Ireland Vote Points to Status Quo But PM Faces Drop in Support.

The Irish election results point to a likely return of Simon Harris's Fine Gael party and coalition partner Fianna Fail to government, with Sinn Fein also in the mix. Despite a drop in popular support for the prime minister, the status quo is expected to remain as both incumbent parties ruled out a deal with Sinn Fein. The emergence of Sinn Fein as a significant electoral force has major implications for Irish politics, but without a clear route to power, the focus will be on negotiations between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in the coming days. [Extracted from the article]