NEWS

In Brief

FLOOD ALERT

Authorities remain on standby as another death is confirmed Authorities in northern and northeastern Greece remained on high alert last night after flooding in the region had affected up to 800 families in the prefecture of Rhodope alone. The death toll from the flooding on Sunday rose to two: a 42-year-old man who drowned in Serres when his car fell into a ditch and a 30-year-old Indian migrant who was swept away by floodwater in Megara, west of Athens. Both died on Sunday. Authorities were also on alert in Arcadia, in the Peloponnese, after rain normal for one month fell in just 36 hours. HOSTAGE FREED Three arrested for allegedly holding Iraqi national to ransom in Athens Police said yesterday that three foreign nationals were arrested in Athens for allegedly holding hostage and torturing a 27-year-old man, demanding he hand over money in order to be freed. The three suspects, two Algerians and an Israeli, held the victim hostage at an apartment in Aghios Panteleimonas, central Athens, even after he had given them 1,200 euros. It was not clear how long the victim, an Iraqi national, had been held captive in the apartment. Police found the man after he managed to free himself and call for help from the apartment balcony. PROTESTER CONVICTED Man guilty of attacking policemen A Thessaloniki court yesterday handed down a 22-month jail sentence to a 43-year-old man after finding him guilty of attacking police officers during last Saturday’s rally in the northern city, held to commemorate a student uprising in 1973. The 43-year-old, who is alleged to have attacked officers with a pole and broken one officer’s shield, refuted the charges, saying he had been under the influence of drugs during the rally. The jail sentence can be paid off. Woman missing Rescue teams were searching yesterday for a 72-year- old woman who had gone missing in Kalambaka, northern Greece, on Friday. The woman is believed to have disappeared after heading on foot for her farm at Mikanis, an area hit by flooding due to torrential rainfall. Migrants injured Two would-be migrants were hospitalized yesterday after their plan to hitch a ride to Italy hidden in a pickup truck failed. The two men hid in the back of a truck parked at the northwestern port of Igoumenitsa, evidently thinking the vehicle had been about to board a ferry to Italy, but they soon discovered that the truck was heading for Macedonia as the driver joined the national highway. The pair jumped out of the truck, while it was in motion, somewhere in Thesprotia. They were both injured, one seriously. Bank raid Two armed robbers made off with more than 38,000 euros after raiding a branch of Emporiki Bank in Thessaloniki yesterday morning. The pair fled on two motorcycles. There were no reports of any injuries during the raid. IKA doctors Social Security Foundation (IKA) doctors are planning a two-day strike starting tomorrow to protest the government’s refusal to grant them a 150-euro bonus. The doctors said they would also demand more hirings and improvements in the healthcare system. Sailors cleared A 41-year-old Greek and a 36-year-old Turkish man were yesterday cleared by a court on Samos of colluding to allow the latter to enter Greece illegally. The unnamed Greek was accused of picking up the Turk from his boat in Greek waters and helping him reach Samos. However, the 41-year-old told the court that the Turk had run out of fuel and that he simply helped him get to the island so he could fill up a jerry can and return to his boat. The court accepted the explanation and both men were released. Thanksgiving Day The US Embassy in Athens and the General Consulate in Thessaloniki will be closed on Thursday, which is Thanksgiving Day, a public holiday in the USA.

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