Sinn Féin has been accused by the deputy leader of the DUP of triggering a snap election in Northern Ireland to secure concessions from the UK Government.

A dream weekend for Sam Thomas hit new heights as Mr Pointment made virtually all to score over the famous Grand National fences in the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said the timeframe for restoring the Northern Executive must not be allowed to slip.

The Democratic Unionist Party has denied media reports claiming it would speak to Sinn Féin within months if the British government made sufficient concessions to unionism.