Republican plea as peace talks resume

Republicans entered new crisis talks aimed at restoring Northern Ireland’s power-sharing regime today and urged unionists: “Protect devolution and the IRA will disarm.”

As Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair geared up for a major push to secure a deal that will rescue the peace process, Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin insisted David Trimble must not threaten to tear down the Stormont Executive.