Prominent IRA leader Brian Keenan dies

The leading Belfast republican and IRA leader, Brian Keenan, has died after a long illness.

Mr Keenan emerged as a pivotal figure in the Republican movement during the North's Troubles.

Tony Blair's chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, described him in his recent autobiography as "the greatest single threat to the British state".

An apprentice electrical engineer, he joined the IRA in 1968.

He spent 25 years on the run and 16 years in jails across England.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has described Brian Keenan as having been crucial in securing IRA support for the peace process.