Unionist negotiators locked in party talks

Democratic Unionist members were locked in lengthy internal discussions today on whether they will sign up to a deal that could save the North's power-sharing government.

A scheduled morning meeting of the party's assembly group at Stormont extended through lunchtime with no sign of progress amid fears that some hardline members could be experiencing cold feet over the proposed settlement to end the long-running row with Sinn Féin over the stalled devolution of policing and justice powers.