Ionian Sea

Authorities are reportedly on the trail of the leaders of a people trafficking gang linked to the vessel that sank last Saturday off the island of Paxos, south of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, which led to the death of at least 12 migrants with at least 17 still missing.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms were forecast to sweep across the Ionian Sea and western Greece late Tuesday, before spreading east to other parts of the country, the National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned.

Strong autumnal showers and thunderstorms are expected to sweep into the Ionian Sea and across western Greece on Tuesday, before spreading east to other parts of the country, the national weather service (HNMS) has warned.

A 54-year-old Greek man faced a prosecutor on Monday charged with the fatal beating of a 40-year-old foreign national on the Ionian island of Ithaki on Saturday.

The alleged perpetrator's 42-year-old wife, who was present at the time of the beating, notified police after finding the 40-year-old dead in a hotel room on Sunday.

Over 30 areas have been identified for hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian Sea and off the coast of western and southern Crete, the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) reported on Sunday.

The map of "plots" was presented by Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management chief Yiannis Basias at an energy conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, ANA-MPA said.

Greek lawmakers ratified on Wednesday evening four contracts for hydrocarbon exploration off Crete and in the Ionian Sea.

Voting for the concessions were MPs of ruling New Democracy, KINAL and Greek Solution, while the main opposition SYRIZA expressed reservations. The Communist Party and MeRA25 voted against them.

Conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has warned against hydrocarbon exploration off the Ionian island of Zakynthos.
Greece has reportedly allocated 17,000 square kilometers of the popular tourist island to oil companies prompting concerns from activists over the potential impact of drilling for oil and gas.

Windy conditions in the Ionian Sea on Saturday have prompted authorities to halt ferry services to and from the islands of Zakynthos and Cephalonia.

According to the Greek meteorological service, winds in the area reached 8-9 on the Beaufort scale.

Eight people have been arrested in western Greece, accused of running a network that smuggled undocumented migrants across the Ionian Sea to Italy, the police said in an announcement on Friday.

Following the series of earthquakes that have shaken Zakynthos in recent days, Greek airline Sky Express has announced that it is cutting its ticket fares from Athens to the Ionian island to 29.37 euros (final price) and from Zakynthos to Athens to 24.90 euros.

This concerns all bookings for this month made by next Tuesday, November 6.