An image of pure happiness - a honeymoon photo of murdered Michaela McAreavey with her husband John has been shared by the heartbroken groom ahead of her funeral.

Hundreds more mourners are set to pay their respects to murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey as a public wake in the tragic teacher's family home enters a second day.

The North's first and deputy First Ministers joined hundreds of fellow mourners at the wake of murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey today.

Question time for ministers in the North's Assembly will be spread over two days in future, it was announced today.

The rift at the heart of the North's Government appeared to deepen today when the DUP accused Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams of withholding information on the whereabouts of the "Disappeared" victims of the Troubles.

A father-of-three was stabbed to death as he returned home from celebrating his daughter’s 18th birthday, it emerged tonight.

It has been a long apprenticeship. However today Peter Robinson finally got the chance to take over as leader of the North’s most successful political party, the Democratic Unionists, after 28 years of being the Rev Ian Paisley’s understudy.

IT WAS difficult to stomach some of the more generous tributes paid to Ian Paisley early last week after he announced his impending retirement, but the balance had certainly been restored by last weekend.

The replacement of a photographic tribute to the 11 victims of the IRA’s Enniskillen Remembrance Sunday bombing in the town’s fire station provoked fury today.

The decision to site Army bases far from the border is part of a policy of ethnic cleansing of unionists from republican strongholds, it was claimed today.

The DUP is seeking a two week extension on the British government's November 24 deadline for the restoration of power-sharing in the North.

The Democratic Unionist Party was today accused of being more fixated on securing peerages than tackling real issues affecting their Assembly constituents.

The wife of Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley was today among the first three peers ever to be appointed from his party.

A face-to-face meeting between Gerry Adams and the Rev Ian Paisley would be truly historic, Sinn Féin claimed tonight.

The Republican movement is holding up progress in the search for a new peace process deal, Democratic Unionist leader the Reverend Ian Paisley claimed today.

Northern Ireland’s politicians were tonight preparing for another week of intense negotiations as hopes of a significant peace process breakthrough rose.

Northern Ireland is moving towards a two-party system with the Ulster Unionists and SDLP increasingly marginalised, a Stormont Assembly member has claimed.

Nationalist calls for the British and Irish governments to implement joint authority in Northern Ireland are pie in the sky, a senior Democratic Unionist claimed tonight.

A row between rival unionists over next month’s crucial Northern Ireland peace process talks escalated after the DUP was accused today of breaking its promise to stop concessions to republicans.

A plan for a massive £100m (€147m) regeneration of west Belfast and the greater Shankill areas was submitted to the British government today.

A bitter row erupted tonight between unionists in Northern Ireland over a decision by Ian Paisley’s DUP to contest a Westminster seat held by Sinn Féin.

The Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have selected a former Ulster Unionist as a candidate in the next General Election.

Northern Ireland faces considerable challenges in the years ahead from European Union enlargement, the Democratic Unionist’s new European Parliament candidate claimed today.

Ten members of the SDLP tonight put their names in the hat for the party’s nomination for this June’s European Parliament election.

A fourth member of the Democratic Unionist Party has announced his intention to seek the party’s nomination for this June’s European election.

A third member of the Democratic Unionist Party has announced his intention to seek the party nomination for the European election later this year.

Northern Ireland’s cross community Alliance Party tonight signalled it would contest European Parliament elections in June.

THE Government was last night accused of naked electioneering following Michael McDowell’s controversial attack on Sinn Féin.

With all 108 seats filled in the Northern Ireland Assembly the party shares are:

The problems of sectarianism in Northern Ireland were due to become a major campaign issue today as Northern Ireland’s politicians prepared for the final day of nominations for this month’s Assembly elections.

Chief Constable Hugh Orde said dissident republicans still pose a significant danger to security in Northern Ireland following last night‘s attempted car bomb attack on a police station in Co Fermanagh.

Dissident republicans today stand accused of trying to whip up tensions by exploding a bomb in Northern Ireland ahead of a key peace process meeting.

The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists will not participate in any review of the Good Friday Agreement.

A taxi driver hit with a shotgun blast in Northern Ireland was the victim of a grudge killing by republicans, it was claimed yesterday.

The Democratic Unionist Party has nominated two new ministers to the Northern Assembly following the IRA’s move on arms, despite the fact that the party still opposes the Good Friday Agreement.

Tough new measures to punish social security cheats in the North who bleed the system of millions of pounds a year moved a step closer today.

The DUP have challenged the entire Ulster Unionist Stormont ministerial team to resign their posts if David Trimble carries out his threat to resign next Sunday.

Unionist politicians were today urged to take action after homeless women and young children were forced to flee a hostel on Belfast’s peaceline.

The DUP says there will, after all, be an anti-Agreement candidate in the Fermanagh/South Tyrone parliamentary elections.

A textiles company is closing a plant in Northern Ireland with the loss of 200 jobs, it was announced today.