Historic power-sharing takes hold in N. Ireland

The people of Northern Ireland - Protestants and Roman Catholics -for the first time have a provincial government they can call theirown.

Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday approved a law grantingsubstantial powers of self-rule to Northern Ireland, and power passedfrom London to the provincial capital, Belfast, at midnight.

The Protestant-Catholic government assumes control of its affairs610 days after the signing of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement toend a sectarian conflict in which more than 3,500 people have died inthe last 31 years.

The first meeting of the 12-member Cabinet will be today, but thetwo members from a hard-line Protestant party plan to skip …