Page 8 - aruba-today-20181218

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 18 december 2018

Bomb explodes outside private Greek TV station, no one hurt

By DEREK GATOPOULOS government bias, strongly police," Public Order Minis-
NICHOLAS PAPHITIS condemned the bombing. ter Olga Gerovasili said.
Associated Press Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras She said anti-terrorism po-
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A issued a statement con- lice are leading the investi-
powerful bomb exploded demning the "attack by gation.
early Monday outside the cowardly and dark forces Skai said it had warned au-
southern Athens headquar- against democracy itself." thorities, to no avail, that it
ters of Greece's private "I express my frank solidarity had been receiving threats.
Skai broadcaster, which with the broadcaster's jour- It also linked the attack
has been strongly critical of nalists and employees," he with the strong criticism Skai
government policies, dam- added. had been receiving from
aging the glass-fronted Police said the blast oc- the government, which has
building but causing no in- curred at 2:35 a.m. outside banned its officials from
juries. the Skai TV and radio build- appearing on Skai broad-
There was no immediate ing — where the respected casts to protest reporting
claim of responsibility for Kathimerini newspaper is Greek forensic experts search outside the private Greek tele- that the government sees
the bombing, which resem- also housed — after tele- vision station Skai, after a powerful bomb explosion, in Faliro, as biased against it.
bled attacks by domestic phoned warnings to a Athens, on Monday, Dec, 17, 2018. "Government officials and
extreme left-wing and an- news website and another Associated Press propaganda mechanisms
archist groups, whose past TV station prompted au- have rendered our station
targets have included me- thorities to evacuate the ing calls. Police, who were "This was a strike against de- a target," a Skai statement
dia groups. building. checking cameras in the mocracy. Thankfully, there said. "Following today's dra-
Greece's left-led govern- The attackers escaped un- area for possible clues on was only material damage matic development they
ment, which has harshly detected after planting the the bombers, said the de- — it's a relief that no one must understand the weight
and repeatedly criticized bomb, which detonated vice had contained at least was hurt — following the and full extent of their in-
Skai for its perceived anti- 45 minutes after the warn- five kilograms of explosives. swift action taken by the cendiary comments."q

France: Alleged gun source given preliminary terror charges

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN ish man died of his wounds part of a terrorism-related
Associated Press in a Strasbourg hospital. investigation of the shoot-
PARIS (AP) — A man sus- Barto Orent-Niedzielski, 36, ing attack that killed five
pected of supplying the lived in the city, where he people last week near a
gun that was used in the worked at the European Christmas market in Stras-
shooting attack that killed Parliament and as a jour- bourg, the Paris prosecu-
five people near a Christ- nalist. The other casualties tor's office said.
mas market in Strasbourg include a tourist from Thai- An official close to the in-
was handed preliminary land and an Italian journal- vestigation said the man
terror charges Monday, ac- ist covering the European who was in court is sus-
cording to a judicial official Parliament. pected of involvement in
close to the investigation. According to some reports, supplying the weapon that
The official, who could not Orent-Niedzielski fought the alleged gunman Cherif
be named with the case shooter and stopped him Chekatt used in the Dec. 11
ongoing, said the individual from entering a crowded attack. Chekatt, 29, died in
appeared before a judge Residents react during a gathering in a central square of the club, possibly preventing a shootout with police in
and was charged with eastern French city of Strasbourg, Sunday Dec.16, 2018 to pay more deaths. Strasbourg Thursday.
homage to the victims of a gunman who killed four people and
criminal association with wounded a dozen more. Polish President Andrzej The two detained Mon-
terrorists, as well as possess- Associated Press Duda wrote early Monday day also were suspected
ing and supplying arms in on Twitter that "I knew him of "playing a role in supply-
connection with a terrorist lice in Strasbourg Thursday. Their arrests bring the num- by sight. I am shocked. ing the firearm," said the
enterprise. Two other people were ar- ber of suspects in custody I had not realized that official, who could not be
The man is suspected of rested and detained Mon- since the attack to three; he was the one mortally named with the case on-
furnishing the weapon that day as part of the terror in- Chekatt's parents and two wounded protecting other going. Their arrests bring
alleged gunman Cherif vestigation the Paris prose- of his brothers were ques- people. Honor to his mem- the number of suspects in
Chekatt used in the Dec. 11 cutor's office is conducting tioned by police last week ory. RIP." custody since the attack
attack, the judicial official into the attack. They also and released. ___ to three; Chekatt's parents
said. He was remanded were suspected of "playing The death toll from the Two people were arrested and two of his brothers
into custody. Chekatt, 29, a role in supplying the fire- attack increased to five and one appeared before were questioned by police
died in a shootout with po- arm," said the official. Sunday night after a Pol- a French judge Monday as last week and released.q