Bruton "heartened" by talks
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his Irish counterpart, John Bruton, have held their first meeting in London. Their talks, initiated by Mr Bruton, were aimed at revitalising the Northern Ireland peace process.
Afterwards, Mr Bruton said he was "very heartened". Downing Street would say only that the talks had been conducted in a "very friendly atmosphere".
The Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, effectively ruled out Sinn Féin participation in the peace talks which are scheduled to resume in June. Both London and Dublin insist on an unequivocal IRA ceasefire before Sinn Féin, its political wing, can enter the political process.
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Mitchel McLaughlin: encouraged by meeting
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Sinn Féin's national chairman, Mitchel McLaughlin, said he was encouraged by the meeting and by Ms Mowlam's approach to the job. At the same time, he insisted that it was not clear what was needed for his party to be included in the talks.
Mr McLaughlin said on BBC Radio 4's programme, The World Tonight , that the new Northern Ireland Secretary should not "stand at a distance and shout at us" like her Conservative predecessor, Sir Patrick Mayhew. Instead, he argued, Ms Mowlam should engage Sinn Féin in talks.
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Mo Mowlam: tougher measures on parades
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Ms Mowlam also announced that tougher rules would be introduced on Friday governing political parades in Northern Ireland. Parade organisers will be required to give 21 days' notice, instead of seven, and police would be given powers to confiscate alcohol.
She described the measures as "commonsense" precautions. And she emphasised the importance of local consultations in reducing trouble on the streets. "I want to see people engage in frank and constructive dialogue, through intermediaries if necessary, to try and reach local agreement. This is the best way forward," Ms Mowlam said.
Stressing the need for an IRA ceasefire, Mr Bruton noted with satisfaction the importance attached to Northern Ireland by the new Labour government. "I think this meeting so soon after the Prime Minister came into office indicates very strongly the priority he is attaching to this issue and to moving forward peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland," he said. " I believe that he (Mr Blair) is someone who intends to be decisive on a whole range of government issues, including this one."
Bruton: opportunity for "historic breakthrough"
Earlier, Mr Bruton told Radio 4's Today programme that it was up to Republicans to demonstrate that any new cessation of violence was genuine.
"I think it is important that we should give the maximum degree of assurance to them that if they give up once and for all the crutch of violence, then they can genuinely take part in a real political process," he said.
"If there was a ceasefire and if it was to be one that was really full-hearted and you could see that it was full-hearted and the approach of violence was being abandoned by the Republican movement, I see no reason why they should not be in the talks when the talks resume on June 3," insisted Mr Bruton.
In a speech last night after he arrived in Britain, he said an "historic breakthrough" was possible to "end the agony" of Northern Ireland.
On Friday, meanwhile, Sinn Féin MPs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness will outline their party's stance in the Irish Republic's General Election, expected to be called for June. Sinn Féin will put up candidates for all the seats in the Dail, the Irish parliament. The party will be expected to build on its profile; at the last Irish election, in 1992, Sinn Féin managed an average of only two per cent of the vote in the constituencies it contested.
Beaten Catholic man dies in hospital
In County Armagh, a Catholic man viciously beaten by a mob of loyalists twelve days ago has died in hospital. Robert Hamill was attacked by about 30 men in Portadown town centre. One eye-witness claimed that the mob screamed "Die Fenian die" as they kicked Mr Hamill on the ground.
Mr Hamill's friends have accused the police of failing to stop the attack. They claim that a group of officers saw the beating and did not intervene.
Brendan McKenna, of the Garvaghy Road Residents Association, demanded the suspension of the officers and called on Mo Mowlam to announce a full independent inquiry. The RUC declined to comment.
Brid Rodgers of the moderate nationalist SDLP called on the police to apprehend those responsible. She said: "This tragic death is totally unnecessary and is a product of the vicious circle of sectarian hatred poisoning our community."
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