A roundup of today's other world news in brief:
Leader says Farc set to free hostages
BOGOTA– Colombian Farc rebels have freed four members of the security forces after holding them hostage for more than a year in camps deep in the jungle, the International Committee of the Red Cross said last night.
The Red Cross mission had flown into Colombia’s remote southern jungles early yesterday to pick up a group of hostages – two politicians and four members of the armed services – that Farc had agreed to hand over as a humanitarian gesture.
– (Reuters)
23 die in Russian care home fire
MOSCOW– Twenty-three people died in a fire that destroyed a wooden old people's home in northwest Russia, and preliminary evidence indicated the blaze began in the smoking room, officials said yesterday.
Fire destroyed the single-storey building in the village of Podyelsk, about 1,000km (625 miles) northeast of Moscow, on Saturday evening, the emergencies ministry said.
Ministry photographs showed flames engulfing a dozen windows along the side of the log building in the Komi republic.
– (Reuters)
300 migrants land in Malta
VALLETTA– A group of some 300 north African migrants landed in Malta early yesterday in the biggest single arrival on the Mediterranean island in years.
Police said the migrants had arrived on a boat near the fishing village of Marsaxlokk.
Timesofmalta.com showed video footage of the migrants crammed on a large boat. They were being taken to detention centres by police and soldiers.
Last week Malta complained at a meeting of EU home affairs ministers that ongoing arrivals were straining its detention facilities and it appealed for other EU countries to take some of the migrants from Malta.
– (Reuters)
Obama’s brother held in drugs find
NAIROBI– A Kenyan half brother of US president Barack Obama has been arrested for possession of marijuana, local media reported yesterday.
George Hussein Obama was arrested on Saturday in Nairobi’s sprawling Huruma slums, where he lives, Kenyan media reported.
The Daily Nationsaid Mr Obama would be charged in court today with possession of a banned drug and resisting arrest.
– (Reuters)
Thief drills way into bank’s toilet
MARSEILLE– A hapless thief drilled his way into a French bank at the weekend, but missed the safe and instead found himself in a toilet where he was promptly arrested, La Provencenewspaper reported yesterday.
– (Reuters)