Northern Ireland talks in Newcastle

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has had informal talks with his counterpart from the Irish Republic, Bertie Ahern, about how to move the Northern Ireland peace process forward.

Reports say the talks, at a football match in Newcastle, included the issue of releasing paramilitary prisoners.

Mainly Protestant Unionist parties in Northern Ireland have protested at the release in the Irish Republic of nine IRA prisoners on Friday.

Irish officials have suggested a similar release of Protestant paramilitaries held in Northern Ireland might help the peace process.

But Irish sources said after the talks that there had been no sign of a change in the British position on this issue.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service