Martin McGuinness

Martin McGuinness, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander who laid down his arms to become a key architect of Northern Ireland's peace, died on March 21 aged 66, prompting tributes from allies and former enemies alike.

Northern Ireland's political parties began talks on Sept. 21 to try to save their power-sharing government after revelations about the involvement of Irish nationalist militants in a murder prompted the pro-British first minister to step aside.

London and Dublin will hold further talks with Northern Ireland's political parties to try to avert a crisis over an IRA-linked murder that has led to calls to suspend Belfast's parliament, the British government said on Aug.1.

Tens of thousands took to the streets of UK towns and cities on Saturday to defy reelected PM David Cameron's plans to continue with austerity policies.

In London alone, between 70 000 and 150 000 people are estimated to have attended the main rally, according to The Guardian.

Protesters demanded equality and more commitment to helping the poor.

Prince Charles offered a historic handshake on May 19to Gerry Adams, longtime leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and reputedly an Irish Republican Army commander when the outlawed group killed the prince's great-uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1979.

Former Irish prime minister Albert Reynolds, a central figure in the Northern Ireland peace process who helped broker the 1994 IRA ceasefire, has died aged 81, Irish broadcaster RTE reported on Aug. 21.
     

Armed Basque separatist group ETA has dismantled its military wing and set up a group to finalise the deactivation of any remaining weapons and explosives, according to an ETA statement in a Basque newspaper on July 20.