Floods in Greece, thousands stranded near Volos

After the August fires, in September Greece was inundated by floods which affected the cities of Volos and Larissa and the island of Skiathos the most. At least six people have lost their lives, many people are missing.

110 tourists were rescued from the beach in the village of Saint John /Agios Ioannis/ near Volos, but thousands were stranded due to flooded roads. The water level reached two meters in some places. Houses and hotels were submerged. Many cars were swept away by the water. People in Volos were left without drinking water and electricity.

The authorities evacuated several villages in the area of the town of Karditsa. The army also got involved in the rescue operations, which are carried out around the clock.

Bosnian Serbs protest in defense of President Dodik

Several thousand Bosnian Serbs protested in defense of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik. The reason for the discontent was the accusations brought against Dodik by the prosecutor's office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because of decrees signed by him for non-implementation of the decisions of the supreme representative of the international community, Christian Schmidt, BNT reported.

At the protests in several cities, portraits of Milorad Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian and Serbian flags could be seen. Disaffected blocked the road on the border between Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, which is considered a violation of the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Agreement. Politicians also came out in defense of the leader of the Bosnian Serbs.

"Why do foreigners who are not elected by us come here and tell us how to live," asked Radovan Viskovic, Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, rhetorically. Milorad Dodik, who has demonstrated close ties to Moscow, has spoken of secession from Republika Srpska and has twice been blacklisted by the US. If convicted, he could face up to 5 years in prison.

Turkey aims to enter the club of high-income countries within 3 years

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has presented a new medium-term economic program to the government aimed at reducing inflation, stimulating growth and addressing various challenges, BTA reported.

"During the three-year period (2024-2026), we will aim for a balanced economic growth with an average rate of 4.5%," Erdogan said at the presidential palace in Ankara. The goal is for Turkey to join the ranks of high-income countries, with a GDP exceeding $1.3 trillion and a per capita income of $14,855 by 2026. Among the tasks are also tackling unemployment and inflation, increasing exports which are planned to exceed 300 billion dollars, annual revenue from tourism in the amount of USD 70 billion.

Erdogan stressed the importance of strengthening Turkey's trade relations with the EU by updating the customs union agreement and attracting more foreign direct investment.

Librarian Avram Iancu swims across the Rhine to advance cause of Romania in Schengen

Romanian librarian Avram Iancu swam the Rhine River, which crosses the heart of Europe, in support of Romania's accession to Schengen, Radio Romania International reported. Iancu, who is involved in several sports, managed to swim 1,032 km on the river, over 48 days without a wetsuit or other support, applying what he himself said was a "titanic and unimaginable" effort.

This is not Avram Iancu's first achievement. In the summer of 2017, he became the first person to swim across the Danube from its source to its mouth.