Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists are on course to reinforce their grip on power at Stormont, with the republican party closing the gap on their unionist rivals.

A man has been arrested by detectives investigating the sectarian murder of ten Protestant workmen in the North 40 years ago.

Crunch talks on the North's deteriorating political situation will take place in London and Dublin today.

Senior members of the Ulster Unionist Party have voted to withdraw from the North’s power-sharing government over claims the Provisional IRA (PIRA) still exists.

The North’s power-sharing Executive has been plunged into fresh crisis as the fallout from claims the Provisional IRA still exists intensifies.

Northern Ireland’s power-sharing ministers have failed to agree a budget for public spending for next year.

Almost 15,000 street lights are out across the North, the minister for regional development has revealed.

Tens of thousands of street lights in the North could be out over winter due to budget cuts, a minister has warned.

Police are investigating the cause of a fire that killed thousands of pigs at a farm in the North.

A farm blaze that killed thousands of pigs in Northern Ireland was accidental, fire investigators have said.

Up to 4,300 pigs have died in a suspected arson attack at a farm in Northern Ireland.

The town of Newry is reeling, after the death of one of the North's wealthiest businessmen.

A rocket launcher has been discovered in the North, police said.

Troops were involved in a massive security operation close to the border in the North after claims that a major bomb attack had been thwarted.

Health and safety inspectors are investigating the death of a 10-year-old boy on a farm in the North.

A new cross border bridge has been given the green light after Stormont stumped up its share of the £14m (€16.3m) construction funding.

Snow drifts and abandoned vehicles continue to hamper efforts to restore power to 800 homes and businesses cut off when blizzard conditions hit the North.

IRA slogans have been written across a new memorial to 10 Protestant workmen shot dead in South Armagh.

A bomb found near the border contained 500lbs of explosives and was aimed at killing security forces, a politician for the area has said.

Government officials from both sides of the border will hold talks in January on the future of the A5 road project, the Northern Assembly has been told today.

Two senior Ulster Unionist politicians will not face Orange Order punishment for attending the funeral of a Catholic policeman murdered by dissident republicans.

TWO senior Ulster Unionists could face disciplinary proceedings by the Orange Order for attending the funeral of murdered PSNI officer Ronan Kerr.

Relatives of the 10 Protestant workers gunned down in the infamous Kingsmills massacre are to meet police again to press for a fresh investigation of the case.

The Noth's political parties appointed their new power-sharing government today – with Sinn Féin replacing its entire ministerial team.

DUP leader Peter Robinson topped the poll in Belfast East, and has been elected on the first count in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

The PSNI have confirmed that the van bomb on the A1 route near Newry was a “substantial” device.

A disgraced political adviser accused of offering ministerial access for sex has said he is now undergoing psychiatric treatment.

A €3 MILLION food safety research project offers a tremendous opportunity for the all-Ireland agri-food sector to establish itself as a proponent of safe, nutritionally beneficial and ethical foods with a strong local branding and a hallmark of quality, said the North’s Minister for Employment and Learning, Danny Kennedy.

St Patrick's Day revellers in the Holylands area of Belfast have been warned they could be left with a life-time hangover if they do not behave.

A soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment who was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan has been named by the UK's Ministry of Defence as Lance Corporal Stephen McKee.

The Ulster Unionists and the SDLP have failed to challenge the British government over the cuts being imposed on Stormont, Martin McGuinness has said.

A young mother has been raped while out walking near Bessbrook, Co Armagh, with her two children.

MEMORIES of the murdered honeymooner Michaela Harte have united people in grief, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has said.

Memories of the murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey have united people in grief, the North's First Minister Peter Robinson has said.

The new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Tom Elliott has removed his predecessor Reg Empey from the Northern Ireland Executive, it was confirmed today.

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

Police in the North today confirmed a bomb was uncovered in the border region of South Armagh after a failed plot to kill officers.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott confirmed today that he will run for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party.

The Conservative Party was today accused of planning to decimate the North's economy just when it was beginning to recover from the global recession.

Police in the North faced growing anger tonight after being accused of abandoning an area prior to a car bomb attack.

Police faced heavy criticism today for the time taken to respond to a car bomb attack outside one of their stations in the North.

Dissident republicans who bombed a police station near the border are hell-bent on killing police officers, it was claimed today.

Firefighters were hailed as heroes today after evacuating residents moments before a car bomb exploded outside a police station in the North.

Martin McGuinness accused the Ulster Unionists today of opposing a deal to devolve policing powers to Northern Ireland for cynical party political reasons, as a crunch debate on the transfer began at Stormont.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s sole MP Lady Sylvia Hermon today said she will “weigh up her options” after refusing to fight the next election under a joint banner with the Conservative Party.

The North’s police chief today denied claims that he was under-estimating threats to the peace process after dissident republicans bombed a court.

Dissident republicans who planted a car bomb of up to 800lb outside a court in the North are intent on derailing the peace process, political leaders said today.

Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will brief senior party colleagues today on progress in the talks with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on the devolution of policing and justice powers to the North.

Landslides and a tsunami destroyed the homes of about a third of the population on one of the islands in the Solomons, it emerged today.

LANDSLIDES and a tsunami destroyed the homes of about one-third of the population on a Solomon Island, but lives were likely spared as residents with memories of previous disasters fled quickly to higher ground, officials said yesterday.