Peace package to be presented next week

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair for talks at Sedgefield, Co Durham.

The two leaders were in talks today to finalise the details of a package to be put to the Northern parties in a last-gasp effort to save the Good Friday Agreement.

Tony Blair said: "I believe we can offer the people of Northern Ireland a future free of sectarian hatred".

Bertie Ahern added that, in common with Tony Blair, he was asking all parties to "carefully look at and assess the proposals. It is not possible to do everything for everyone, because there are conflicting positions.

"This is our best effort."

They now will present that package of proposals to the parties involved by the middle of next week - the package will be published on the same day.

The peace process was thrown into a new crisis last night when Ulster Unionists Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside withdrew their support for the current round of negotiations and urged the UUP to abandon the peace process.