N. Ireland political divide narrows
BELFAST, Northern Ireland, March 26 (UPI) -- The religious and political divide in Northern Ireland narrowed Monday in Dublin, with a meeting of the major Catholic and Protestant parties.
A meeting between the Protestant Democratic Unionist party representative, Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams, the leader of the Catholic Sinn Fein party, resulted in an agreement to form a power-sharing arrangement by May 8, The Times of London reported.
In London, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain had threatened to dissolve the Northern Ireland assembly and impose direct London rule if a deal was not reached by midnight.
A New York Times correspondent said the two men sat together but did not shake hands.
Paisley's party wants to continue links between Northern Ireland and Britain while Sinn Fein wants a united republic of Ireland.
Israeli settlers march in West Bank
JENIN, West Bank, March 26 (UPI) -- Young conservative Israeli activists marched Monday to the former West Bank settlement of Homesh and erected an Israeli flag, YNetNews reported.
Israeli Defense Forces and border guard troops were keeping a close watch on the march, which Palestinians threatened to block with gunfire. The IDF had said it wouldn't allow the march but relented.
The IDF announced it would enable settlers to march to Homesh but not to rebuild the settlement, YNetNews reported.
The Homesh settlement was evacuated a year and a half ago as part of the disengagement plan.
Palestinians said they would respond if settlers entered Homash.
In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and said afterwards the issue of illegal settlements had been discussed.
We are committed to our prior obligation to evacuate illegal outposts, and we have no intention of allowing the establishment of one," Olmert said.
Report: U.S. envoy met with Iraq rebels
BAGHDAD, March 26 (UPI) -- Outgoing U.S. envoy to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said he left Baghdad early last year to meet with Sunni insurgent leaders in Jordan.
In an interview with The New York Times, Khalilzad said he talked with groups such as the Islamic Army of Iraq and the 1920 Revolution Brigades after the elections and again after a Shiite shrine in Samara was bombed.
He declined to give details of the meetings but the newspaper said by last summer it was clear the insurgents were stepping up, rather than scaling back attacks around Iraq.
"I think that it has not gone as well as one would have clearly liked," Khalilzad said.
The talks run counter to the Bush administration policy of not negotiating with terror groups, although U.S. military commanders have said it was necessary to woo less radical insurgent groups away from the true militants, the Times said.
Khalilzad is leaving his post after nearly two years after being nominated by U.S. President George Bush as ambassador to the United Nations.
Pollsters can't call Quebec election
MONTREAL, March 26 (UPI) -- Polls opened Monday for 5.6 million Quebec voters in a three-way provincial race pollsters said was too close to call.
There are 125 seats in the province's National Assembly in Quebec City and incumbent Premier Jean Charest of the Liberal Party is hoping to secure at least a minority government, the Montreal Gazette reported.
The Liberals are facing stiff opposition from the separatist Parti Quebecois under leader Andre Boisclair and the center-right Action Democratique du Quebec under leader Mario Dumont.
Campaigning Sunday, Boisclair told voters if they didn't vote for the Parti Quebecois, they would end up with a minority government.
"Voting for the ADQ means running the risk of getting stuck with Jean Charest as premier of a Liberal government," Boisclair said.
There are 10 other smaller parties fielding candidates in the election as well, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported.
About 10 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in advance polls.
Chinese president visits Russia
MOSCOW, March 26 (UPI) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Moscow Monday for a state visit that included opening the "Year of China in Russia."
"During my visit, I (will) meet President (Vladimir) Putin for in-depth discussions on bilateral ties and important world and regional issues," Hu said in a statement issued to reporters, Xinhua reported.
"I believe that the current visit would deepen Sino-Russian relations and give new impetus to the expansion of pragmatic cooperation between the two countries," Hu said.
"The Year of China in Russia" is to include a business forum, an investment conference and a cultural festival. On Tuesday, Hu and Putin were scheduled to visit a Chinese national exhibition described as the largest exhibit China outside its borders in close to 30 years.
"The Year of Russia in China" was marked in 2006.
Hu is also expected to visit Kazan, the capital city of Tatarstan, during his state visit.
