In Brief
BABY STRANGLED
Mother accused of killing newborn before dumping body under bush A 24-year-old woman who abandoned her newborn baby under a bush near her home on Monday had first strangled the infant to death, police said yesterday. The woman, who is allegedly mentally unstable, went to the hospital on Wednesday to receive medical attention after giving the birth to the baby without the help of a doctor. She then revealed the whereabouts of the baby and took police to the spot. The woman was in the hospital under police guard yesterday and was later due to see a prosecutor. CHILD TRAFFICKERS Police arrest six people on Crete on suspicion of smuggling infants Police in Iraklion, Crete, said yesterday that they have arrested four women and two men from Bulgaria on the island on suspicion of being part of a baby-trafficking ring. Officers said that one of the women admitted to recently giving birth to a baby boy and attempting to sell him to a local couple for 3,000 euros. Police said they are looking for another Bulgarian man who is thought to have masterminded the operation. STOCKS SOAR Highest jump in more than 10 years Greek stocks soared 8 percent yesterday, the highest single-session gain in more than 10 years, as strong performances on European markets helped cheer investors. Banks were among the big gainers, advancing 9.13 percent. Turmoil on international markets may provide a boost to the Greek economy by helping to reduce high oil prices and keeping the euro away from recent highs, according to an Alpha Bank report released yesterday. Fatal burns A 2-year-old girl died yesterday of burns she had sustained earlier this month when a fire broke out at her home in Tymbaki, near the Cretan port of Iraklion. The girl’s mother, who had also been seriously burnt in the fire, died of her injuries last week. The blaze on January 9 started in the family’s fireplace. Weather woes Ferries remained moored at the ports of Piraeus and Rafina yesterday after coast guard authorities imposed a sailing ban due to strong winds in the area. Closed-top, high-speed vessels were still operating. In northern Greece, heavy snowfall obliged motorists to use anti-skid chains on the wheels of their cars. The coldest part of Greece yesterday was Florina, where temperatures plunged to -5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit). Extortion arrest A 63-year-old man has been arrested in Thessaloniki, police said yesterday, on suspicion of extorting 30,000 euros from a local nightclub owner. Officers found three bank checks in his possession as well as a small amount of cocaine. Illegal slots One woman has been taken into custody and another is being sought by police after they allegedly set up computers in their store near Nafplion, the Peloponnese, to allow customers to play slot machine and roulette games over the Internet. Officers seized four computers at the shop. They said both of the women are foreign nationals but did not release further details. Bomb hoax Police arrested a 22-year-old man in Thessaloniki yesterday in connection to three bomb hoaxes made during the week that were aimed at a bank and monastery. It was not clear how authorities located the suspect. German convicted A German man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend and keeping her body in their apartment in Asprovalta, east of Thessaloniki, on a bed for two months, court officials said yesterday. Michael Ernst, aged 49, was sentenced to life imprisonment following his arrest last February. Euroleague basketball Olympiakos blew an opportunity to move into second place of Euroleague Group A last night after losing 88-75 to Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. Panathinaikos fared much better with a comfortable 88-68 win over Turkish side Fenerbahce in Athens to secure top spot in Group C.
