An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale shook parts of northwestern Greece yesterday, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The tremor, which struck at 2.06 p.m., had its epicenter east of the town of Paramythia in the Thesprotia area.

The extension of Athens’s suburban railway will have reached Xylokastro by the end of 2009, Transport Minister Michalis Liapis said yesterday during a visit to the coastal town west of Corinth. The journey from Athens to Xylokastro, covering roughly 120 kilometers, will take one hour and 30 minutes and the trains will run every half-hour, Liapis said. By June this year, the suburban railway will have been extended to the coastal town of Kiato, located almost halfway between Athens and Patras, the minister said. Justice Minister Anastassis Papaligouras, who is from Corinthia, said the extensions would boost economic and tourism development in the area.

A postal worker was shot and injured in an attempted holdup in Iraklion, Crete, yesterday while traveling in his car. Police said the assailant stopped the vehicle and threatened the victim with a hunting rifle, demanding that he hand over a bag containing mail. The assailant shot the victim, who refused to cooperate, in the waist and legs, then fled. Police have launched a manhunt in the area.

An 80-year-old woman was violently beaten by three men early yesterday who broke into her western Athens home in Peristeri. Police said the assailants entered the house at about 1 a.m. by breaking down the front door and robbed the woman of –1,000 in cash and –2,000 in jewelry.

An Albanian national, aged 47, was arrested in Thessaloniki yesterday after police found two kilos of heroin in his possession. Officers found the narcotics hidden in the suspect’s car during an inspection of the vehicle.

Roadworks scheduled to begin on Vassilissis Amalias Avenue in central Athens on Monday night will cause traffic disruptions until the early hours of next Saturday morning, the Public Works Ministry said yesterday. The works will be carried out between the hours of 9.30 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily. Motorists should follow traffic police detour signs.