Quake strikes Greek coast
Athens: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 struck off the coast of southern Greece on Monday morning, Greece’s Institute of Geodynamics said.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported.
The quake struck just before 10:30 am local time (0730 GMT), with an epicentre beneath the seabed 119 kilometres (74 miles) south of Athens and 53 kilometres (33 miles) south southeast of the island of Hydra. Greece lies in a highly seismically active region. The vast majority of earthquakes do not cause injuries or significant damage. (AP)
Inmates attack officers
San Diego: Six correctional officers were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries sustained in an inmate attack at a prison in California, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
Stab wounds, lacerations and possible broken bones were among the injuries to the officers Sunday afternoon at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego, spokesperson Terri Hardy said in a news release.
About 20 inmates were in the recreation yard when some began the attack on the correctional officers, the release stated. (AP)
Japan’s leader goes to hospital
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went to a hospital on Monday for what Japanese media said was a regular health checkup, although the visit generated renewed concerns about his health.
Videos of Abe being driven in a car to Keio University Hospital in Tokyo on Monday morning were widely shown on Japanese TV news reports. Public broadcaster NHK TV later showed him leaving the hospital at about 6 p.m.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the hospital visit, saying it was not on his official schedule. Abe has been on a summer break recently, as has much of Japan. (AP)
Norway arrests citizen for spying
Copenhagen: Norway’s domestic intelligence agency said on Monday that a Norwegian citizen has been arrested for handing over information to a foreign country, saying the alleged actions could harm fundamental national interests. The suspect was arrested Saturday in Oslo, the Norwegian capital.
The Norwegian Police Security Service didn’t identify the foreign country or name the arrested individual, who has a custody hearing scheduled for later Monday. The security service said the citizen is suspected of violating a Norwegian law that carries a maximum prison term of 15 years for a civil servant convicted of spying. (AP)