Stormont crisis avoided after language deal

A power-sharing crisis in Northern Ireland appears to have been averted after a late night deal over Irish language laws paved the way for Stormont leaders to be appointed.A post-midnight announcement by the UK Government committing to pass the stalled laws at Westminster in the autumn, if they are not moved at the Stormont Assembly in the interim, was enough to convince Sinn Fein to drop its threat not to nominate a deputy First Minister as joint head of the devolved executive.The development came after a night of intensive talks involving Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and DUP and Sinn Fein delegations in Belfast.