DUP wins N.Ireland snap elections

BELFAST • The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) scraped into first place and Irish republicans Sinn Fein came a close second in snap elections in Northern Ireland, in a dramatic shake-up that deprives unionist parties of a symbolic overall majority for the first time since the province was created in 1921.

The historical rivals will now have to begin negotiations to govern together under a power-sharing agreement struck to bring an end to civil strife in the British-ruled province.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Merkel to meet Trump on March 14

BERLIN • German Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning to hold her first meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on March 14. White House deputy spokesman Sarah Sanders confirmed the date of the meeting and said a joint press conference was likely.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

15 Jordanian prisoners hanged

AMMAN • Jordan hanged 15 death row prisoners at dawn yesterday, its information minister said, in a further break with the moratorium on executions it had observed between 2006 and 2014.

Ten of those put to death had been convicted of terrorism offences and five of "heinous" crimes including rape, Mr Mahmud al-Momani told the official Petra news agency.

All were Jordanians.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

China bird trafficking ring busted

CHANGSHA • Police in central China's Hunan province have busted a ring involved in hunting, killing and trafficking endangered birds, the provincial forestry public security department announced yesterday.

Ten people from the ring have been caught and another six remain at large.

XINHUA

No one hurt in Myanmar earthquake

YANGON • A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit north-western Myanmar early yesterday, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. The quake's epicentre was located 45km north-west of Homalin township near the Myanmar-India border. No immediate reports of casualties were available as the quake struck mountainous areas.

XINHUA