David Trimble will seek the office of Northern Ireland First Minister again if the IRA starts to disarm, the Ulster Unionist leader has indicated.

An influential American foreign policy group today called for an end to violence in Northern Ireland in the wake of September 11’s terror attacks.

Northern Ireland ministers return to work today after a dramatic 48 hours which saw the province’s Assembly suspended and reinstated.

The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition has welcomed what it describes as further confirmation of the IRA's commitment to putting its arms beyond use.

The anti-Agreement Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson says there is not "a snowball's chance in hell" of any of the Unionists putting themselves forward for election as First Minister on the basis of the new proposals handed to the parties today.

Democratic Unionist Assembly member the Rev William McCrea said it was clear from the latest de Chastelain report that the IRA had no intention of disarming.

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble was accused by Sinn Fein today of deepening the crisis in the peace process by banning Martin McGuinness from a cross-border body meeting.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today presented one his bleakest assessments of prospects for the Northern Ireland peace process - and issued a direct plea to Sinn Fein and their IRA allies to help overcome the crisis.

Anti-Good Friday Agreement Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson’s six-point plan for party unity and decommissioning was tonight endorsed by a prominent pro-Agreement member of the UUP.

Republicans need to up the pace over the issue of arms decommissioning, Ulster Unionists claimed today.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was today continuing his visit to the United States, where he has called on the British government and unionists to ‘‘knuckle down’’ and build on the IRA’s re-engagement with the decommissioning body.