As others see it: Northern Ireland

'MORE than ever, there is a chance of success for an unorthodox initiative such as Major's. If the pressure from the people becomes sufficiently great, Adams and Paisley will have to relinquish their hardline positions.'

Het Parool, Amsterdam daily

'TIME is pressing. The generation change in the Unionist terror organisations has led to further violence. In the IRA, the generation change has not yet come and Adams could still be its victim. John Major is seeing the leaders of the 'constitutional parties' of Northern Ireland. The population would rightly be immeasurably disappointed if John Major did not bring them quickly to the negotiating table.'

Die Welt, German daily

'MR MAJOR must grasp a big idea. That is, the British are not merely keeping order in the north through force of arms, but are actively favouring one side: the Protestants. British abuse of Catholic civil rights - through warrantless searches, non-jury trials and lengthy detention of 'terrorist' suspects without charge - has been properly condemned by Amnesty International. Equally insidious is the economic discrimination - the Catholic unemployment rate is 28 per cent, the Protestant rate is 12 per cent.'

The Philadelphia Inquirer