Summary

  • The British and Irish governments have published the text of a draft deal aimed at restoring power sharing.

  • The Northern Ireland secretary has asked the assembly speaker to convene a sitting on Friday.

  • The DUP said the deal is "a basis upon which the assembly can be re-established" while Sinn Féin's executive will meet to consider it.

Live Reporting

Luke Sproule, Amy Stewart and Ali Gordon

  1. Time enough for countin' when the dealing's done?

    Jayne McCormack
    BBC News NI

    It wasn't your average Thursday evening, and it became a night in the negotiations that brought more drama than many had been anticipating.

    TWO LEADERSGetty Images

    The press had been tipped off shortly before the official announcement that the draft text was coming.

    Even still, it was hard not to be taken back by the pace with which events then moved.

    The two leaders stood against the backdrop of assembly buildings - a location specifically chosen - to make the point that the time for talking, all three years of it, is over.

    Read more here.

  2. 'Not perfect'

    The DUP says the text of a deal published by the two governments is not "perfect", but "there is a basis upon which the assembly and executive can re-established".

    The text was published on Thursday night.

    Arlene Foster

    Arlene Foster said: "There are elements within it which we recognise are the product of long negotiations and represent compromise outcomes."

    Read more here.

  3. More on that statement from the speaker

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  4. Assembly recall request

    On Thursday night NI Secretary Julian Smith said he would write to the speaker of the assembly asking him to call a session of the legislature.

    But, in a statement, Speaker Robin Newton said he would not call a sitting until he was satisfied that the political parties had informed him they had reached an agreement.

    robin newton

    "The speed and timing of any sitting therefore depends entirely on when the speaker hears positively from the parties" the statement added.