Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was today preparing to ask his party to endorse his leadership for another year.

Gerry Adams has said this week's IRA statement confirming re-engagement with the decommissioning body proves again that republicans are genuine about the peace process.

The peace process could fail if the British government remains fixated on IRA weapons, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams warned.

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister said they believe the deadlock in the North over policing can be broken by June.

Tony Blair says progress will be made in the Northern Ireland peace process, with discussions to continue over the coming week.

After more than ten hours of talks at Hillsborough, it appears the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister have made little progress in bridging the gap over policing and decommissioning.

The IRA today renewed contact with the international disarmament commission as Prime Minister Tony Blair attempted to end the deadlock threatening the future of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Emerging from the round table session at Hillsborough, Sinn Fein vice- president Pat Doherty said his party had inserted a strong sense of reality into the talks.

The North's First Minister David Trimble has dismissed this morning's statement by the IRA that it is prepared to return to talks with the decommissioning body.

The IRA leadership says it will re-enter talks with the international body on decommissioning.

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair are holding talks at Hillsborough Castle later today.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are holding talks with the Pro-Agreement parties in the North tomorrow.

Sinn Fein sources believed today their intense discussions with British and Irish government officials would determine whether the Prime Minister and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, would travel to Northern Ireland for the round table talks.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is still undecided about whether to travel to Northern Ireland for talks on the peace process, the Government indicated today.