Northern Irish leaders shake hands for first time
Belfast (Reuters) - Peter Robinson , Who Has temporarily stood down from Northern Ireland's First minister over a family scandal, has shaken hands with his deputy Martin McGuinness, marking a possible thaw between the former foes.
Robinson, who continues to lead the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, told the Sunday Times that McGuinness, of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, extended his hand on hearing that Robinson's wife tried to kill herself after having an affair.
"He expressed sympathy to me and put out his hand," Robinson said. "I thought it would be wrong for me, in those circumstances, to do anything other than that," Robinson said, adding that the handshake happened in a private meeting.
McGuinness, a former Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander, remains deputy first minister in the power-sharing government led in Robinson's absence by DUP colleague Arlene Foster.
More information on reuters.com
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