Senior civil servants were asked to help the Northern Ireland Office give as positive a response as possible to issues raised by the Rev Ian Paisley’s son during devolution negotiations before a key political deadline, it emerged today.

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Rapists are walking free from prison in less than five years in the North, it emerged today.

A loyalist paramilitary boss today predicted direct talks with republicans were inevitable if the North's new, devolved government succeeds.

A British government minister has warned the North's politicians against trying to delay or stop the introduction of devolution next month.

Proposals to build a multi-sports stadium in east Belfast would obliterate one of the last green lungs of the city, opponents of the plan were warned tonight.

Controversial neighbourhood justice schemes in the North should be vetted to prevent people with criminal or paramilitary links since 1998 working in them, a committee of MPs urged today.

The number of complaints to the North's Human Rights Commission almost doubled in the last year, it emerged today.

The British government was today urged to allow a new advisory forum on a Bill of Rights in the North the chance to set the standards for other nations.

Automatic 50% remission for prisoners in the North is to end under tough new sentencing measures proposed by the British government today.

Northern police chief Hugh Orde will today tell MPs that controversial neighbourhood justice schemes must work under tight guidelines if they are to be state funded.

A committee of MPs will hear directly from neighbourhood justice schemes in the North today why they want state funding despite concerns about how they operate.

British government plans for neighbourhood justice schemes in the North could condemn nationalist communities to rough justice and one sided political policing, it was claimed today.

A Northern Ireland minister told the Home Office tonight to forget any hope it could solve the overcrowding crisis in Britain’s jails by reopening the Maze Prison.

Work started today to demolish the infamous Maze Prison in the North.

Loyalists revealed today that they want more than £8m (€11.8m) from the British government to transform a notorious paramilitary unit into a peacetime community development body.

Sinn Féin tonight criticised a programme designed to distribute around £134m for peace building in the North for entrenching sectarian differences.

The British government today launched a review which could make it easier for people on low incomes in the North to buy homes.

Republicans in the North are calling for a £10m (€14.8m) museum and conflict resolution centre to be built on the site of the former Maze prison.

The dissident republican terrorists suspected of planting a bomb at the home of millionaire tycoon Lord Ballyedmond near the Irish border in Co Louth were today branded cowards by a Northern Ireland Office Minister.

British MPs were debating a Lords change to the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill today which sought to remove “permissible donor” provisions from the legislation.

Controversial community-based restorative justice schemes cannot operate in the North without direct police involvement, according to new British government guidelines today.

Loyalist terrorist godfathers in the North are trying to hold the British treasury to ransom with demands for a financial package, it was claimed today.

A rusting monument to Belfast’s bygone maritime era was brought home tonight as crowds cheered from the quayside.

The British government is under fire today after announcing it will give the Orange Order more than £100,000 (€144,000) to help it try to popularise the annual July 12 parade in Belfast.

The site of the former Maze Prison is the only place for a new national sports stadium for Northern Ireland, the British government insisted today.

A three-week knife amnesty has gotten under way in the North but already it has run into trouble.

Belfast tonight took another major step towards normality with the removal of the final security barriers within the city centre.

Improving the poor academic achievement of Protestant youngsters will be at the core of a multimillion-pound British government scheme to tackle disadvantage within the unionist community in the North, due to be announced today.

The Ulster Unionists were today accused of being out of touch with the needs of working class Protestants after it called on the British government to boost loyalist confidence by ending concessions to republicans.

More than four fifths of young offenders referred to schemes in the North that bring them face-to-face with their victims were boys, a report revealed today.

The nationalist SDLP will today launch a hard-hitting critique of British government plans to fund neighbourhood justice schemes in the North.

The British government was today urged to come up with an education strategy for all ages in loyalist areas of Belfast.

FRESH momentum will be generated in the search for a political breakthrough in the North by new legislation published yesterday.

International rugby matches could be staged on the site of the former Maze Prison, the sport’s governing body in Ireland signalled today.

The British government paid £170,000 (€250,000) today to save a rusting boat which once ferried passengers on to the Titanic.

Belfast councillors today launched a last-ditch bid to persuade football chiefs to defer any decision on a new stadium for Northern Ireland’s international team.

The British government and the SDLP clashed tonight over claims the party had failed to submit proposals for state funded neighbourhood justice schemes in Northern Ireland.

The British government will launch a strategy this spring to ensure every pound spent on a loyalist area of the North is as effective as every pound spent on the nationalist community, it emerged today.

A minister in charge of controversial community justice plans in the North today challenged its critics to come up with better proposals.

Rank and file police officers today heightened pressure on the British government to scrap plans for fugitive terrorist killers to be allowed back into the North without facing jail.

The British government tonight stuck by a controversial Bill which would keep people involved in paramilitary murders in the North out of jail after Sinn Féin dramatically withdrew support for it.

The British government’s Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill will remain a perverse piece of legislation if ministers fail to link it to the return of individuals exiled by paramilitaries, it was claimed today.

British government plans for neighbourhood justice schemes in Northern Ireland are riddled with shortcomings, it was claimed tonight.