Milestone

In what could prove to be a milestone on the road to peace in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republican Army has announced an end to its armed struggle to unite Ireland, and proclaimed its intention to work for its goal by peaceful means. The BBC has extensive coverage, including videos. In April, Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin, the party generally described as the political wing of the IRA, called on the IRA to renounce violence. Ian Paisley, the intransigent leader of the powerful Democratic Unionist Party, greeted today's news with scepticism.