World News 16-12-2004 Hostage-Takers Lied About Bomb who: Kidnappers Gaz Resuli and Leonard Murati what: Surrender after day-long bus hijack where: Athens, Greece when: Yesterday snippet: Two armed Albanian hijackers held 23 people hostage on a bus in Athens yesterday, threatening to blow themselves up unless they were given €1million and flown to Russia, but eventually surrendered early this morning, when police discovered they were not carrying any explosives after all. Police Chief Giorgos Angelakos named the two men as Gaz Resuli and Leonard Murati, both 24, says the BBC. He added that they "had asked for a plane to Russia to create a smoke screen, when in fact they wanted money and passage to Albania". "The drama began yesterday morning when two men jumped on to the bus as it stopped in the suburb of Pallini, 10 miles from the city centre," says The Independent. "Witnesses said the men, one armed with a pump-action shotgun, began shouting and fired several shots." "The immobilised vehicle was quickly surrounded and a trickle of hostages emerged through the day," says The Guardian. "By dusk, 17 of 23 original passengers had been released, leaving six on board through the final evening hours." [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!