Britain, Ireland Plan Talks Amid New Calm

Northern Ireland awoke after its first peaceful night in nearly two weeks, permitting the British and Irish leaders to get back to the business of securing a lasting peace. The troubled British province had experienced 10 successive nights of rioting in connection with the annual Protestant Orange Order’s “marching season,” which marks centuries-old battlefield victories over Roman Catholics. But there was no serious violence Wednesday night after the climax of the marching season. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, are scheduled to talk by telephone today to try to get Northern Ireland’s peace process back on track.