Image copyright PSNI

The shootings of two men in Londonderry were an attempt to "control communities through fear and violence", the PSNI has said.

The men were shot in separate incidents in the Ballymagroarty area of Londonderry on Friday evening.

The shootings happened within 10 minutes of each other and less than 100 metres apart.

Both men were taken to hospital for treatment.

In the first attack, a 24-year-old man was shot in the knee on a grassed area close to Corrib Court.

The incident was reported to police at about 20.10 GMT.

'Scars'

The second shooting was reported just after 20.20 GMT.

A 32-year-old man was shot once in the leg on a grassed area near O'Casey Court.

"We are treating both incidents as paramilitary-style attacks; attacks that were brutal and vicious and will leave these two men with both physical and psychological scars," Det Sgt Michelle Boyd said.

"These attacks are yet again more examples of how criminal groups seek to control communities through fear and violence."

The Western Trust said both men were in a stable condition at Altnagelvin hospital in the city.

Condemnation

Sinn Féin councillor Eric McGinley condemned the incident.

"There can be no place for the use of guns or gangs of masked men on the streets of our city," he said.

"All of this is in stark contrast to the good work that is going on in this community." </s> A former British soldier faces murder charges over the killing of two people in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in January 1972. They were among the 13 people who were shot dead at the civil rights march known as "Bloody Sunday," one of the worst events of the period known as "The Troubles." </s> LONDON -- Police in Northern Ireland said Sunday they suspect Irish Republican Army dissidents were behind a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. Two men in their 20s have been arrested.

The device was placed inside a hijacked delivery vehicle and exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. There were no reports of injuries.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a photograph of a vehicle in flames and urged the public to stay away.

Police and army bomb-disposal experts remained at the scene on Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the bomb had been a "crude" and unstable device, and called the attack "incredibly reckless."

"The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses," he said.

Hamilton said the "main line of inquiry" was that the bomb had been planted by a group known as the New IRA.

More than 3,700 people died during decades of violence before Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord. Most militants have renounced violence, but small groups of IRA dissidents have carried out occasional bombings and shootings.

Northern Ireland's power-sharing government has been suspended for two years because of a dispute between the main Protestant and Catholic political parties. Uncertainty about the future of the Irish border after Brexit is adding to tensions.

John Boyle, who is mayor of the city also known as Derry, said violence "is the past and it has to stay in the past." </s> Police in Northern Ireland said Sunday they suspect Irish Republican Army dissidents were behind a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. Two men in their 20s have been arrested.

The device was placed inside a hijacked delivery vehicle and exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. There were no reports of injuries.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a photograph of a vehicle in flames and urged the public to stay away.

Police and army bomb-disposal experts remained at the scene on Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the bomb had been a “crude” and unstable device, and called the attack “incredibly reckless.”

“The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses,” he said.

Hamilton said the “main line of inquiry” was that the bomb had been planted by a group known as the New IRA.

More than 3,700 people died during decades of violence before Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord. Most militants have renounced violence, but small groups of IRA dissidents have carried out occasional bombings and shootings.

Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government has been suspended for two years because of a dispute between the main Protestant and Catholic political parties. Uncertainty about the future of the Irish border after Brexit is adding to tensions.

John Boyle, who is mayor of the city also known as Derry, said violence “is the past and it has to stay in the past.” </s> A former British paratrooper has been charged for the killing of two unarmed protesters in Northern Ireland in 1972, in an incident that has become known as Bloody Sunday. The veteran, identified as Soldier F, will also face prosecution with the attempted murder of four others.

A statement from the prosecutors announced that 18 other suspects, including 16 ex-soldiers and two alleged Official Irish Republican Army members, under investigation will not be charged.

"[I]t has been concluded that the available evidence is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction," the statement said.

"It has been a long road for the families... and today will be another extremely difficult day for many of them," Northern Ireland's director of public prosecutions Stephen Herron said as he announced the charges.

"We recognize the deep disappointment felt by many of those we met with today," he said.

Bloody Sunday refers to January 30, 1972, when British troops fired on unarmed civil rights protesters in Derry, or Londonderry, in Northern Ireland.

The incident took place at the height of Northern Ireland's civil unrest. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A passer-by filmed the moment police shot the attacker

A man has died and two other people were hurt after a man drove into a pedestrian area in Heidelberg, Germany.

The attacker, said to have been armed with a knife, was shot, injured and arrested by police in a brief standoff after fleeing the scene on foot.

His motives are unclear, but there are no indications this was a terrorist attack, police say.

In December an Islamist attacker drove a lorry into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 49.

In Heidelberg the attacker, described by police as a 35-year-old German "without a migration background", drove what is thought to be a rental car into pedestrians in one of the city's central squares, injuring three people. One of them, a 73-year-old German man, later died in hospital.

Image copyright AP Image caption The motives for the attack are unclear, police say

The attacker then left the car but was tracked down, shot and seriously injured by police.

Police were unable to confirm local media reports that the attacker was mentally disturbed. He is thought to have acted alone.

The two injured people were a 32-year-old Austrian national and a 29-year-old Bosnian woman, police said. Their injuries are said to be minor and they have been discharged from hospital. </s> Two people were arrested for carrying firearms illegally after the incident in the famous French Quarter early Sunday.

Ten people were shot — one fatally — in New Orleans early Sunday, authorities said. Two people have been arrested for illegally carrying firearms following the incident.

The shooting took place at the intersection of Iberville and Bourbon streets in the French Quarter. Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said the victims — two women and eight men — were aged between 20 and 37. One of the men died at a hospital.

“This is not something that should've happened,” Harrison told reporters. He also said “30 or more [officers were] in the block” for the Bayou Classic football game Saturday night between Southern and Grambling universities when shots were fired.

The motive of the shooting remains unclear. Authorities have launched an investigation into the matter.

“[Police] officers made two arrests at the scene, both males, for illegal carrying of weapons charges. One of the arrested individuals was identified as a victim in the incident, who is being treated for his injuries. The second arrest was an unrelated individual found to be in illegal possession of a handgun at the scene,” New Orleans Police Department said, in a statement.

“Very tragic, unacceptable set of circumstances,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who was at the shooting site, told reporters. “Totally unacceptable. The violence continues to spin out of control.” </s> Update 5.01pm: A man has died after being shot dead in North Dublin.

It is the second fatal shooting to take place in the capital in under 24 hours.

The Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has released a statement condemning the recent Dublin shootings.

He said: "I utterly condemn any violent loss of life and I am extremely concerned about the three shooting incidents that took place in Balbriggan, Mulhuddart and Darndale in the past 24 hours.

"An Garda Síochána are now conducting full enquiries into the circumstances surrounding these incidents and I would appeal to anyone who has information which could help to please come forward to them as soon as possible.

"Any information, no matter how small, could play a vital part in bringing the perpetrators of these acts to justice. Gardaí can be contacted anonymously by using the Garda Confidential Line on Tel: 1800 666 111."

Earlier: Gardaí at scene of shooting in Dublin

Gardaí are at the scene of a shooting incident in Dublin.

The shooting happened at around 4pm on the Marigold Road area of Darndale.

It is reported that a man is in a critical condition following the shooting. </s> A man in his 20s has died following a shooting in Darndale, north Dublin. The attack occurred on Marigold Road at about 4pm on Wednesday.

There were grave fears for the victim’s life immediately after the attack occurred and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Gardaí say the killing has all the hallmarks of a gangland attack and are exploring links to the drugs trade.

The scene of the shooting has been sealed off and the Garda has deployed all the resources of a murder investigation to the inquiry.

Gardaí in Coolock Garda station are carrying out the investigation into the killing of the man, who was believed to be local and in his early 20s.

The shooting follows the murder of a 22-year-old Dublin man whose body was found near Walshetown in north Co Dublin late on Tuesday night.
Two people were shot and injured in two individual attacks in Londonderry.