UK faces collapse of N. Ireland regime

Crunch talks will be held in London in the coming days, but in an fevered atmosphere in Belfast, few expect the Protestant/Roman Catholic government to survive the week. If the coalition falls, London would be forced to take over the day-to-day running of Northern Ireland’s government.

While most analysts agree there is little prospect of a return to all-out war by the IRA, fears remain that those on the violent fringes could exploit the political vacuum. ‘‘This is 10 times worse than anything that happened at Watergate,’’ the province’s Protestant First Minister David Trimble said on Monday.

‘‘There has been political espionage on a massive scale which was directed by the republican movement for the purpose of aiding their political projects,’’ Trimble said. Israel draws US condemnation after Gaza raid. (Reuters)