Gale-force winds disrupted air and sea transport on Saturday and forced authorities to rescue five sailors yesterday from a freighter near the southeastern Aegean island of Karpathos. A helicopter airlifted the seamen, three Turks and two Russians, from the North Korean vessel Nitalko, which was carrying a shipment of marble and had been sailing from Rhodes to Crete. On Saturday, Olympic Airlines had to cancel several domestic flights, while passenger ferries from Piraeus and Rafina were at port as winds reached up to 9 on the Beaufort scale.

The 72-year-old owner of a Pro-po betting shop in Kallithea, southern Athens, died early Saturday after being shot during a suspected holdup a few hours earlier, police said. Neighbors said they heard a gunshot at 10 p.m. on Friday. Officers confirmed that the victim, Michail Milonakis, had been shot in the chest with a hunting rifle. It was not immediately clear whether the assailant had stolen any money or if there was another motive for the shooting.

An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale struck near the archeological site of Vergina in northern Greece on Saturday afternoon but did not cause any damage. The Athens Geodynamic Institute said that it was a small tremor which should not cause concern.

Two brothers studying at Crete Technical College in Hania have been arrested on suspicion of dealing drugs, police said on Saturday. Officers said that they found more than 1 kilo of cannabis at the homes of the two men. Police also arrested a third man who sent one of the suspects a text message asking to be supplied with cannabis while the two men were being questioned by police.