THE possibility that US spies located Osama bin Laden with help from detainees who’d been subjected to “enhanced interrogation” techniques seems certain to reopen the debate over practices that many have equated with torture, security experts believe.

HOW do you solve a problem like Iran? As Richard Haas, president of America’s Council on Foreign Relations, and once the US envoy to Northern Ireland states, “what happens in the Middle East does not stay in the Middle East”.

British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is to meet the leaders of the North's main parties before Christmas.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said that hard-line unionists must accept an all-Ireland agenda if they want to see a return to devolved government in the North.

Intensive negotiations between republicans, unionists and the Irish and British governments continued today in a final push to solve the crisis in the Northern Ireland peace process.

The US special envoy to Ireland, Richard Haas, has said elections are a key element of the Good Friday Agreement and should take place in the North as soon as possible.

The Irish and British governments may move closer towards fixing a date for elections for a new Northern Ireland Assembly at a summit meeting in London today.

US Senator Edward Kennedy, with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at his side, today called on the British government to hold elections in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin today stepped up pressure on the British government for early new elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

RUNAWAY date rapist Andrew Luster jailed for 124 years in his absence was dramatically captured in a Mexican Pacific coast resort yesterday as he clashed with bounty hunters.

The SDLP and Sinn Féin have both urged the Government to press for Assembly elections in the North next month when Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen meets Northern Secretary Paul Murphy at a meeting of the British-Irish inter-governmental conference today.

THE United States yesterday backed British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s demand that the IRA should clarify its commitment to the peace process.

The Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams left for a five-day visit to North America this morning for both political and fund-raising engagements.

Northern Ireland was back under direct rule from London today after the British government suspended devolution at midnight in an attempt to save the peace process.

THE US Government would consider backing the appointment of an independent assessor of the North’s paramilitary ceasefires — if it was convinced that would help advance the peace process.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams was due to meet Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid today to voice fears over the future of the political process.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair today to discuss the latest outbreak of violence which has engulfed east Belfast for more than a week and spread to other areas of the city.

US officials are wary of dealing with Sinn Fein in the wake of alleged IRA links with rebels in Colombia, a US State Department source warned.

US President George W Bush’s special envoy to Northern Ireland has urged Sinn Fein to give its backing to the North’s new police service.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is to brief US President George W Bush's advisor on Ireland on the latest developments in the North.

US President George W Bush has warmly welcomed the IRA move on arms.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, will hold a series of talks with several top US politicians in Washington today.

Richard Haas, the special adviser to President Bush, is to meet the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern this afternoon.

US President George W Bush is to send a special envoy to the North for a series of meetings between nationalist and unionist politicians.