US captives home after secret deal

North Korea: US citizens Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae flew into a Washington state airbase at the weekend after being released from captivity in North Korea.

Their release was secured through a secret mission to Pyongyang by US national intelligence director James Clapper.

Mr Clapper is the highest-ranking US official to visit North Korea in more than a decade.

Guns bound for Brazil intercepted

Bolivia: Police announced the interception at the weekend of a shipment of machine guns and other weapons being sent from the US to Brazil.

Interior Minister Jorge Perez said that the shipment of 37 weapons — the fourth such discovery in the past six months — had been found at a residence in Santa Cruz, about 250 miles east of La Paz.

Police are trying to determine which criminal group was behind the shipment, Mr Perez said.

Blasts bring talks to an end

Libya: A series of nearby explosions prematurely ended a meeting yesterday between Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and UN envoy Bernardino Leon.

UN spokesman Samir Ghattas said that it was not clear whether the explosions were deliberately targeting the meeting in the eastern city of Bayda.

Mr Leon had planned to travel to other cities on his visit but he left immediately after the blasts for the airport.

Berlin’s No Wall Around Europe call

Germany: Human-rights activists staged a No Wall Around Europe demonstration in Berlin yesterday to highlight the ill-treatment of refugees by the EU Fortress Europe policy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel milked the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall, calling its breach an example of the human yearning for freedom, but she also recognised the significance of November 9 as the anniversary of nazis’ Kristallnacht pogroms.

Force probe after bomb blasts HQ

Afghanistan: Embarrassed security forces began an investigation

Yesterday into how a man wearing an explosives-packed vest was able to infiltrate the heavily guarded police head­quarters in central Kabul.

The suicide bomber passed through security and made his way to within yards of General Mohammad Zahir Zahir’s office.

General Zahir’s chief of staff was killed in the attack and at least seven officials were wounded.

Arafat memorial called off in Gaza

Palestine: Tomorrow’s scheduled memorial event in Gaza on the 10th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s death was cancelled yesterday after the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry said that it could not provide security.

“We cancelled the event because Hamas told us on the political and security level that they can’t secure the event,” said Fatah official Faisal Abu Shala.

Obama aims to help migrants

United States: President Barack Obama said yesterday he intends to issue an order easing the threat of deportation for immigrants in the country illegally.

He insisted that he would act despite warnings from Republican leaders that he would be poisoning the well with a newly elected Congress.

Mr Obama insisted that there would still be room for Congress to pass immigration legislation.

Food for thought

Greece: Anti-food-waste body Feeding 5000 fed 5,000 people in Thessaloniki yesterday, using two tons of fruit and vegetables rejected by supermarkets.

The exercise was intended to highlight the level of food waste in advanced societies.