So, another day of stalemate at Stormont... what's new, you might well ask?

The deadline has passed to form a new executive and there's nothing in place, so it looks like it's back to the talks table for the political parties.

AFP Copyright: AFP

We'll hopefully find out what Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire's plan is tomorrow when he gives a statement in the House of Commons.

But until then, that's all from us - goodnight.</s>Just how does the power-sharing system in Northern Ireland work, and what happens now that Sinn Féin have said the talks process aimed at restoring devolution have run their course? UTV Correspondent Marc Mallett explains...

Sinn Féin believe the current phase of talks to try and rescue devolution in Northern Ireland has "run its course". This means that any hopes that the devolved institutions could be back up and running any time soon, have been dashed. Northern Ireland has been without a functioning government since January when the former deputy First Minister, the late Martin McGuinness, resigned from the power-sharing Stormont Executive in a row over a green energy scheme. The disagreement focused on a failure by the former First Minister, Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster, to put in place effective cost controls when she was in control of another department.

The botched scheme could cost Northern Ireland taxpayers around £500 million. Mr McGuinness' resignation triggered an Assembly election which saw the DUP and Sinn Féin returned as the two largest parties. However Sinn Féin significantly increased their vote while the DUP lost 10 seats and the Unionist majority at Stormont. A talks process was set up following the election to try and resolve a number of key issues including the heating scheme, dealing with Northern Ireland's troubled past and so-called equality issues. But Sinn Féin has now called time on the process. Speaking on Sunday the party's Stormont leader, Michelle O'Neill, said: "We have come to the end of the road. "The talks process has run its course and Sinn Féin will not be nominating for the position of speaker or for the executive office tomorrow."

Under Northern Ireland legislation, parties have three weeks after an election to form a government. Sinn Féin's decision means that will now not happen. The DUP did not attend Sunday's talks because it does not negotiate on Sundays. But party leader Ms Foster said "there was little to suggest that Sinn Féin want to secure agreement," and added that her party stands ready to continue to discuss how to "secure new arrangements for Northern Ireland".</s>Sinn Féin was "not in agreement-finding mode" during talks to save Northern Ireland's political institutions, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster has said.

Negotiations to form a new power-sharing executive after this month's snap election collapsed on Sunday, ahead of Monday's 16:00 deadline.

The two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, blamed each other.

Sinn Féin said on Sunday that the talks had "come to the end of the road".

After the talks at Stormont Castle collapsed, the Northern Ireland Office must determine the way ahead.

With no deal in sight before the deadline, Monday's assembly session to appoint a first and deputy first minister was suspended.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said she doubted whether Sinn Féin had been serious about reaching agreement during the three-week talks process.

"These talks have failed because there wasn't a recognition of everyone's mandates," the former first minister said.

"The government of Northern Ireland is not a game - it is very serious.

"The decision of Sinn Féin not to nominate today and block the creation of a new executive is very regrettable and damaging to all the people we represent."

It was "simply the worst" talks process ever, the Ulster Unionists' chief negotiator said.

And there's not a lot of people rushing to contradict him.

Blame will be thrown in different directions.

Read more: Stormont in limbo after "worst" talks... but what next?

The deadlock came after an election on 2 March, which brought an end to Stormont's unionist majority - the DUP's lead over Sinn Féin was cut from 10 seats to one.

Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, the executive must be jointly run by unionists and nationalists, with the largest party being invited to put forward a candidate for first minister.

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuiness quit as deputy first minister in January in protest against the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme.

The party said it would not share power with Mrs Foster as first minister until the conclusion of a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

Mr McGuinness, who had been suffering from a rare heart condition, died last week at the age of 66.

Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy said people were living in "a fool's paradise" if they thought they could "simply walk back into the executive".

"Martin McGuinness made it very clear the difficulties that were troubling the executive and the need to get back to a new basis of genuine power-sharing and a way of doing business under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement," Mr Murphy said.

"He very clearly said, in one of his last interviews, we will not be going back to the way things were," said Mr Murphy.

He added that outstanding issues, such as dealing with the legacy of the Troubles and legislation for the Irish language, had been agreed in the past and Sinn Féin wanted to see implementation of those deals.

Over the weekend, the Stormont politicians could not find any common ground on crucial issues.

Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Féin's leader at Stormont, said on Sunday that her party would not be nominating a candidate for the position of speaker or for the executive office.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has since been in contact with Prime Minister Theresa May.

He faces a choice between fresh elections, direct rule from Westminster or playing for time in the hope some compromise can be found.

Ulster Unionist Party MP Tom Elliott said the government would have "to take the lead" on Monday.

Mr Brokenshire may try to buy some time by allowing the parties to reach an agreement over the assembly's Easter break, Mr Elliot added.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called on Mr Brokenshire to "create space for all parties to refresh their outlook on the challenges we face".

The People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said MLAs' salaries should be cut if Stormont is mothballed.</s>Northern Ireland parties have "short window of opportunity" to avoid suspension of self-rule despite expired deadline.

The British government has given Northern Ireland's largest political parties extra time to form a power-sharing regional government, after a deadline to resolve their differences expired.

The extension on Monday staved off the risk of a suspension of devolved power for the first time in a decade.

James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland secretary of the United Kingdom, said the failure of the talks was "extremely disappointing", but he saw a "short window of opportunity" of several weeks for more talks.

"I think there are a few short weeks in which to resolve matters," Brokenshire said shortly after the three-week deadline expired at 15:00 GMT. He did not explain on what basis more time would be given.

While the law obliges him to call new elections, which would be the third in 12 months, it also gives him some leeway on when exactly to hold them.

Brokenshire said there was no appetite for a return to direct rule from London, a move which would require the law to be changed, but which some feel could prove unavoidable if repeated elections fail to bring the parties together.

"I believe there is an overwhelming desire among the political parties and the public here for strong and stable devolved government," he said.

Brokenshire said Belfast civil servants will assume essential government responsibilities this week, but the government limbo cannot continue indefinitely.

The crisis is an unwanted distraction for British Prime Minister Theresa May two days before she is due to trigger divorce proceedings to take Britain out of the European Union.

While Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has become one of the most vocal critics of May's Brexit strategy, Northern Ireland's leaders have been relatively muted. Both regions voted to remain in the EU in last year's referendum.

As the only part of the UK with a land border with the EU, Northern Ireland faces severe disruption to its economy. Any sign of border controls could inflame opinion among Irish nationalists who want a united Ireland.

"We desperately need local political representatives to speak on our behalf if we are to ensure that UK and EU negotiators have a proper understanding of Northern Ireland’s unique circumstance," the Northern Ireland branch of the Confederation of British Industry said after Brokenshire's statement.

"There has seldom been a more important time to have a strong well-functioning executive."

The main Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, triggered the collapse of the power-sharing executive in January and withdrew again from talks on Sunday citing multiple grievances with the British Protestants of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, Sinn Fein, which would like to merge with Ireland, works with the DUP, which advocates remaining as part of Britain.

Sinn Fein presented a long list of demands as conditions to re-enter government, including funding services for Irish language speakers, gay rights and inquiries into deaths during the decades of sectarian violence.

The DUP balked, suggesting Sinn Fein was asking for too much because it wanted the talks to fail.

"I wonder whether Sinn Fein were serious about reaching agreement at this time," DUP leader Arlene Foster said.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams posted a video to the party's website that suggested he was not likely to soften its demands.

"Unionism is in my opinion at a crossroads. Whether it embraces everyone and upholds the rights of everyone ... or it doesn't," Adams said.

"There can be no equivocation, no conditionality."</s>BELFAST, March 26 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland could be set for a fresh election or a return to direct British rule of the province after one of the two main parties negotiating to form a new government said on Sunday that talks had run their course without success.

The British province's nationalist and unionist parties have until Monday to form a new power-sharing government following snap elections this month or risk decision-making being taken back to London for the first time since 2007.

Sinn Fein, the province's largest nationalist party, said that no substantive progress had been made on any of the key issues responsible for the impasse and that it would not support nominations to form a new regional executive.

"This talks process has run its course. Sinn Fein will not be supporting nominations for speaker or the executive tomorrow," Sinn Fein's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill told reporters.

"Sinn Fein is still intent on honouring our mandate and agreements made. We want to see the institutions restored, but when we said there will be no return to the status quo, we meant it."

Sinn Fein had collapsed the previous government and surged to within one seat of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) at the March 2 election to deny pro-British unionist politicians a majority in the regional assembly for the first time since Ireland was partitioned in 1921.

Britain's Northern Ireland minister James Brokenshire responded by urging the parties "even at this stage" to agree to work to form an executive, a position backed by Ireland's foreign minister.

If there is no agreement by Monday's 1500 GMT deadline, Brokenshire will have to decide whether to call another election -- the third in less than a year -- or to legislate for a return to direct British rule of the province, something he has repeatedly said he is against.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has raised the prospect that the parties could be given more time to form a new devolved administration, but Britain's government has not proposed an extension and Sinn Fein is against such a move.

The leader of the smaller nationalist SDLP party said it was clear that an agreement will not be reached in the time left and that Brokenshire should allow for the process to be reconvened.</s>Northern Ireland's political parties have been given an extended deadline to reach an agreement on a new power-sharing deal, as the UK government battles to avoid either calling a new election or reimposing direct rule from Westminster.



The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin have struggled to come to an agreement on forming a new executive, despite lengthy talks following this month's elections. Both sides blamed each other for the failure to reach a deal, which meant they missed Monday's deadline to form a new devolved administration.



Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire, speaking in Belfast, told reporters there is "no appetite for another election" and announced he would instead extend the deadline in the hope both parties could come to an agreement.

"I don't think there is any appetite for any further immediate snap election," he said. "The public have only recently gone to the polls and delivered what, I think, is a very clear message in seeing and wanting to see devolved government back on its feet again."



However, he admitted there remained significant gaps between the parties, "particularly over issues surrounding culture and identity". Civil servants will take control over many key decisions until a new administration can be formed.

DUP leader Arlene Foster criticised Sinn Féin's decision not to nominate a new deputy first minister, essentially bringing the talks to a close. "The decision of Sinn Féin not to nominate today and block the creation of a new executive is very regrettable and damaging to all the people we represent," she said.

In turn Sinn Féin's Northern Irish leader, Michelle O'Neill, said the DUP had "maintained their position in relation to blocking equality for citizens".

In the talks her party had pushed for greater support for the Irish language and a bill of rights, and also heavily criticised Brexit – which the DUP had supported.

A snap election was held earlier this month after Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister in protest at the DUP's handling of a botched fuel subsidy programme.

McGuinness did not stand for re-election and died last week, shortly after seeing his party surge in the polls and come within one seat of the DUP. The result meant that for the first time unionists do not have a majority in the Northern Ireland assembly.



Under the terms of devolution the largest party in the assembly is allowed to nominate the first minister, with the second-largest party allowed to nominate the deputy. Both unionists and republicans are required to be represented in any executive.</s>BELFAST, March 27 (Reuters) - The British government on Monday gave Northern Ireland's largest political parties a few more weeks to clinch a deal on a power-sharing regional government, staving off the risk of a suspension of devolved power for the first time in a decade.

Northern Ireland politics has been in crisis since Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January. A March 2 election ended the majority pro-British unionists had enjoyed in the province since Ireland was partitioned in 1921.

The expiration on Monday of a three-week deadline to form a government raised fears that devolved institutions set up under a 1998 peace agreement might collapse and power revert to the British government in London. The last time that happened it took five years to re-establish self-government.

While no one is predicting the political impasse risks returning Northern Ireland to the violence that killed 3,600 people in three decades, it could increase sectarian tensions and freeze decision-making as Brexit approaches.

"I think there are a few short weeks in which to resolve matters," Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire told reporters shortly after the deadline expired at 1500 GMT.

He did not explain on what basis more time would be given. While the law obliges him to call new elections, which would be the third in 12 months, it also gives him some leeway on when exactly to hold them.

He said there was no appetite for a return to direct rule from London, a move which would require the law to be changed, but which some feel could prove unavoidable if repeated elections fail to bring the parties together.

"I believe there is an overwhelming desire among the political parties and the public here for strong and stable devolved government," he said.

The crisis is an unwanted distraction for British Prime Minister Theresa May two days before she is due to trigger divorce proceedings to take Britain out of the European Union.

While Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has become one of the most vocal critics of May's Brexit strategy, Northern Ireland's leaders have been relatively muted. Both regions voted to remain in the EU in last year's referendum.

As the only part of the United Kingdom with a land border with the EU, Northern Ireland faces severe disruption to its economy. Any sign of border controls could inflame opinion among Irish nationalists who want a united Ireland.

"We desperately need local political representatives to speak on our behalf if we are to ensure that UK and EU negotiators have a proper understanding of Northern Ireland´s unique circumstance," the Northern Ireland branch of the Confederation of British Industry said after Brokenshire's statement. "There has seldom been a more important time to have a strong well-functioning Executive."

The crisis began in January when Sinn Fein pulled out of the province's government citing the "deep-seated arrogance" of power-sharing partner the Democratic Unionist Party over the DUP's handling of the abuse of an energy subsidy scheme.

Sinn Fein presented a long list of demands as conditions to re-enter government, including funding services for Irish language speakers, gay rights and inquiries into deaths during the decades of sectarian violence.

The DUP balked, suggesting Sinn Fein was asking for too much because it wanted the talks to fail.

"I wonder whether Sinn Fein were serious about reaching agreement at this time," DUP leader Arlene Foster said.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams posted a video to the party's website that suggested he was not likely to soften its demands. "Unionism is in my opinion at a crossroads. Whether it embraces everyone and upholds the rights of everyone ... or it doesn't," Adams said. "There can be no equivocation, no conditionality." (Writing by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin; Editing by Catherine Evans)</s>Talks to help form a new power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland look set to finish without agreement.

Yesterday (26 March), fresh discussions at Stormont Castle collapsed, meaning that the Northern Ireland Office will have to determine the way ahead.

With no deal in sight before the 4pm deadline, today's assembly session to appoint a first and deputy first minister is likely to be suspended.

The two biggest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin, have blamed each other for the disagreements.

The latest round of negotiations followed a snap election on 2 March, which brought an end to Stormont's unionist majority where the DUP's lead over Sinn Féin was cut from 10 seats to one.

Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, the executive must be jointly run by unionists and nationalists, with the largest party being invited to put forward a candidate for first minister.

Sinn Féin said it would not share power with DUP leader Arlene Foster as first minister until the conclusion of a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Over the weekend, the Stormont politicians could not find any common ground on crucial issues such as Irish language legislation or the legacy of the Troubles.

If an agreement isn't reached then fresh elections could be called or a period of direct rule from Westminster could also be imposed.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire said: "Three weeks ago the people of Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly for effective, devolved, power-sharing government.

"Since then I have been working intensively with the political parties and with the Irish government to find a way forward, including putting forward a number of proposals

"I am determined to see a functioning executive in place at Stormont. I have spoken to the prime minister this afternoon and this remains the UK government's continuing priority.

"This is the necessary first step to addressing the issues of greatest public concern – health, education and other public services in Northern Ireland.

"Even at this stage I urge political parties to agree to work to form an executive and provide people here with the strong and stable devolved government that they want."</s>Arlene Foster, the first minister in Northern Ireland’s recently dissolved power-sharing government, has accused Sinn Féin of not wanting to secure a deal to restore a regional administration in Belfast.

The Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader said that during weekend negotiations Sinn Féin had behaved “as if they were the only participants whose mandate mattered”.

As the clock ticked towards a 4pm Monday deadline on the Northern Ireland parties making an agreement to re-establish devolution, there appeared little likelihood that a deal was possible in the short term.

The focus now shifts to the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, who has to decide whether to hold a snap second assembly election or impose direct rule from London by which British ministers would run devolved government departments.

Sinn Féin announced on Sunday it would not be nominating its leader in the Stormont assembly, Michelle O’Neill, as deputy first minister.

The party accused the DUP of not being serious about issues such as an Irish-language act and the establishment of mechanisms to deal with unsolved crimes of the Troubles.

Foster sought to lay the blame for the deadlock at Sinn Féin’s door. “Negotiations will only ever be successful when parties are prepared to be flexible in order to secure outcomes. To date, there was little to suggest that Sinn Féin want to secure agreement,” she said.

“The DUP stands ready to continue to discuss how we can secure new arrangements for Northern Ireland.”

Gerry Adams continued to blame the DUP – Sinn Féin’s key partner in the past decade of power-sharing government – for the failure to strike a deal.

“The DUP’s approach thus far has been to engage in a minimalist way on all of the key issues, including legacy issues – an Irish-language act, a bill of rights and marriage equality,” the Sinn Féin president said.

“They have been reinforced in this by the British government’s stance. This is unacceptable and a matter of grave concern.”

There were suggestions from some sources in Belfast that Brokenshire might use the Easter parliamentary break at Westminster to give the parties more space for discussions before he has to either call an election or impose some form of direct rule.



The DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said it was important that the issue was resolved swiftly, given the government’s plan to start the Brexit process by triggering article 50 on Wednesday.

“If we don’t have a government in Northern Ireland then we won’t have that voice feeding into the UK negotiating position,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We will do our best as a party of Westminster to ensure that the interests of Northern Ireland are reflected, but that’s not a substitute for having a stable government.”

Donaldson said the problem appeared to be with issues connected to areas such as the Irish language, rather than Sinn Féin concerns over Foster’s connection to a costly botched green energy scheme, which triggered the breakup of the last administration.

“This is my understanding, that Sinn Féin has not, in the discussions we have had in the last week or so, raised the issue of Arlene Foster’s position,” Donaldson said,



The late Martin McGuinness’s last public political act was to resign as deputy first minister in January. He did so in protest at Foster’s refusal to stand aside temporarily from her post while a public inquiry was held into the energy scheme.



The renewal heating initiative, which the DUP championed, ended up costing the public purse an estimated half a billion pounds.

Once McGuinness resigned over the controversy, under the rules of power-sharing the cross-community government in Belfast collapsed, prompting elections to a new assembly, which it appears were unlikely at this stage to elect a new regional government.

The leader of the cross-community Alliance party, Naomi Long, said a second election within weeks would be a “vanity project” and extremely divisive. Alliance is one of the centrist parties that could hold the balance of power between unionists and nationalists in the Stormont parliament if a deal was secured to form a new government.</s>Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire says there remains a ‘short window of opportunity’ for Sinn Féin and DUP to reach a deal over power sharing. Speaking at Stormont House on Monday, Brokenshire says there was ‘no appetite for any alternative’ to a power sharing executive in the region. Sinn Féin withdrew from talks aimed at reviving its partnership with the DUP on Sunday, saying no agreement was in prospect
The deadline for the Government formation in Northern Ireland has expired following the refusal of the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin to enter a power sharing agreement with each other, with both parties blaming each other for the impasse.