Arta

In the yard in front of the old three-story school in Syrrako, a cafe now welcomes visitors for a cup of coffee or something stronger. In Vourgareli – the once kefalohori (or ‘head-village’) of Ottoman beys and local herdsmen, the entrance to the headquarters of the legendary resistance figure Napoleon Zervas may be overgrown with weeds, but curtains still hang in the windows.

Authorities in the areas of Ioannina and Volos in northern and central Greece were struggling on Tuesday with a new wave of snow following last week's cold snap.

Schools in many parts of both areas were ordered to remain closed, as snow and ice made driving treacherous in many parts of the city's outskirts and at higher altitudes.

A 4.5 magnitude powerful aftershock rocked the city of Ioannina, 23 minutes after midnight on Wednesday, after last Saturday’s 5.5 earthquake spread panic among the residents in the wider area. The tremor hit at a depth of 10km northwest of the city and was felt along the coast of western and the wider Epirus region, as well as on the Ionian islands of Lefkas and Kerkyra.

 Hellenic Petroleum, Energean Oil submit offers for areas in western Greece as foreign firms opt out of tender

By Chryssa Liaggou

Greek companies Hellenic Petroleum and Energean Oil are the only suitors in the tender to survey for and utilize hydrocarbons in three land blocks in western Greece, the Energy Ministry announced on Friday.

Only two domestic energy companies, Hellenic Petroleum (EL.PE) and Energea Oil, tabled bids on Friday for onshore oil exploration in three blocks of western Greece.

Previous reports holding that Italian multinational ENEL would withdraw from the bidding proved true.

Shell, Total and Repsol had initially shown some interest as well.

Experts on Wednesday continued assessing the damage done by flash floods in Epirus, northwestern Greece, over the last few days.

By Wednesday afternoon they had recorded damage to 329 buildings, 229 of which are homes, in Arta. Another 43 buildings, of which 16 are homes, were damaged in Ioannina.

The Ottoman-era bridge of Plaka, the widest stone bridge in the Balkans, has collapsed due to floods in Greece.

Three teenage boys were taken into custody in Arta, northwestern Greece, on Tuesday following an uproar caused by a video posted on a social networking website allegedly showing them pouring flammable liquid onto a small dog and setting it alight.

Three men and two women, aged between 24 and 32, have been arrested in Arta, northwestern Greece, for stealing 70 kilos of sea bream from a fish farm in Vigla.

The five suspects allegedly drove from Messsolonghi, where they live, and loaded up the fish onto a trailer.

The 65-year-old fish farm owner alerted police, who arrested the suspects in Arta.