Northern Ireland political party agrees to end 2-year boycott that caused the government to collapse

Northern Ireland’s largest British unionist party says it has agreed to end a boycott that left the region’s people without a power-sharing administration for two years. After a late-night meeting, Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson said the party’s executive has backed proposals to return to the government. He said agreements reached with the U.K. government in London “provide a basis for our party to nominate members to the Northern Ireland Executive.” The breakthrough came after the U.K. government last week gave Northern Ireland politicians until Feb. 8 to restore the collapsed government in Belfast or face new elections. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said “all the conditions are in place for the Assembly to return.”