NEWS

In Brief

‘AID’ SHIP

Captain accused of abducting activists faces prosecutor The captain of a cargo ship that was involved in a dispute with activists who wanted to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza last week is due to face a prosecutor in Athens today on charges that he abducted a group of humanitarian campaigners. The captain of the Strofades set sail from Libya with some activists on board after they allegedly failed to reach a deal with the shipowner over the transfer of humanitarian supplies to Egypt before being taken to Gaza. The activists claim they had struck a deal and were brought to Piraeus against their will. The shipping firm is suing the activists for damage to foreign property, trying to seize control of the ship and making defamatory comments. DEATH IN CUSTODY Probe into suspect’s fatal fall Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of a 21-year-old man who died after falling from the third floor of a police station in the central Athens district of Aghios Panteleimonas. Officers on duty claim the man, a 21-year-old Pole who had been arrested on suspicion of theft, fell from a window while trying to escape from his holding cell. He suffered serious injuries in his fall and was taken to the hospital but died there soon afterward. He was not named. Meteorite? Authorities were unable to give a conclusive answer over the weekend regarding the origin of a bright light that was seen moving through the night sky from central Greece to the north of the country late on Friday. It is thought the object was a meteorite as witnesses reported seeing a ball of light. Korydallos guns A rucksack containing two handguns was found outside Korydallos Prison in Athens on Saturday, officials said. The bag was discovered hidden in a bush by two guards conducting a patrol of the maximum-security jail’s exterior. A police forensics team is examining the weapons. Missing climber Search and rescue teams made a new sweep of Mount Olympus on Saturday to find a 37-year-old French climber who has been missing since last month. Experts searched in places that are not clearly visible from the air but were not able to find any trace of the woman, who has not been named. Officers attacked Two policemen were slightly injured when a patrol car came under attack yesterday morning at an open-air market in Schisto, western Athens. Three Roma were also arrested following the incident. Illegal bets A seasonal firefighter, two amateur soccer players and one more suspect have been arrested in Giannitsa, northern Greece, on suspicion of running an illegal sports betting ring, police said on Saturday. The four men allegedly rented two apartments, which they used as illegal gambling dens to accept via text message bets from up to 1,500 customers. Driver loses clothes Police in Thessaloniki are trying to find a truck full of clothes stolen in the northern city early yesterday. The driver and his assistant were forced out of the vehicle by two armed men and bundled into the boot of a car. They were dumped in another part of the city by one of the assailants while the other drove away the lorry.

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