Taoiseach to meet Brown at Stormont

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is due to hold his first formal meeting with the new British Prime Minister later today.

Mr Ahern is due to hold talks with Gordon Brown at a meeting of the British-Irish Council in Stormont.

The meeting is being hosted by the North's First and Deputy First Ministers and will discuss issues like drug abuse, the environment, tourism, transport, the economy, social inclusion and minority languages.

The timing is believed to be at the behest of Ian Paisley, who did not want to attend his first North-South Ministerial Council as First Minister until he had first done so at a British-Irish Council meeting.

Dr Paisley had complained that the North-South Council was being treated as more important than the British-Irish one.