Man held over Greece acid attack

An Albanian man has been arrested in Greece on suspicion of throwing acid in the face of a union official two months ago and forcing it down her throat.

The 48-year-old has been charged with participation in the attempted murder of Bulgarian Kostadinka Kuneva.

Ms Kuneva, secretary of the Union of Housekeepers and Cleaners in Athens, was ambushed by two men near her home after finishing work on 23 December.

She was blinded in one eye and remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The 42-year-old also suffered serious damage to her vocal chords and other internal organs as a result of the sulphuric acid attack.

Her friends and family say she had received threats over her union activities, which including opposing a recent pension system reform and fighting to improve working conditions for cleaners.

The attack sparked a series of protests by human rights and left-wing groups. Police used tear gas to disperse a rally by more than 1,000 people last Thursday in Athens after it turned violent.