NEWS

In Brief

Tempe verdict

Coach driver cleared over crash that killed 21 children A Larissa court yesterday acquitted the driver of a school coach that crashed in the Vale of Tempe, central Greece, in April 2003, killing 21 schoolchildren, of any responsibility for the accident. In July 2005 a Lamia court sentenced the driver of the truck that crashed into the school coach to 19 years in jail after finding him guilty of manslaughter. One of the truck’s owners got a 14-year jail term. The other owner and three officials of a wood-processing company that loaded the truck with plywood, which smashed into the coach, received suspended jail terms. Child abuse Man ‘molested’ 7-year-old girl Police in Menidi, northern Athens, yesterday charged a 42-year-old man with sexually molesting a 7-year-old friend of his daughter. The father of two is alleged to have been sexually molesting the girl for the past year as well as taking photographs and videos of her. Officers who searched his home said they found several computer hard drives as well as photographs of naked children on his cellphone. Meanwhile police at an airport in western Australia were questioning a Greek national alleged to have tried to smuggle child pornography into the country. Relics returned A church in Venice has returned to Greece part of the remains of three saints from the Ionian island of Cephalonia missing since the 14th century, the island’s church said yesterday. The relics of saints Gregory, Theodore and Leo were found in the church of San Zaccaria on January 30, a senior cleric on Cephalonia said in a statement. (AFP) Harbor injury A 40-year-old sailor was injured yesterday in the main harbor on the island of Nisyros when an anchor cable snapped as a passenger ferry prepared for departure. The sailor was transferred to hospital on nearby Kos for treatment of his injuries, the extent of which yesterday remained unclear. Drug haul A 54-year-old man was being questioned on drug-related charges in Thessaloniki yesterday after allegedly trying to sell some 30 kilos of cannabis to a police officer. The officer had posed as a potential customer to expose the suspected dealer. A search of the suspect’s home in the northern city revealed more drugs in several small packages. Bank raid Two armed robbers wearing beanies and sunglasses held up a branch of ATEbank in Thessaloniki yesterday and made off with more than 50,000 euros. Police said that the two men entered the bank at 8.25 a.m. and, at gunpoint, ordered employees to hand over the cash. The robbers made off on a motorcycle with 50,515 euros in total. Nobody was hurt in the raid. Emergency landing A firefighting plane had to perform an emergency landing in the Aghios Mamas area of Halkidiki, northern Greece, yesterday during an exercise. It was not immediately what type of fault caused the pilot to land the plane. Nobody was injured.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.