this has come as a shock for istanbul. the city has suffered bomb attacks in the past, but in recent years it has been quiet, so to an extent this has come out of the blue and in turkey, something that has put the city on edge. the confirmed death do we have, the
autumn statement. hello and welcome. an explosion in the turkish city of istanbul has killed at least six people and injured more than 80 others. the blast happened in a busy street in the centre of the city. the turkish vice president said, the blast was thought to be a terrorist attack, carried out by a woman. turkey s president erdogan has condemned it, as a vile attack . our senior international correspondent, orla guerin, has sent this report. chaos and panic in the heart of istanbul. an attack on istiklal street, one of the city s main arteries.