The upper house of parliament in Britain, the House of Lords, has passed emergency legislation to suspend the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

It means the way is now clear for the British government to re-impose direct rule from London.

The action follows a row over disarmament of IRA and other paramilitary groups.

The Ulster Unionists, who want to retain links with Britain, say they can't remain in the power-sharing assembly with the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Fein, because no weapons have been handed in. But the IRA says there are no deadlines for disarmament in the 1998 peace agreement.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service