IRA

Finally, for the first time in many years, the coverage in the media seems to be looking at Ulster Unionist problems with some degree of sympathy. Henry McDonald leads the way with a short but pithy analysis of where the epicentre of the current crisis may actually lie.

"Arguably the greatest paradox of the peace process is that the crisis in unionism exists only because most of its leaders and spokesmen are so blinded by bigotry that they can't spot the inexorable crisis in what used to be known as physical force republicanism."

This thinking may be compounded by the fact that one of the IRA's most surprising advocates in the past, Colin Parry expresses a similar disillusion: "However, like everything they seem to do, it is as late and as little as they can possibly get away with."

The New York Post has an extraordinary dig at the recent apology. The uncertainty of the response of pro-Agreement Unionists is finding space in US publications, like San Francisco.

And Trimble is keeping up the pressure, and it seems Mark Durkan is convinced that time is short for the agreement.