Washington — Donald Trump personally welcomed home three Americans released from detention in North Korea, a triumphant middle-of-the-night moment for the president as he prepares for a landmark summit with Kim Jong-un. The three men flew to Washington after they were released to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was dispatched to Pyongyang on Tuesday in the hope that Kim would agree to free the detainees. Trump and his wife Melania boarded the former prisoners’ plane at Joint Base Andrews shortly before 3am on Thursday to greet the men. The return of the prisoners — whom the US has called "hostages" — clears an obstacle to direct talks between Trump and Kim. Trump said on Wednesday that he expected to announce a date and location for the summit within days and that he had ruled out the Korea Peninsula’s Demilitarised Zone. An administration official later said he was leaning towards Singapore. "We have a really good shot at making it successful," Trump said on Wednesday. The US a...

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