The High Court in Belfast has granted permission to the DUP to launch a legal challenge to the election of First Minister David Trimble last week.

The Belfast High Court is expected to rule today on whether to grant the DUP a full judicial review of Northern Secretary John Reid’s decision not to call early Assembly elections.

A lawyer acting for the DUP has described Northern Secretary John Reid’s decision to delay Assembly elections for 18 months as "constitutionally outrageous".

New elections to the North's Assembly will not be held before May 2003, the Northern Secretary John Reid said today.

Talks between Protestant residents from Belfast’s Ardoyne and the Northern Secretary John Reid to try to end the Holy Cross standoff have been put back until Tuesday evening.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen and the Northern Secretary John Reid are meeting to review the political situation following the suspension of the Stormont Assembly.

The SDLP has urged RUC chief constable Ronnie Flanagan and Northern Secretary John Reid to come out and say whether they believe the Ulster Defence Association is still on ceasefire.