15/02/2017 BBC Newsline

A man is in hospital after he was shot in the legs

Our reporter Helen Jones went to the scene.

Is understood the shooting took place close to the jobs and benefits

office on Falls Road at around 8:30pm. Emma has been taken to

hospital with gunshot wounds to his leg. His condition is not known -- a

man. The area has been cordoned off. A local person said there had been

anti-social activity in the area shortly before the shooting. The

police say the investigation into the attack is ongoing.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said it's a matter of vital national

interest that there's no return to a hard border when

Mr Kenny was making a major speech on the implications of Brexit,

saying it poses a serious threat to the Republic's

He described the forthcoming negotiations as the most significant

that Ireland has faced as an independent state.

Here's our economics and business editor John Campbell.

But his speech was aimed at many audiences.

Irish voters, fellow EU leaders and a warning

With the dissolution of the Assembly, there is a very

real danger that the absence of political leadership

in Northern Ireland will lead to a retreat to partisan debate

and an even greater marginalisation of Northern Ireland's concerns.

The Brexit process will not wait for another round of

The future of the border will be one of the toughest Brexit issues.

Neither the British nor Irish Governments want a return

But finding a way to keep the border at its current invisible state

For example, there will be have to be some form of customs checks.

One of Enda Kenny's biggest challenges will be convincing the EU

leaders the border should not be hardened.

The Irish Government will oppose a hard border.

They will argue for free movement in Ireland,

seek European Union funding for cross-border projects

and protect the rights of European Union citizens

And the Taoiseach was not playing down the potential consequences

Brexit is a serious, direct threat to Ireland's

Key sectors, such as agriculture, food, fishing, all face particular

Hanging over the speech was the question of who will be speaking

for Ireland as Mr Kenny's leadership comes under pressure.

A man from Newcastle who was held at knife-point in his home

and had his car stolen says he feels victimised again by personal

injury claims made by three police officers.

They were in a car which was hit by Terence Duffin's stolen car.

When Terence Duffin's car was stolen, it was traumatic enough.

But months later, it was written off in a police chase and he has had

more unexpected news - he's received three personal injury

I just couldn't believe this was happening to me.

They told me they would send me full details of all claims

I reckon that will be about September and then I will see

It is bad enough with the criminal case coming up, without this

The police chased the car from Newcastle to Belfast.

We asked the PSNI if it was in practice for police to make civil

claims against owners even if they were not

They said they did not hold this information and each

incident would depend on individual circumstances.

They said it will be a private matter between the individual

officer, like any other citizen injured by a stolen car

This solicitor says this is the officer's only option

Terence has now replaced his car and is waiting to see just how

high his next insurance bill will be.

In a statement this afternoon the PSNI said the officers are not

claiming against the victim's insurance, they are claiming

The PSNI said it was a matter between the insured person

and the insurance company whether or not the incident

would be treated as a claim under their policy.

A Belfast man has been jailed for 11 years for causing life-changing

injuries to a young woman after he assaulted her with a claw

The judge, who sentenced 22-year-old Aaron Hyland

from Katherine's Road in Ballymurphy, said the violence

used against the woman, who is now 25, was "sickening".

Hyland admitted causing the woman grievous bodily harm

Police welcomed the sentence and praised the strength and dignity

shown by the victim. Sinn Fein's Stormont leader

Michelle O'Neill has rejected DUP calls for the controversial petition

of concern to be scrapped. Ms O'Neill said the mechanism

is needed to protect the rights She was speaking at the launch

of Sinn Fein's election manifesto. Our political correspondent

Enda McClafferty was there. Michelle O'Neill's

first priority today, funnily enough, was not

in the High heels and high stools,

she told the press team, do Nor, she made it clear,

do Sinn Fein and the DUP. We have public concern and outrage

in relation to the design of this scheme and we know it has been

of the DUP's making. Whilst there is a cloud

hanging over Arlene Foster, she should not take up the position

and we will not support her in a position of Deputy First Minister

in executive office. Those divisions have spread

to the use of petitions Arlene Foster said the mechanism

should be scrapped, but The concern is to protect

minority rights. Others have abused that position

to deny people rights. Sinn Fein's manifesto has 25

priorities, including an Ireland-wide referendum

on Irish unity. Also, full implementation of Inquiry

recommendations, securing special status in Brexit

negotiations, equality and respect, including

an Irish language act and ensuring both governments

on This is not a blueprint

for Government, but a template of Sinn

Fein's 25 key demands for the negotiation

which will follow the election

on March the 2nd. Judging by the mood here today,

the party is in no rush And on a sporting note,

it's emerged that Friends School in Lisburn have lost out on a place

in this year's Rugby It's believed that many of team

members had booked to go on a school skiing trip which clashed

with the date of the quarter Now Belfast Royal Academy

in North Belfast are expected to go through to the next

round after Ulster Rugby The mild weather is set to remain

through the week and most of the weekend so it won't feel so cold

over the next few days. There was some rain early tonight. Most of it

has moved away apart from the north shower and it will be largely dry.

The breeze will prevent any frost from forming despite breaks in the

cloud. In mild day to come tomorrow and it looks like it will brighten

up nicely and there will be sunshine for a wild... While so not a bad

start. There is rain later in the day and that will affect western

counties of Ireland and there will be rain moving across parts of

Scotland and the North of England but further south across England and

Wales, mostly dry with some sunshine as many southern and eastern

counties of Ireland are also having a lovely day with sunshine.

Unfortunately, it looks like skies turn cloudier for Northern Ireland

tomorrow afternoon and it will be raining in many areas but

temperatures at in double digits. As we look at Friday's chart, there is

the weather front to come in on Friday night but once that rain

moves through, part of the weekend will be fairly dry, so it's not

looking too bad at all. Friday daytime, fairly cloudy, but mostly

dry, temperatures in double figures. There will be rain to come on Friday

evening, which should clear away early on Saturday morning and then

was the sky and mild this weekend. Our next BBC Newsline

is at 6:25 in the morning You can also keep updated

with News Online.