Two Palestinian militants to come to Ireland

Ireland is to take two of the 13 Palestinian militants involved in the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Under a late night deal brokered by EU ambassadors in Brussels, Spain and Italy will each take three of the Palestinians, Greece and Ireland two, with Portugal, Finland and Cyprus taking one each.

The men will stay in each state under a special permission on humanitarian grounds, and will have the right to bring their families in as well. But they will not have the right to move freely among EU states.

Each of the receiving countries will apply its own law if any of the Palestinians apply for asylum.

The EU played a key role in ending the standoff over the Church of the Nativity, and taking the 13 Palestinians into exile in Europe was a crucial aspect of the deal.