WORLD BRIEFS

NORTH KOREA/Carter wins release for imprisoned American

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter flew out of North Korea on a private jet Friday after securing a special pardon for an American who had been jailed since January. Carter and Aijalon Gomes, 31, were to arrive in Boston later Friday. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said Carter apologized for Gomes' actions. Oddly, leader Kim Jong Il was on a surprise trip to China as Carter visited Pyongyang. Gomes was accused of crossing into North Korea illegally from China. In April, he was sentenced to eight years of hard labor and fined the equivalent of $700,000.

SAUDI ARABIA/Female cashiers dropped

One of the country's largest supermarket chains has reversed a decision to employ female cashiers, in a religious dispute that saw the king issue a reprimand Thursday to a conservative scholar. Facing pressure from strict religious groups, the Panda group, owned mostly by Saudi Prince Walid bin Talal, said it would not continue to employ the 11 women. Yousef al-Ahmed, a conservative scholar, called recently for a boycott of the chain if it did not remove the women from their jobs. While Panda backtracked and the women left the tills, King Abdullah issued a strong reprimand of al-Ahmed. The monarch demanded he stop issuing religious decrees, or fatwas, without approval from the Saudi Institute for Religious Scholars. The Saudi economy allows women to work only in specific sectors, including education, banking and medicine. Women are not allowed to drive motor vehicles.

CANADA/3 arrested on terror charges

A man who appeared on Canada's version of "American Idol" was the third person arrested as part of an alleged plot against targets in Canada and abroad, police said Thursday in Toronto. The two other suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges they had plans to make bombs and to use them. Hiva Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, were arrested Wednesday in Ottawa. Dr. Khurram Syed Sher was taken into custody in London, Ontario, on Thursday. All three are Canadian. Sher, 28, appeared on "Canadian Idol" in 2008 singing a comical version of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated," complete with dance moves that include a moonwalk. He told the judges he's from Pakistan and likes hockey, music and acting. Police allege the men had plans to make explosive devices.