BBC Northern Ireland correspondent Denis Murray reports on the log-jam

First Minister David Trimble had hinted that agreements would be reached on Thursday, but his Ulster Unionist Party Deputy John Taylor has now said a deal could be days away.

"I don't expect any conclusion tonight or tomorrow or possibly well into next week, but we hope to reach agreement," he admitted.

Mr Taylor said his party was not yet ready to finalise deals on cross-border bodies and the assembly executive, prompting accusations of an internal dispute within the Ulster unionists.

Rivals accused the leadership of caving in to hardliners after a meeting of the UUP assembly party earlier in the day.

The sticking point for unionists is understood to be the proposed cross-border body on trade and business development, which is not mentioned in the Good Friday Agreement.

BBC correspondent, Denis Murray, says the talks again look to be log-jammed.

The talks were spurred by Tony Blair's visit

The delays prompted nationalists to accuse unionists of backing away from arrangements already agreed.

Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon said he had agreed a deal with Prime Minister Tony Blair and he was standing by it.

He said: "I have done everything I can in recent months to advance the agreement. As far as I am concerned my negotiations with the prime minister and the other parties have been completed on this basis."

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: "There has been some measure of progress reached and now some people are in denial and they are seeking to move backwards.

David Trimble: "Inch-by-inch" progress

"There is a moral and political imperative on David Trimble to settle all these matters before he leaves (for the United States) and to have the structures in place in shadow form."

Unionists again insisted that even with agreement they would not share power with Sinn Fein unless the IRA began to hand over its weapons.

"Let us make it absolutely clear, there will be no executive formed involving Sinn Fein members unless decommissioning of terrorist arms commences," said Mr Taylor.

Mr Trimble met Mr Adams to press him on the issue.

Earlier, Mr Trimble had accelerated hopes of an end to the deadlock.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble: "Formalising existing co-operation"

He said: "We have been making progress inch by inch and on that basis we got a few inches last night. We haven't sorted it all out, there are many things to be done."

Talks are continuing at Stormont for a second night, propelled by Mr Blair's short visit on Wednesday.

After seven hours of talks with Mr Blair the sides are close to agreeing the creation of 10 departments at Stormont and several cross-border institutions.

Under the plans being finalised, Sinn Fein would be entitled to two ministers in the new executive.

If the deal goes through it will intensify pressure on the IRA to begin the decommissioning of weapons, the last major hurdle towards the establishment of a fully-functioning assembly with devolved powers next spring.

The Good Friday Agreement - the historic peace accord signed in April - specified that convicted members of truce-observing armed groups, responsible for the bulk of more than 3,400 killings in Northern Ireland's conflict, should be paroled by May 2000.