N.Ireland Catholics, Protestants close to new pact
Northern Ireland's rival leaders say they are close to clinching a new power-sharing agreement that would save their Catholic-Protestant coalition.
The Northern Ireland administration had been on the brink of collapse following threats from Sinn Fein, the major Irish Catholic party, to withdraw from its 2 1/2-year-old partnership with the British Protestants of the Democratic Unionist Party. But Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said Monday that the two sides' differences have dramatically narrowed following six days of negotiations last week. (AP)
