Northern Ireland parties announce power-sharing deal

Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties on Monday announced a deal to forge a power-sharing administration by May 8.

The breakthrough followed the first face-to-face negotiations between Protestants in Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party and Catholics in Gerry Adams' Sinn Fein.

"After a long and difficult time in our province, I believe that enormous opportunities lie ahead for our province," said Paisley.

"We must not allow our justified loathing of the horrors and tragedies of the past to become a barrier to creating a better and more stable future for our children."

Adams said the deal "marks the beginning of a new era of politics on this island."

"Now there's a new start, with the help of God," he said.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair quickly welcomed the deal, calling it an "important day" for Northern Ireland.

"The people of Northern Ireland have said, 'We want peace and power-sharing and people working together,' and the political leadership has then come in behind that and said, 'We will deliver what the people want'", said Blair.

Adversaries Paisley and Adams, who previously negotiated through third parties, sat together during negotiations in Belfast, but reportedly did not shake hands.

Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party dropped an earlier ban on talks with Sinn Fein because of its connections with the Irish Republican Army.