17/01/2017 BBC Newsline

Two children, believed to be a brother and sister,

have been knocked down and critically injured in County Antrim.

The incident happened late this afternoon, near Randalstown.

Our reporter, Catherine Morrison, has been to the scene.

It's understood the children had just been dropped

off by their school bus when they were knocked down

by a car, at around 4:40pm this afternoon.

It happened at the junction of the Staffordshire Road

and Greenan Road, outside Randalstown.

The car involved, a white Audi A3 remained at the scene and the police

say no arrests have been made. The two children, a boy and a girl, were

taken to the hospital where they are said to be any critical condition.

This is every parent's worst nightmare. You said your children to

school in the morning, and you have thoughts about them during the day

but you assume they will return home safe to you in the afternoon. But

this is an exceptional day and tragic circumstances. The thoughts

and prayers are with the family. Roads in the area near the accident

site remain closed tonight, The police have appealed

to anyone who saw what Catherine Morrison,

BBC Newsline, Randlastown. There's uncertainty if Brexit

will mean the return of customs In her Brexit statement today,

the Prime Minister said the UK would be exiting

the European Customs Union, which allows tariff-free

trade north and south. Although Mrs May also said

she will try to negotiate Here's our economics and business

editor, John Campbell. This is free flowing, S. Thousands

of the Eccles cross our border every day, without any customs checks.

That's because the UK and Ireland are members of the European customs

union. But could we soon be moving to an arrangement like this? Here,

on the border between Sweden and Norway, lorry drivers must cross at

designated places. They have to hand in paperwork. They can also have

their cargoes checked. There are terrorists to be paid on some goods,

effectively a tax on trade. That is because Sweden is in the customs

union but Norway is not. Think of the customs union like a club, set

up to make trade easier. All the members of the club have agreed they

won't charge customs duties on each other's goods. Members also agreed

to take a joint approach to the rest of the world. Imports from outside

the union must attract the same tariffs in a matter which member

state they are going to. In their jargon, that is known as a common

external tariff. But the joint approach means members of the club

can't do their own trade deals. Deals the trap Prime Minister wants

to do. I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff. These

are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking

our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But

I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU. The Prime

Minister hopes that whatever deal is done with the EU we will retain the

good parts of the customs union and also make lots of new trade deals.

But in the meantime there is uncertainty for businesses,

particularly those in border areas. We have a very complex supply chain

here. We produce, for example, food and drink on both sides of the

border. What does that mean for us if we are looking at customs,

looking at tariffs? Sinn Fein was not a pretty impressed by the

speech. Theresa May 's insistence on leaving the customs union is a hard

Brexit. A hard border. The Government suggest a hard border

will be avoided. I think away can be found to deal with the issue of the

border we exit the customs union. Theresa May has again promised there

will be no return to the borders of the past. But Brexit means change is

coming. It's just not clear how much impact that change will have.

Earlier I asked the Secretary of State how the UK could leave

the Customs Union and not have border customs checks.

In relation to the customs union as well I think the Prime Minister

underlined that she wants to see the maximum ability for UK firms to be

able to trade a cross borders without terrorists, without

restrictions, and indeed underpinning that concept of what

you might describe as a frictionless border. That friction is border that

we see today. So it is that objective that she has in those

negotiations, and I think it was key to see that in her speech earlier

on. People do need real clarity. Can you guarantee that the physical

border will remain the same? We've been very clear on not wanting to

see a return to the borders of the past. Those restrictions that apply

because of that really significant impact in Northern Ireland. So it is

with that intent, that will, and that shared well in terms of the

Irish Government, that we don't see a return to those old borders. And

why we have set out that objective today and how that really underpins

the approach we take a head. That's turned the assembly election, and

you have asked for civility in the campaign. From what we've heard from

the parties, it seems that will be a very tall order. How can you avoid

not having a brutal campaign, as one party put it? I know that in any

election campaign the issues need to be debated. It needs to be a robust

campaign as these things always are. But I do focus on this issue of how

we bring people back together afterwards. That it is not become so

divisive that people do think carefully about what is at stake. In

regard to those talks post election, how long will you give them before

you implement direct rule? The law is very clear that we have the

period of the election campaign and then there is giving the greatest

focus, the greatest ability, to get devolved Government continuing, and

that responsibility we'll have in the weeks ahead.

The Press Association is tonight reporting that the father-in-law

of the former DUP Director of Communications, John Robinson, runs

two green energy boilers under the controversial

Yesterday Mr Robinson, who's now the special adviser to

the Economy Minister Simon Hamilton, denied any family

Tonight, in a statement, Mr Robinson said his father-in-law applied

to the scheme in August 2015, and that was before he got married,

Mr Robinson said, "At no time did we discuss any aspect of the Scheme

nor was I aware of his application to the Scheme.

Neither my wife nor I have ever had any role in the business nor have

we received any benefit, financial or otherwise,

A former defence minister has used parliamentary privilege to allege

that Barra McGrory is what he called a "Sinn Fein supporting Director

The Conservative MP for Aldershot, Sir Gerald Howarth,

Make a make a really firm plea to him that he should protect the

interests of former British soldiers, currently being charged by

the Saint Payne supporting Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern

Ireland with murder, for events that took place over 40 years ago?

In response, a spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service

said it was wholly independent of all political parties

As such it would never seek to influence political debate

It said the PPS only applies the law as it currently stands

in Northern Ireland and does so without fear,

Earlier, I asked the Secretary of State what he thought

of that allegation, made by his Tory colleague.

I think we need to be very careful about what is said, reflecting on

issues of the past. I am very clear on the DPP. On the independence of

that office. Indeed the integrity of that office, the way in which

prosecutions have been brought against a whole range of

individuals. And therefore I think we need to be very careful in the

language that we use and how I see the independence of the

prosecutorial process. Geoff Maskell has

the weather forecast. It is a bit of a quiet week on the

weather desk this week. We have high pressure in charge and high cloud

sitting over is. Tonight is a very mild note with temperatures down to

six or 7 degrees. We keep that cloudy feel to our weather as we go

through tomorrow and next few days. Temperature is still very mild for

the time of year. We'd expect 7 degrees to be the normal daytime

temperature. Tomorrow we'll see highs of nine maybe 10 degrees. A

good bit warmer than what we would normally see at this time of year.

If we take the wider view you can see there is a bit of range in terms

of temperatures. An area of high pressure is sitting over western

Europe and feeding in much cooler air from the continent across the

south-east of England. Generally very dry at the moment matters

because the high is sitting there, protecting us from the Atlantic

weather systems will stop it looks like it will be there right through

this week. Overnight as we go into Thursday, another mild night.

Temperatures dropping off as we go through this week. Thursday is

looking like the brightest day, we trade of some cooler air, getting

cooler again on Friday. Really, for this time of year, with those light

winds, it is actually feeling pretty good and staying dry witty much all

the way through this week.