EVEN by DUP standards, Dr Ian Paisley’s refusal to accept the collective word of the head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning displays an incoherent political philosophy riddled with conspiracy theories.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams today called on the British and Irish Governments to move quickly to restore power-sharing in the wake of IRA decommissioning.

A statement released by the IRA in the aftermath of confirmation of its arms decommissioning read:

Work to dismantle one of the most infamous army watchtowers in Northern Ireland will get under way today.

The Irish and British governments are throwing concessions at Sinn Féin on the back of an IRA statement which has failed to answer basic questions, it was claimed today.

The IRA must have a change of heart on disarmament if there is to be political progress in Northern Ireland, a Democratic Unionist MP insisted today.

The ultimate Christmas gift that the people of the North could ever have imagined, a final end to IRA paramilitarism and the reality of peace, was yesterday snatched from them by the bitter intransigence of Ian Paisley and his Democratic Unionist Party.

The Democratic Unionists will walk away from a deal to revive power sharing if it falls short of what unionists need, Ian Paisley has warned his party.

Efforts to revive power-sharing in the North will today reach a critical stage as members of the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists prepare for a meeting of their party executive.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was tonight challenged to release details of the agreement he reached with Sinn Féin during last autumn’s failed peace process deal.

The IRA tonight ruled out any further move on disarmament until the peace process deal agreed with David Trimble and the British and Irish governments was honoured fully.

Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly has accused the Government of failing to show leadership in the peace process.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has admitted that he expected the Ulster Unionist Party to have difficulties with the lack of detail about the latest act of IRA decommissioning.

Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party are due to begin fresh talks today following the collapse of their latest peace initiative yesterday.

Ulster Unionists would be "committing electoral suicide'' if they fail to return to their Assembly election pledges of four years ago, the party was warned tonight.

A councillor’s decision to quit Sinn Fein has shown that many republicans face a dilemma of conscience over IRA weapons decommissioning, Sinn Fein’s member of the southern Parliament said today.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was today preparing to secure his party’s backing for a return as Northern Ireland First Minister in a crucial Assembly vote next week.

General John de Chastelain and his decommissioning body colleagues handled and inspected the IRA’s arms, ammunition and explosives before they were put beyond use, it emerged today.

The Democratic Unionist Party will meet General John de Chastelain today to seek clarification of the IRA’s move on disarmament.

Ulster Unionist ministers in the Stormont Executive were returning to their ministerial desks today, as the British Army dismantled four military installations in response to IRA decommissioning.

Northern Ireland's political leaders are today studying the implications of a further suspension of the Assembly.

The British Government was today being urged to kickstart a round of talks with the Northern Ireland parties in a bid to revive the troubled peace process.

The British and Irish Governments were today expected to field inquiries from the Northern Ireland parties as they continued to weigh up take-it-or-leave it proposals to keep the Good Friday Agreement afloat.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said he will brief US President George W Bush later today on the package of proposals aimed at saving the Good Friday Agreement.

Decommissioning of paramilitary arms is "indispensable" to the future of the Northern peace process, the Irish and British Governments insisted today.

The issue of IRA weapons will not be resolved on British or unionist terms, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said tonight.

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair was today planning a fresh push to stabilise the Northern Ireland peace process in the wake of David Trimble’s threatened resignation as Northern Ireland First Minister.

Sinn Fein is looking for a strengthened mandate when it returns to crucial peace process negotiations after the Westminster and local government elections, party leader Gerry Adams claimed today.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was warned tonight that his sanctions against Sinn Fein were undermining attempts to resolve the issue of paramilitary disarmament.