Pylos

A Panamanian-flagged cargo ship brought 81 men, women and children safely to shore in Kalamata in the southwestern Peloponnese on Sunday, after the smuggling boat they were sailing in ran into trouble off the coast of Pylos, state broadcaster ERT reported on Tuesday.

Greek authorities processed the passengers of the vessel and have arrested four on charges of migrant smuggling. 

In the minds of most, Messinia is often associated with its famous coastal landscapes of the southern Peloponnese, washed either by the Messinian Gulf or the Ionian Sea—featuring resorts like Finikounda, Instagram-worthy beaches like Voidokilia, the stunning Venetian castle of Methoni, or cities like Kalamata and Pylos, which are growing in popularity as summer vacation destinations.

A 40-year concession contract to develop Pylos Marina worth at least 1.5 million euros was signed on Tuesday by the state and the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED) on one side, and Pylos Marina SA, the preferred bidder, on the other.

A cruise ship rescued 77 migrants found overnight in a sailboat in distress far off the southwestern coast of Greece and was transporting them to the nearest major port, Greek authorities said Tuesday.

Police in Kalamata clashed with protesters on Tuesday morning outside the southwestern Peloponnesian city's courthouse where nine Egyptian nationals are standing trial over the deadly migrant shipwreck off the coast of nearby Pylos in June 2023.

Nine Egyptian nationals will stand trial Tuesday at Kalamata Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies, accused of smuggling in connection with the fishing boat that sank off the Peloponnesian town of Pylos last June.

Conservator Alexander Zokos carefully cleans the elaborate, oval ivory lid of a compass (jewelry box) found in the tomb of of a Bronze Age warrior (Griffin Warrior) at Pylos dated to around 1500 BC, and which was brought to light by archaeologists Sharon Stocker and Jack Davis of the University of Cincinnati in 2015. It depicts the battle between a lion and a griffin, with the former winning.

Three people, including a 15-year-old girl, died in less than 12 hours in two traffic accidents in different parts of the country.

The first deadly incident took place late on Monday night on the Methoni-Pylos road in the southwestern Peloponnese and involved a car, which was being driven by a 31-year-old man, crashing into the metal protection railing and a tree.

A common thread runs through the disasters of the past few months: Although the danger was evident, measures were not taken to avert it. At Tempe, Pylos, Nea Anchialos and in the Croatian hooligan raid bad systems conspired with incapable, indifferent, irresponsible officials to open the door to catastrophe.

Greek authorities said Friday they safely evacuated dozens of migrants from a sailboat reported in trouble off the southern coast of Greece, amid a rise in migration to the Mediterranean country.