BELFAST - Northern Irish paramilitary Michael Stone was charged on Saturday with the attempted murder of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams after he stormed into Belfast's parliament building with a bag of homemade explosives.

Stone, a supporter of British rule, lobbed a smoking and fizzing package into the entrance of Belfast's Stormont parliament buildings on Friday as pro-Irish and pro-British political parties were debating self-rule for the province.

Stormont was evacuated and Stone arrested. The army later defused between six and eight devices at Stormont, which police Chief Constable Hugh Order described as "amateurish in design".

Stone, who gained notoriety after an attack on an Irish Republican Army (IRA) funeral nearly 20 years ago, was charged on Saturday with four other counts of attempted murder, including that of Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

He was also charged with possessing items likely to be used for terrorist purposes including nail bombs, explosives, an axe and a garrotte, and of possessing a firearm or imitation firearm.

As he left court, Stone shouted: "Ulster is not for sale!"

Sinn Fein, political ally of the IRA, ultimately wants to unite the province with Ireland but is in talks on sharing power with pro-British opponents in a devolved local government.

Reuters