Power sharing: NI talks to resume on Thursday

Northern Ireland has had no devolved government since January 2017

Talks aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland are expected to resume on Thursday.

The British and Irish governments had been holding talks with the parties but they were paused over the Christmas holidays.

The parties have until 13 January to broker a deal, otherwise Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith says he must call a fresh assembly election.

Next month, NI is set to mark three years without devolved government.

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The Northern Ireland Assembly has been inactive since January 2017, when its two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, split in a bitter row.

Earlier in December, Mr Smith said the biggest issue in the negotiations should be dealing with the current crisis in the health sector.