The story

Fires in southern Greece that have razed dozens of villages and killed at least 44 people may have been deliberately set ahead of next month's national elections, the prime minister suggested Saturday.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis declared a nationwide state of emergency Saturday night. He also turned to European Union allies, which have promised help.

Emergency crews pulled charred bodies from homes and local media reported death tolls of up to 50 people. Read full article »

Journalist Anthee Carassava contributed to this report

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