The boundaries and names of the seven new local government districts in the North will be unveiled today.

Sinn Féin was mandated by its members today to fully support the St Andrews Agreement to achieve power sharing in the North by next March.

A groundbreaking blueprint for an all-island economy was unveiled today by the British and Irish governments.

The head of the Anglican Church in Ireland today appealed to politicians to show the courage needed to secure a political breakthrough in the North.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern borrowed the words of Ian Paisley today to tell a republican commemoration that a settlement to the Irish question was at its closest for two centuries.

The Taoiseach says we are now at a 'precious moment' in our history where a shared future lies before us.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has ruled out a general election on the same day as a referendum on the St Andrews Agreement.

Ian Paisley told Sinn Féin leaders tonight to ask the British government for more time if they were having difficulties getting their members to support the police in the North.

Sinn Féin has rejected claims that its consultation process over the St. Andrews proposals is window dressing and that its leadership have already made up their mind to endorse them.

Sinn Féin tonight began a wide consultation process with party members and supporters before deciding if it will support policing in the North.

Sinn Féin's ard comhairle is due to meet in Dublin later today to discuss the proposals put forward in Scotland last week in an effort to restore power-sharing in the North.

A face to face meeting involving Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams was called off today.

Northern Secretary Peter Hain today postponed a meeting of the new Programme for Government Committee at Stormont involving the DUP and Sinn Féin, following a crisis meeting with a DUP delegation.

A DUP delegation, including deputy leader Peter Robinson, has held crisis talks at Stormont with Northern Secretary Peter Hain.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley has pulled out of a planned meeting of the North's political leaders today due to a dispute over the timing of Sinn Féin's moves to endorse the PSNI.

A senior member of Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists today expressed concern that the IRA is not obliged to disband its Army Council under the St Andrews Agreement.

Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams will lead their parties into the first meeting of a new committee today which will draw up policies for a future power sharing government.

TheGovernment will make a decision on whether to hold a referendum on the St Andrew’s Agreement after Northern Ireland parties agree a position on the issue, it emerged tonight.

The St Andrews Agreement may be seen in years to come as a turning point in Irish history, Ulster Secretary Peter Hain said today.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is calling on the Irish and British governments to pledge £1bn (€1.48bn) in aid to a future power-sharing government at Stormont.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has told a republican rally that the party will carefully study the St Andrews' proposals before deciding whether they can deliver civic policing and restore democracy.

A senior DUP figure has given the strongest signal yet that the party may accept the power-sharing proposals and timetable put forward by the Irish and British governments.

A delegation allied to loyalist paramilitaries in the North has met Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin tonight.

Ousted loyalist paramilitary chief Ihab Shoukri has been charged with terrorist offences.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is set to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair for talks next Thursday at Farmleigh House in Dublin.

The IRA is still involved in organised crime, according to a report by a top PSNI detective.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley will hold crucial talks on Northern Ireland with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin on Friday, it emerged tonight.

The Irish and British governments were tonight urged to put pressure on the Democratic Unionist Party to engage in all-party talks.

The British government will not cut side deals with the Republican movement to speed up the resumption of power-sharing, UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain said tonight.

A question mark still hangs over the Democratic Unionists’ commitment to power sharing in Northern Ireland, it was claimed today.

Ireland will be united before there is a Tory government in Britain, it was claimed today.

The Northern Secretary Paul Murphy has indicated that a breakthrough in the stalled peace process will happen within the next few weeks.

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan has described the Irish peace process as a source of inspiration for the rest of the world.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has questioned the DUP's commitment to sharing power with nationalists and republicans in the North.

Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan has hinted that there may be a breakthrough in the Irish peace process in the coming days.

The deadlock in the Irish peace process looks set to continue for the foreseeable future despite intensive efforts by the Irish and British Governments to broker a deal between Sinn Féin and the DUP.

Tony Blair today confirmed a Northern Ireland peace deal has not emerged from intensive all-party talks.

Unprecedented IRA disarmament was in the balance today over a refusal by Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists to compromise at the Northern Ireland peace talks.

The Irish and British governments say they have developed a roadmap to find progress in the stalled Northern Ireland peace process.

The Taoiseach is holding face-to-face talks with Tony Blair in government buildings in Dublin this morning.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has met the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to discuss the ongoing impasse in the Irish peace process.

Loyalist paramilitaries today threatened to quit peaceline talks in Northern Ireland over a ceasefire body’s demands for all organisations to cut links with terrorists.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan is due to meet the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, today to discuss the ongoing impasse in the Irish peace process.

Parties which want to be part of the government of Northern Ireland must be “clean” of any connections with paramilitary activity, British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted today.