In Brief
MEDICAL RARITY
Two tumors weighing 29 kilos removed from woman’s ovaries A 52-year-old woman had two benign tumors weighing a total of 29 kilos removed from her ovaries at a hospital in Serres, northern Greece, doctors revealed yesterday. The tumors, one of which weighed 24.5 kilos and the other 4.5 kilos, had been growing for about two-and-a-half years but the woman had not been to see a doctor because she thought she had a weight problem and was embarrassed. Doctors said that it is extremely rare for tumors to grow to such a size, adding that the woman was lucky they turned out to be benign. US TRIP No Obama-Papandreou talks PASOK leader George Papandreou, who is also the head of Socialist International (SI), a global grouping of socialist parties, will not be meeting with Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama when he travels to the USA for a meeting of the SI next week. PASOK spokesman Giorgos Papaconstantinou said that a meeting had never been on the cards, as Obama will be preparing for his first debate with Republican candidate John McCain. «We hope there will be a meeting when Barack Obama is the president of the United States and George Papandreou is prime minister of Greece.» Official threatened The head of Thessaloniki’s Water and Sewage Company said yesterday that he was threatened at gunpoint by two men when he arrived at his home on Thursday night. Giorgos Skordas said that the pair made threats with regard to his professional activities and then stole his mobile phone, car keys and money before striking him on the chin with the butt of a handgun. Murder suspect A 33-year-old man has been arrested in Albania on suspicion of murdering a 33-year-old Greek in Athens four years ago. Albanian police arrested the man after a request from Greek authorities. The 33-year-old is suspected of the murder of Akritas Savouras in Palaio Faliron, southern Athens, in July 2004. Bank holdup An armed robber stole some 25,000 euros in cash during a raid on a bank in the village of Petalidi, near Kalamata, police said yesterday. The man, who had his face covered, threatened staff with a handgun, which he fired into the air as he left the bank with the loot. An accomplice was waiting on a motorbike, which the pair used to get away. Smoked out An ethnic Greek from Georgia who was wanted by French authorities for the organized smuggling of contraband cigarettes was arrested in Argyroupolis, southeastern Athens, yesterday. Police said that a European arrest warrant had been issued for the 42-year-old suspect, who was not named. US Embassy The consular section of the United States Embassy in Athens will be closed on Wednesday for internal administrative reasons, as is normal on the last Wednesday of each month. In case of emergency, call 210.721.2951 between 8.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
