Eurydice hurricane in Greece takes victims

The Aegean Symi Island, aka ‘the Greek Venice’ was hit and flooded by the Eurydice hurricane. The local harbor is now sunk under thick mud and the entire infrastructure of the island reveals huge damage. Then the disaster visited the Mandra area next to Athens. All roads turned into rivers, cars were flushed away and buildings were flooded. Elderly people from the ground floors failed to rescue themselves. Others were covered in mud in their houses’ yards. Victims were found in the sea as well, taken away by water. State of emergency was declared across the hurricane-hit area. Firemen, army squads and volunteers are now taking part in the rescue operation. Bad weather there is expected to last till November 19.

NY meeting on name of Macedonia postponed

The NY meeting of Greek and Macedonian representatives with UN mediator on Macedonia’s name argument, Matthew Nimetz, scheduled for November 20 or 21^st has been postponed to December. That was reported by Macedonian media, citing diplomatic sources without pointing at the reasons for this decision. Greek newspapers write that Macedonian Vice Premier for European Affairs Bujar Osmani will visit Athens over the next week for talks with high-ranking representatives of the Greek authorities, without any clarification whether the visit is related to the solving of the issue. ‘The argument with Greece on the name is a very up-to-date topic in Macedonia. It was quite logical for us to attempt to solve this quite sensitive and essential matter after the end of the local polls, as it is also an obstacle standing in the way of our integration,’ Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev said earlier.

Turkey–Austria migrant trafficking gang nabbed in Bulgaria

A total of 8 people were arrested for migrant trafficking from Turkey to Austria along the Bulgaria – Romania – Hungary route in a specialized raid of the State Agency for National Security and the Interior Ministry. The two Pakistani members of the gang recruited the wannabe migrants, usually in Turkey, selecting among Pakistani, Afghani and Iraqi people. Bulgarians used to meet them somewhere along the ‘green border’ and accommodated them in Bulgaria. Later on the migrants were carried by boats across the Danube River. Other Bulgarians would take over in Romania and took the illegals to a ‘green border’ with Hungary. Then the migrants would continue to Budapest and then to Austria, paying EUR 4 – 6,000 per capita for the entire voyage.

Bosnian Serbs arrested in Bosnia for war crimes

Four ex-members of the Bosnian Serbs’ army during the 1992 – 1995 war were busted on suspicions of war crimes against civilian Bosnian Croats and Muslims. The men were part of the squad which murdered at least 28 civilians in the area of Dolni Vakuf on 15 September 1995. The Serbian soldiers forced the captured people into harsh physical labor prior to the execution.

Slovenia stepped back from Syrian refugee’s deportation

Slovenia stepped back from a planned deportation of a Syrian asylum applicant after public protests. Syrian Ahmad Shamiekh submitted his asylum application 20 months ago after having being banned from entering Austria. The Slovenian authorities rejected the application with the explanation that his case should be handed over to Croatia, where the man came to Slovenia from. During his stay in Slovenia Shamiekh did public service and made an example of successful refugee integration, which brought him the support of NGOs and liberal politicians.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Zhivko Stanchev