Central Greece

A police unit in Attica that deals with sports violence is investigating an attack against the house of a football referee early Monday morning.

Authorities said the incident took place at 1 a.m. when unknown assailants smashed the glass at the entrance of the apartment building where the referee lives in the district of Zografou and threw in a stun grenade.

Schools in Attica will remain closed Monday until 10 a.m. due to problems raised by a storm, authorities say.

Heavy rain and debris have shut down both the Athens-Corinth highway, near Elefsina, and the old road connecting the two cities. Authorities say the highway to Athens is expected to open between 9-10 am, while the section to Corinth between 12-1 pm.

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.

The first time I came across a Facebook post by Kostas Bakoyiannis, the new Athens mayor had written enthusiastically about an operation to clean up a neglected Athens square.

A large drug cartel operating primarily in the Athens suburbs of Acharnes and Fyli has been unraveled by Attica police authorities.
Police said the cartel consisted of seven gangs that worked under the guidance of two criminal organizations.

Heavy rain, storms and strong winds were expected to hit various parts of Greece late Sunday and through Tuesday morning, the country's National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned on Saturday.

More than a year after a disastrous wildfire ravaged the coastal settlement of Mati in eastern Attica, killing more than 100 people, only 10 of the illegally built properties in the area have been demolished.

Firefighters were battling a blaze that started in a forest near the archaeological site of Delphi in central Greece, earlier on Wednesday.

The risk of wildfires this weekend remains high in six regions around the country, according to the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.

The summer holiday exodus picked up on Friday as thousands of city folk headed to their villages and the beach, inundating the Greek capital's ports, ahead of the August 15 national holiday that is considered the peak of the summer season.