In Brief
JEWEL HEIST
Burglars on Rhodes steal almost 400,000 euros of valuables Raids that took place on two jewelry shops on Rhodes in less than 24 hours have netted the burglars almost 400,000 euros in gold and precious gems, police said yesterday. The first break-in took place on Thursday afternoon when the owner of the store popped out and forgot to pull down the metal shutters and activate the shop’s alarm system. The value of the items stolen was estimated at 183,000 euros. The second robbery occurred early yesterday when robbers broke into a jewelry store with no alarm system. They made off with valuables worth some 200,000 euros. Police did not say whether the two raids were linked. FERRY INVESTIGATION Canceled sailings prompt probe An investigation has been launched into why the Seajet ferry company has canceled some of its sailings to Piraeus from August 5, the Merchant Marine Ministry said yesterday. This has created problems for hundreds of passengers who had bought tickets in advance. Meanwhile, the sailings of the Superjet, Seajet and Highspeed 3 ferries were canceled yesterday for the second day in a row due to strong winds in the Aegean. ISAP work There will be further disruptions on the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP) this weekend due to engineering work. Northbound trains will run between Piraeus and Kallithea, Omonia and Nea Ionia and Irini and Kifissia. The stations in between will be serviced by a shuttle bus (routes X7 and X9). ISAP, the firm that runs the railway, said that the section between Nea Ionia and Irini will be closed until August 30. Europa League Greece’s representatives in the Europa League, Europe’s lesser club soccer competition, failed to impress on Thursday night. PAOK drew 1-1 in Thessaloniki against Dutch side Heerenveen while AEK lost 2-1 to SC Vaslui in Romania. Vladimir Ivic equalized for PAOK and Ismael Blanco got AEK’s goal from the penalty spot. Both sides will play the return leg of the knockout ties next Thursday. The winners go into the draw for the group stage of the competition. OSE disruption There will be some changes to the timetables of trains traveling between Athens and Halkida and Piraeus and Kiato next Wednesday, the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) said yesterday. For more information, passengers should ring the 24-hour customer service line on 1110. Party over Police in Thessaloniki yesterday detained a 30-year-old French national who had been staying at a campsite in the resort of Asprovalta after finding him in possession of 124 grams of the hallucinogenic drug LSD. The suspect is believed to have been attending parties at local venues and to have been selling the drug to tourists in the area. US Embassy The Consular Section of the United States Embassy in Athens will remain closed to the public on Wednesday, August 26, for internal administrative reasons. The closure affects the embassy’s non-immigrant visa unit, immigrant visa unit, federal benefits unit, American citizen services unit, and the passport unit. In case of emergencies on this day, individuals may call 210.721.2951 from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 210.720.2490/1 after 5 p.m.
