Gold ring stolen from St. Nicholas statue in Italian church

ROME (AP) — A thief has broken into the Basilica of St. Nicholas in the southern Italian city of Bari, stealing a gold ring from a finger of a statue of the saint, who is especially popular in Russia. Police told Italian media that video surveillance cameras showed a hooded man breaking open a gate to enter the church before dawn on Tuesday. The saint is venerated by Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and his remains in a crypt in the basilica draw many pilgrims from Russia. Church officials say the thief stole money left by the faithful in a collection box., Besides the ring, also stolen were a book, decorated with silver, that the statue of Nicholas held in one hand.