Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill has been formally appointed Northern Ireland’s first minister by the regional parliament, the first time an Irish nationalist is leading the United Kingdom territory’s devolved government.

O’Neill’s appointment, confirmed by the speaker, on Saturday came after the rival Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the biggest pro-UK party, ended a two-year boycott of the region’s power-sharing government after striking a deal with the UK government to ease trade frictions.
“This is an historic day and it does represent a new dawn,” she told fellow legislators after her selection.