Breakthrough becomes breakdown

THE anticipated historic breakthrough in Northern Ireland descended into a fiasco last night as the carefully-planned steps to restore the institutions was aborted by unionists.

As talks to overcome the major problem that emerged yesterday ended without agreement last night, Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair attempted to shore up the faltering peace process following the embarrassing twist that hit the effort to restore the Northern Ireland institutions.

But hopes that the problem could be quickly overcome were thrown into doubt last night when Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams claimed that David Trimble's decision to put the process on hold had created "profound difficulties."