N Ireland set to miss powersharing deal deadline after sitting cancelled

Stormont's political leaders are set to miss a deadline to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland after a scheduled Assembly sitting to nominate ministers was axed.
Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy (centre) speaks to the media at Stormont, Belfast, as a scheduled meeting of the Stormont Assembly has been postponed amid intensive last-ditch negotiations to restore powersharing before today's 4pm deadline.Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy (centre) speaks to the media at Stormont, Belfast, as a scheduled meeting of the Stormont Assembly has been postponed amid intensive last-ditch negotiations to restore powersharing before today's 4pm deadline.
Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy (centre) speaks to the media at Stormont, Belfast, as a scheduled meeting of the Stormont Assembly has been postponed amid intensive last-ditch negotiations to restore powersharing before today's 4pm deadline.

Confirmation that the sitting was scrapped came as senior Democratic Unionist negotiator Edwin Poots announced there would be "no breakthrough" today.

The UK Government's 4pm deadline to restore powersharing looks like falling by the wayside, as three previous deadlines have already done this year, with Mr Poots insisting negotiations would continue this evening and through into the weekend.