Sinn Féin and other Stormont parties have insisted Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire could not chair the efforts to restore powersharing.

Polling is underway in the North as the British general election gets underway. It is the seventh time in three years voters in the North have cast a ballot.

Sinn Féin does choreography very well, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

The appointment of Michelle O’Neill as Sinn Féin’s leader in the North has drawn suggestions the party is handing over power to a new, younger generation with no IRA past.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is to have its first formal opposition since the Good Friday peace accord after the Ulster Unionist Party announced it would not take a seat in the powersharing government.

The North’s First Minister has said he has no plans to step down.

Having already rejected Rio, San Paulo and Orlando, a five member selection party were guests of a civic and tourism leaders in Limerick last night as the city makes a bid to host the 2018 Federation Gay Games (FGG).

Peter Robinson has signalled his intent to lead the DUP into the next Assembly election and beyond, insisting he has not contemplated a life beyond politics.

The North should hold a referendum on joining the Republic as early as 2016, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has said.

The SDLP today ruled out cooperation with Sinn Féin while a top unionist called for greater efforts to combat republican political ambitions.

THE INLA will later today declare its terror arsenal has finally been destroyed.

THE North’s roller-coaster negotiations to end the crisis over policing which threatens to bring down power-sharing pushed on through the supposed deadline for a deal last night.

A BREAKTHROUGH deal to keep power-sharing alive was tantalisingly close last night as both sides in the Northern stand-off were bluntly told to “share pain”.

PETER Robinson’s grip on power in the North looked increasingly shaky last night as sleaze allegations swirling around his marriage prompted more resignation calls.

One of Peter Robinson's most senior colleagues in government today said he commanded the support of the party.

One of the North’s best known republicans, Martin Meehan, died today.

Furious supporters of Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey tonight accused elements within the party of trying to destabilise his leadership.

Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is to join the Conservative Party in the House of Lords, it emerged tonight.

A proposal to cap roaming charges for mobile phone calls made abroad has been backed by a key committee of the European Parliament

DUP leader Ian Paisley has still not clearly indicated if he will share power with Sinn Féin by the March 26 deadline set down by the British government.

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness has said he is hopeful that a power-sharing executive can be formed in the North by the March 26 deadline.

Nominations for the North's Assembly Elections will close today, effectively sounding the starting pistol in the race for Stormont seats.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will today review the prospects of securing power-sharing at Stormont in March.

More than 40,000 voters will be added to the electoral register in the North in time to allow them to vote in the Assembly election, it was announced today.

Sinn Féin will welcome any electoral challenge to it from republicans opposed to moves to get involved in policing structures in the North, Martin McGuinness claimed.

Politicians in the North would be making a huge mistake if they let efforts to revive power-sharing slip because of a dispute over the transfer of policing and justice powers, Peter Hain insisted today.

A veteran Ulster Unionist politician has announced his intention to retire from politics at next year's Assembly election.

It is getting increasingly hard to believe that Sinn Féin can meet its commitment under the St Andrews Plan for power-sharing at Stormont, a senior Democratic Unionist MP claimed today.

Over 80,000 people wiped off Northern Ireland's annual electoral register were today urged to demand their votes back in time for the next Assembly election.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain could be making a mistake in setting March 7 as the date for a fresh Assembly election, he was warned today.

Northern Secretary Peter Hain said today he viewed calls by the Rev Ian Paisley for his resignation as a badge of honour.

SINCE the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the British government always had to bear in mind the desirability of keeping the Unionist Party comfortable with the devolution project.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble called today for the creation of a cross-community administration in Northern Ireland based on the "centrist" parties from the unionist and nationalist communities.

Northern Ireland could be facing fresh Assembly elections if the DUP and Sinn Féin fail to reach agreement on a peace deal, it emerged today.

Northern Ireland is moving towards a two-party system with the Ulster Unionists and SDLP increasingly marginalised, a Stormont Assembly member has claimed.

THE Taoiseach has warned that the Irish and British Governments will implement those sections of the Good Friday Agreement that do not require the elected institutions to be up and running if the DUP continue to stall the talks.

The wife of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today confirmed she would try to unseat rival Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson at the next General Election.

The SDLP’s European candidate Martin Morgan today condemned the “duplicitous” politics of nationalist rivals Sinn Féin.

David Trimble is to face a leadership challenge in eight days, it emerged today.

Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have drafted secret proposals that could let Sinn Féin join new power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland before the IRA disbands, it emerged today.

Pro-Good Friday Agreement parties need to stand up for the accord, a senior member of the SDLP claimed today.

Ian Paisley’s hardline Democratic Unionists were telling British Prime Minister Tony Blair today that an alternative to the Good Friday Agreement must be negotiated if the deadlock was to be broken in Northern Ireland.

Rebel MP Geoffrey Donaldson was tonight ordered to support the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party or face expulsion.

David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists were preparing today for a potentially explosive meeting of their executive amid rumours of fresh disciplinary moves against rebel MP Jeffrey Donaldson.

The extraordinary outpouring by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, in which he accused Sinn Féin of being “morally unclean”, is perplexing in both its timing and content.

The head of the Anglican Church in Ireland made an impassioned plea today to Northern Ireland’s politicians to redouble their efforts to achieve political stability, following the recent Assembly elections.

US President George Bush’s Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, was due in Belfast today to begin talks with the four main parties in a bid to help end the deadlock in the political process.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy tonight resisted nationalist demands to lift the suspension of the power-sharing Assembly.

The leaders of Northern Ireland’s nationalist parties tonight called on the British government to restore the power-sharing institutions as soon as possible.

THE strong performance of anti-Agreement parties in the Assembly election will not deter the Irish and British Governments from working to restore devolution to Northern Ireland.