Ahern, Hain play down DUP boycott of North talks

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern and Northern Secretary Peter Hain have played down the Democratic Unionist Party's boycott of talks at Hillsborough Castle today.

Mr Ahern and Mr Hain had invited the DUP, Sinn Féin and the PUP to separate talks today as part of a series of "stock-taking" meetings with the main players in the peace process.