London and Dublin were set to announce a fresh attempt to revive Northern Ireland's power-sharing devolved administration, reports said Friday, following the killing of a journalist by nationalist paramilitaries. Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, has been without its semi-autonomous government since January 2017 following a breakdown in trust between the main parties.
In a rare joint statement, politicians from Northern Ireland's six biggest parties united to condemn the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee, shot dead on April 18 while reporting on riots in the second city of Londonderry. Her death has triggered a renewed attempt to mend the fences between the main parties representing the British unionist and Irish nationalist communities.
The New IRA (Irish Republican Army) paramilitary splinter group, which violently opposes the peace process in Northern Ireland, admitted responsibility for McKee's killing, saying she was unintentionally shot as they attacked "enemy" police officers.