Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson and Alliance deputy leader Naomi Long were today elected as the first members of the new Northern Assembly.

The North’s Assembly Election candidates will learn what the electorate has in store for them today as counting gets under way in 18 constituencies.

The Progressive Unionist Party is to field three candidates in the March 7 Northern Assembly Election, it was confirmed today.

The North's political leaders were today urged to hold their nerve and leave their constituents the legacy of a fully-functioning devolved Assembly.

The loyalist Progressive Unionist Party will today choose David Ervine’s successor as leader.

The Progressive Unionist Party in the North is to choose a new leader next week.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams attended the funeral of former loyalist paramilitary David Ervine in the North today.

Hundreds of mourners are expected to attend the funeral of the late PUP leader David Ervine in Belfast today.

Supporters of the Belfast soccer club Cliftonville are being criticised today for disrupting a minute's silence for the late PUP leader David Ervine last night.

Politicians from all sides have been paying tribute to Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine, who died in hospital yesterday after suffering two heart attacks and a stroke over the weekend.

Northern Secretary Peter Hain led tributes to Progressive Unionists leader David Ervine, who died in hospital today.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today said that deceased Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine played a valuable role in turning loyalism away from violence.

Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD has paid tribute to David Erivne, who died in Belfast today.

David Ervine, leader of the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party in the North, died in hospital today.

The leader of the North's Progressive Unionist Party is fighting for his life in hospital after he suffered a reported two heart attacks and a stroke at the weekend.

Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine remains in a critical condition in the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast tonight.

David Ervine, one of the North's leading loyalist politicians, was tonight fighting for his life in hospital.

The North may not get the same level of British government focus when the next Prime Minister takes over, secretary of state Peter Hain warned today.

A party linked to the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force is to meet the North's Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), it was revealed today.

THE Ulster Unionists are facing fresh demands to sever their ties with a loyalist party after the father of a murder victim claimed he had received death threats.

Eyewitness claims that the Ulster Volunteer Force was involved in extortion and other criminal activities were today cited by Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon as a reason for her unease over her party’s decision to link up with the Progressive Unionists in the Stormont Assembly.

Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister was accused of shameless opportunism today after he attacked rival Ulster Unionists for joining forces at Stormont with a loyalist politician.

An Ulster Unionist councillor is defecting to the Conservatives in protest at the party’s deal with the Progressive Unionist Party, it emerged today.

Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey today vowed to stick with his strategy of persuading loyalist paramilitaries to abandon violence, despite criticism from a senior colleague.

PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde is expected to face questions about the attempted murder of leading loyalist Mark Haddock when he appears before the North's Policing Board today.

The Ulster Unionist Party is coming under pressure today to sever its links with the Political Unionist Party.

A loyalist paramilitary chief is fighting for his life today after assassins struck near north Belfast.

A loyalist paramilitary chief was fighting for his life tonight after assassins struck near north Belfast.

The leader of the Ulster Unionists has confirmed that his party has been in touch with other assembly members about further increasing the strength of the Ulster Unionist group at Stormont.

The North's Assembly members will gather at Stormont today for the first time in three and a half years as part of a new bid to secure devolution.

Politicians meeting tomorrow to revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland could have their last chance for 20 years, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.

Sinn Féin tonight branded the Ulster Unionist Party as hypocrites for recruiting the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party to join its Assembly grouping at Stormont.

Sinn Féin today faced the prospect of losing a ministerial post in Northern Ireland’s next devolved government after a senior loyalist Assembly member agreed to join the Ulster Unionist group at Stormont.

HAMPSHIRE began the defence of the C&G Trophy with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Ireland in Dublin, despite the absence of star names Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen.

Hampshire began the defence of the C&G Trophy with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Ireland in Dublin, despite the absence of star names Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen.

There is reason to hope a violent feud between loyalist paramilitary groups may be drawing close to an end, a senior unionist politician said today.

The leader of the Progressive Unionist Party David Ervine said today there was no excuse for the Northern Assembly at Stormont not to be up and running by this time next year.

UNIONISTS and nationalists need to negotiate directly if the peace process is going to succeed, a leading unionist politician yesterday said.

Loyalists would like to see a clear and unambiguous acceptance from the IRA that the way forward for republicanism is only through politics, Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine said today.

Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine was condemned tonight after he forecast the feud between the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Loyalist Volunteer Force would get worse.

A senior loyalist politician in Northern Ireland challenged the British government today to have him arrested if it believed his party had a say over what the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando do.

Northern Ireland’s Assembly is becoming unsustainable following the failure to restore devolution, a leading loyalist MLA warned today.

The IRA must address directly claims that it carried out the £26.5m (€38m) raid on a Belfast bank, a prominent loyalist claimed today.

The British government was urged today to set up task forces to regenerate Protestant working-class communities in Northern Ireland.