(Reuters) Paris, June 13 (Reuters): British Prime Minister Theresa May today said talks with Northern Ireland's DUP about a deal to support her minority government had been "productive", and confirmed that Brexit negotiations would begin next week. May met Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) earlier today to thrash out a deal that would see the DUP support May in government after she failed to win an outright majority at an election last week. In an attempt to avoid a second election that could deepen Britain's worst political turmoil since last June's shock vote to leave the EU, May held talks with the DUP today. Former Prime Minister John Major said he was concerned a deal with the DUP could thrust the province back towards violence nearly two decades since a US-brokered peace deal brought peace to Northern Ireland. While the DUP are deeply eurosceptic, they have balked at some of the practical implications of a so-called hard Brexit.

Source: The Telegraph June 13, 2017 21:22 UTC