Back to British rule
The week's news at a glance.
Belfast, U.K.
Britain has suspended Northern Ireland’s self-rule because of a scandal over spying in the Northern Irish legislature. The province has governed itself for three years through a power-sharing agreement between the Catholic republican parties, which favor joining Ireland, and the Protestant unionist parties, which favor staying a part of Britain. But cooperation has never been easy, and “home rule” has been briefly lifted three times before this week. This latest suspension came amid allegations that one of the Catholic parties was abetting an Irish Republican Army spy ring. Ministers from the Protestant parties threatened to quit and bring down the government. The British minister for Northern Ireland will govern the province until Protestants and Catholics can come to a new power-sharing agreement.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff