Laconia

A reported 52 undocumented migrants were intercepted on Thursday by port authorities while on board a yacht off the coast of eastern Mani in Lakonia, southern Greece.

The yacht was to be escorted by a port authority vessel to the port of Gytheio. 

Two firemen were injured while battling a large blaze that started earlier on Wednesday in a forested area of Sidirokastro, in eastern Mani, in the Peloponnese, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported.

Twenty eight firefighters with 14 vehicles and two crews on foot were on the scene, helped by two Canadair and two Pezetel aircraft, but strong winds were hampering their efforts.

A loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was found dead by officials from the Port Authority of Gytheion at the beach of Chalikia Vatta, in the eastern part of the Mani peninsula, authorities said on Sunday.

This is the second sea turtle of its kind found dead in the region of Laconia, after one was located on Saturday on the island of Elafonisos.

Giorgos runs the coffee shop on the main square but his greatest passion is Greek olive oil, especially that from Laconia in the southeastern Peloponnese - he takes any perceived slight against the local product very personally.

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue is launching targeted inspections at olive oil production units in central and southern Greece after data pointed to income hiding and tax evasion in this sector.

Checks will focus on the areas where these phenomena are most common, such as Crete, the Peloponnese (Messinia, Argolida and Laconia) and Fthiotida in central Greece.

Beautifully preserved stone-built settlements and fortified towns spread all over Greece form a harmonious combination of local architecture and western influences. Silent witnesses of the country’s fascinating history are the ideal settings for you to rediscover romance.

51-year-old Bulgarian and 37-year-old Greek died in an explosion at a scrap plant in Skala Laconias, Peloponnese, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two workers died and another two had to be hospitalized after suffering breathing problems at a biological waste treatment plant in Laconia in the Peloponnese on Tuesday.

The Tsakonian language, with its foundations in the Doric dialect, the Tsakonian dance with its roots in the myths of Apollo, local traditions, hospitality and the extraordinary natural environment are all part of the 12th annual Melitzazz Festival. The festival is an international gathering of cultures in the village of Leonidio, the capital of Tsakonia.

A fire engine is seen near a blaze in Kotronas, eastern Mani, southern Greece, Monday. Firefighters worked into the night trying to contain fires in Attica as well as Achaia and Laconia in the Peloponnese, which destroyed forest and farmland. Reports said several houses were threatened by the flames.