U2 urges Northern Ireland

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Irish supergroup U2 has launched a European tour with a plea to Northern Ireland - "Give peace a chance."

With the peace process once more in crisis in the British-ruled province, lead singer Bono told cheering crowds in the northern English city of Manchester: "Compromise is not such a bad word after all."
"Our prayer is that this week brave people make brave decisions and this little island across the little channel does not go back to war," he told a capacity crowd at the Manchester Evening News arena on Saturday night.

The province was plunged into crisis when Protestant leader David Trimble resigned as the provincial government's first minister last month over guerrilla weapons which have not been destroyed.

Britain reinstated the home-rule executive on Sunday after a 24-hour technical suspension.

The move gives feuding Protestant and Catholic politicians another six weeks to try to settle their differences over guerrilla disarmament.