Talks are resuming in the North later aimed at resolving the political deadlock.

The Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers says she expects the discussions, which are now in their second week, to be difficult.

Paramilitary organisations are back on top of the agenda for politicians involved in round-table negotiations later.

It comes after Theresa Villiers announced a peer, barrister and senior civil servant are in charge of an independent assessment of terror groups in Northern Ireland.

They are due to issue a report by the middle of next month, in response to the fallout over whether or not the IRA was behind the murder of Kevin McGuigan.

But welfare reform is also a sticking point - and Ms Villers says while it will be challenging to deal with, parties have already established a sound basis going forward.