A decision by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s (FYROM) Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to take Greece to The Hague over its decision to veto Skopje’s bid to join NATO is “a waste of valuable time,” according to the country’s president, Branko Crvenkovski. Speaking to a private TV channel in FYROM, Crvenkovski pointed out that the decision at the NATO summit was unanimous and took place after negotiations between all the member states.

A 32-year-old man found hanging in a police detention center in Imathia, northern Greece, on Sunday night had twisted his blanket into a noose to take his life, a coroner said yesterday. The man had been arrested as a suspect for a series of thefts a few hours earlier, police said. It was unclear whether officers on duty at the time would be charged.

Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said yesterday that the government will send a C-130 military plane to bring home Greeks stranded in Thailand where anti-government protesters have occupied Bangkok’s two main airports. It is unclear how many Greeks are in Thailand but Antonaros said there was no cause for concern about their safety.

Seventy children at a day-care center in Athens have been given antibiotics after a 2-year-old girl was found to have meningitis. The day-care staff and families of the children were also given antibiotics following the inspection, carried out by the Center for Infectious Diseases Control (KEEL).

A 19-year-old man in Livadeia, north of Athens, was charged with manslaughter through neglect after allegedly shooting his mother dead by mistake. According to police, the man’s father had passed a gun to his son for the latter to put away after a hunting trip and the 19-year-old had pulled the trigger by mistake.

The driver of a Hellenic Post van was in the hospital in Lamia yesterday after being beaten up by three robbers who forced him to stop the vehicle on the national highway outside the central Greek city and stole several bags of cash. The robbers netted 60,000 euros.

The trial of 27 people charged in connection to the alleged murder of soccer fan Michalis Filopoulos last year wound up yesterday and a decision is due on December 12. The prosecutor has recommended that five people be charged with beating and stabbing the 25-year-old.

A Russian man who also has Greek nationality has been fined and released after attempting to force the captain of a Transaero Airlines flight from Cuba to Moscow with 208 passengers on board to take him to Greece. Ilias Tsoulfas was overpowered by the cabin crew who tied him to his seat until the airplane touched down in Moscow. Authorities said that Tsoulfas was drunk.