Several people, including a man in his 80s are shot by loyalist gunmen as they watch the Ireland v Italy World Cup match on television in a pub in the predominantly Catholic village of Loughinisland, County Down. The IRA calls off its ceasefire and one hour later sets off a bomb at South Quay near Canary Wharf in London's Docklands which kills two, injures 100 and causes millions of pounds' worth of damage. A few days later another bomb explodes prematurely on a bus in Aldwych, central London, killing eight people including the bomber. A few days later 40 people are injured by a bomb at the Killyhevlin Hotel in Enniskillen. Responsibility is claimed by the extremist republican Continuity Army Council.
Loyalist leaders pull back from a confrontation with security forces.
An IRA bomb explodes at the Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, killing a British soldier. IRA bomb hoaxers cause havoc on Britain's motorways, especially the M6 in Birmingham and the M1 in Northamptonshire. UUP leader David Trimble meets Tony Blair in Downing Street. At a news conference afterwards, Mr Trimble announces that the Unionists are unhappy with the talks proposals and will not support the Government on the decommissioning vote. Ian Paisley meets Tony Blair and claims the talks process was 'dead in the water'.