UK gives Northern Ireland more time to form a new government

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. is giving Northern Ireland more time to form a new power-sharing government, eliminating the threat of elections that could derail efforts to renegotiate a post-Brexit trade deal for the region. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris on Thursday introduced legislation extending the deadline for forming a new government by up to a year. Without the move, elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly would have been required by mid-April after the previous deadline passed on Jan. 19.