Ireland prepares for arrival of exiled militants

The Government is currently finalising arrangements for the arrival of two Palestinian militants exiled from their homeland following the month-long siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

A total of 13 militants were deported from the Middle East under a deal brokered to end the stand-off and the EU has agreed to accommodate them.

Two of them will remain in Ireland for the next 12 months, Greece will host another two.

Spain and Italy have agreed to take three each and the remainder will go to Cyprus, Belgium and Portugal.