Sinn Fein rejects new proposals on Northern Ireland but stays in talks

The political wing of the IRA, Sinn Fein, has rejected the Anglo-Irish proposals for the future of Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, said his party would, however, stay at the talks to challenge the proposals.

He described them as a surrender by the governments of Britain and the Irish Republic to blackmail by Protestant paramilitaries who had threatened to end their ceasefire.

The proposals foresee the republic dropping constitutional claims to the north, and a new devolved authority for Northern Ireland.

But Mr McGuinness said this meant, in effect, deciding on a Northern Ireland assembly before talks began, while leaving the Nationalist aim of executive powers for cross border authorities open for discussion.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service