``The primary responsibility for the developing political crisis rests squarely with the British government. They have once again demonstrated a lack of political will to confront the Unionist veto.'' Free article

On Wednesday evening, the 110-strong Ulster Unionist Party Executive met in Glengall Street, Belfast. David Trimble emerged from the offices at 7.15pm to inform reporters that his party would not participate in the d'Hondt procedure to appoint ministers to the power-sharing Executive. The following day, Trimble announced that his party would boycott the sitting of the Assembly. Free article

The refusal by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a 13-storey development on Dublin's Barrow Street has been the second such victory in as many weeks for inner-city residents. Free article

A leading human rights organisation, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) has published a report urging Chris Patten to ``hammer home the need for police change''. Free article

The British government intercepted Irish international communications in a decade-long top secret operation that would have given the British access to secret conversations involving members of the Irish government in the years leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. Free article

Relatives of those murdered on Bloody Sunday have been dealt what has been described as a ``soul destroyingÕÕ blow with the announcement that the Saville Inquiry has been forced to delay the start of public hearings for six months. Free article