Northern Ireland first minister hospitalised after sudden illness

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson was recovering after an emergency operation on Monday, the hospital treating him said, with local media reporting that he had suffered a suspected heart attack. Robinson's British nationalist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leads a power-sharing regional government with Irish nationalists Sinn Fein under the terms of a 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. The DUP is currently at odds with Sinn Fein over a social welfare bill due to be submitted to the regional assembly this week, which several senior figures have said could lead to the collapse of the government. Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital said in a statement that Robinson, 66, had undergone a procedure and was recovering. A spokesman for the Democratic Unionist Party declined to comment on reports by BBC Radio Ulster and UTV television that Robinson had suffered a suspected heart attack. British Prime Minister David Cameron wished Robinson a speedy recovery in a message on Twitter. (Reporting by Ian Graham; Editing by Susan Fenton)