Northern Ireland first minister resigns amid post-Brexit discontent
Northern Ireland's first minister Paul Givan resigned on Thursday amid unionist discontent with post-Brexit customs arrangements, which they say threaten the province's place in the UK.
This Thursday "marks the end of what has been the privilege of my life, serving as First Minister of Northern Ireland," Givan said in an address in Belfast.
He held the office for a little over half a year, having been named the country's first minister-designate in June 2021.
The DUP unionists have been threatening for months to topple the local government over their rejection of post-Brexit customs arrangements -- which they denounce as a border in the Irish Sea -- also known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The protocol is a part of the Brexit deal designed to prevent a hard border on the Irish island.
In the wake of this decision, the UK minister for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said he was "extremely disappointed" and urged the DUP to reinstate the Northern Irish first minister "immediately".
"The UK government's priority is to see a functioning Northern Ireland Executive for a better, more prosperous and shared future for all the people of Northern Ireland," he added.
Following a meeting on Thursday with European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič, UK foreign secretary Liz Truss hailed "good discussions". "We need urgent progress," she added.
On Wednesday night, Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots ordered his department to stop health checks on food products arriving at Northern Ireland's ports at midnight -- a decision denounced by Sinn Fein republicans and Dublin as violating international law.
Brussels lamented the decision, which creates "more uncertainty and unpredictability for businesses and citizens in
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