Outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will tomorrow address an Oireachtas Committee on the Good Friday Agreement to mark the historic accord’s 10th anniversary.

An SDLP working group looking at the future of the party is exploring all political options, its leader Mark Durkan insisted today.

The Queen of England is expected to meet President Mary McAleese in the North today.

Politicians from the North will be allowed for the first time to take part in the workings of the Dáil today.

The SDLP could see its majorities in three Westminster constituencies cut under Boundary Commission recommendations proposed today.

The head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission should be removed from office, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley claimed today.

Plans to retain search, arrest and entry powers for British troops in the North despite the improved security situation came under fire in the British parliment today.

The recalling of the Northern Assembly next month will provide the North’s politicians with a chance to build trust, a delegation from the Democratic Unionists will tell a body of TDs and MPs from Ireland and Britain today.

INVESTIGATORS from the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’s office last night named the man shot dead by police at a road block while driving a stolen car.

Investigators from the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’s office tonight named the man shot dead by police at a road block .

The SDLP has called for the suspension of the police officers involved in yesterday's fatal shooting in Ballynahinch in Co Down.

A furious row has broken out in the North over comments made by the SDLP MP Eddie McGrady, apparently supporting the idea of recalling the assembly without power-sharing.

Animal welfare officers believe they may have broken up a puppy farm in the North during a joint operation with the police.

Nationalist SDLP members will debate today deprivation on both sides of the political divide in the North during the opening session of their annual conference.

THE SDLP has called for a speedy resumption of talks on implementing the Good Friday Agreement and restoring devolution.

The IRA should not be allowed to “privatise” criminality in the wake of yesterday’s statement to end its armed struggle, it was claimed today.

Gunmen who wounded four people in an early morning shooting in a seaside town in Northern Ireland carried out a reckless attack with little regard for local people, it was claimed today.

The British and Irish Governments were today urged to insist that Sinn Féin backs policing in Northern Ireland regardless what the next IRA statement says.

Ian Paisley today warned Taoiseach Bertie Ahern: “Keep your dirty hands off Northern Ireland.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s suggestion that the freezing of Sinn Féin from regional government was one option for Northern Ireland was today welcomed by the Democratic Unionists.

An independent member who is quitting the North's Policing Board today warned it could become more polarised than ever.

THE onward march of Sinn Féin has slowed to a stroll. That is a clear conclusion which can be drawn from the results of the Westminster elections held in Northern Ireland this day last week.

The SDLP is more focused on political realignment through a united Ireland than on any post-election link-up with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fáil, its leader insisted today.

Harry McGee, Political Editor

The British government must produce a decommissioning programme for the Sellafield nuclear plant which will result in its swift closure, the SDLP said today.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell last night insisted he was campaigning for an SDLP general election candidate in a personal capacity following criticism of his visit to Belfast by Sinn Féin.

The Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, has contrasted a recent visit made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to south Down, where he was photographed with the SDLP candidate, Eddie McGrady, with his absence from the Short Strand Catholic enclave when it was under attack from loyalists.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams today accused the Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern of interfering in the Westminster election campaign in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin would have opposed any shooting by the IRA of Robert McCartney’s killers, leading party member Gerry Kelly said tonight.

The gloves came off today in the battle for nationalist votes in the next General Election in the North as SDLP leader Mark Durkan launched his bitterest attack on Sinn Féin.

Guildford Four member Gerry Conlon today paid an emotional tribute to members of the SDLP for standing by him as he sought to clear his name.

Downing Street today distanced itself from claims by SDLP leader Mark Durkan that it canvassed its party vigorously on forming a devolved executive in the North which would freeze out Sinn Féin.

IT was a long time coming, but when Tony Blair issued the prime ministerial public apology to the Conlon and Maguire families for their wrongful imprisonment for IRA bomb attacks, it exceeded their expectations.

Miscarriage of justice victim Gerry Conlon said today it has been harder to clear his name than to get out of prison.

The victims of one of Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice will travel to the House of Commons today in the hope that Tony Blair will publicly apologise for their wrongful imprisonment.

Sinn Féin was accused today of thinking republicans were above the law and didn’t have to live by the same rules as everyone else.

Sinn Féin has demanded that the SDLP clarify its position on inclusive politics after two senior party members appeared to support the expulsion of republicans from the peace process.

A war of words erupted between nationalists in the North today after an SDLP representative raised the possibility of restoring devolved government without Sinn Féin involvement.

The British army have confirmed plans to shut down another military base in Northern Ireland.

The British government was under fresh pressure tonight to hold a public inquiry soon into the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.

HAVE the lunatics taken over the Assembly? The Northern elections have left us seeing through a glass darkly as regards the future shape of things on this island.

A day before Northern Ireland’s Assembly Election, Sinn Féin candidates were getting twitchy.

A WEEK is a long time in politics. A week is twice as long in Northern Ireland politics. The next few weeks will be particularly interesting.

The SDLP has selected four candidates to defend its three seats in the south Down constituency in the Assembly elections scheduled for May 1.