Briefly

GREECE

Sea search for lost 13 as cargo ship sinks

A rescue operation was underway on Sunday for 13 people missing after a Comoros-flagged cargo ship sank in gale-force winds off the Greek Aegean island of Lesbos. The coastguard said a navy helicopter picked up one crew member from the RAPTOR cargo ship, who was taken to Lesbos General Hospital. "He is in a state of shock", coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Agence France-Presse. The fate of the other 13 was not immediately clear. Five cargo ships, three coast guard vessels, air force and navy helicopters as well as a navy frigate joined the rescue effort.

SIERRA LEONE

Unity urged following security incident

Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on Sunday urged unity among citizens following a security incident at an army barracks in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Some unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armory at Wilberforce Barracks in the early hours of Sunday, according to a notice by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. "They were repelled by our gallant security forces and calm has been restored," Bio said on X, formerly Twitter. The Sierra Leonean government issued a nationwide curfew following the accident and urged citizens to stay indoors.

ITALY

Ban imposed on lab-grown meat

Italy has become the first country in the world to ban the production, sale and import of cultivated meat — a term derived from the way it is produced by the cultivation of animal cells rather than through the slaughter of animals. The ban also extends to the use of words referring to traditional meat products, such as "salami "and "steak", for marketing plant-based meat substitutes. The Italian parliament passed the new law after months of debate. Breaking the rules can carry fines of up to 60,000 euros ($65,800).

INDIA

4 killed, dozens injured in stampede

At least four students were killed and dozens of others injured on Saturday in a stampede during a concert at a university in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said. "Four people were found dead and many others got injured in the rush," local health minister Veena George said in a statement. The injured students have been admitted to different hospitals. Officials said the concert was part of a tech festival where singer Nikhita Gandhi was performing at an open-air auditorium on the campus.

Agencies - Xinhua