A terrorist bomb-maker who infiltrated the British military should receive a tougher sentence, a former armed forces minister has said.

The sister of a woman killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings has called for the arrest of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness ahead of tonight’s state banquet.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he will meet relatives of the Omagh bomb as they continue their long battle for the truth of the “appalling tragedy”.

A decision by Northern Ireland’s Alliance Party to pull out of the North Down constituency in favour of David Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party was one of the toughest decisions it has had to make, leader Sean Neeson said tonight.