International
More than 21,000 tharks have shaken the Cyclades Islands in the last three weeks
More than 21,500 quakes have shaken the Greek archipelago of the Cyclades in the last three weeks, an unprecedented wave in this volcanic area of the Aegean Sea that has caused the flight of thousands of visitors and residents of the tourist island of Santorini.
Between January 26, when the high seismic activity began, and this Monday, February 17, more than 21,500 earthquakes have been recorded in the maritime area between Santorini and the nearby island of Amorgos, according to a report just published by the Seismology Laboratory of the University of Athens (EKPA).
Of these tremors, about 18,600 were of a magnitude greater than 1, while last Monday alone there were more than 780 earthquakes.
Although dozens of earthquakes continue to shake the Cyclades daily, during the last few days “a consistently lower seismicity” has been observed than last week, both with regard to the strength of the tremors and their frequency, according to the report.
Last Tuesday, 95 earthquakes were recorded, of which three were of a magnitude greater than 4, while during the previous weeks dozens of tremors of this force occurred daily.
However, the thousands of people who left Santorini after the first trearms still do not decide to return to the island, where about 4,000 residents remain, less than a fifth of the fixed population of 25,000 people.
The phenomenon has caused concern among locals and the Government, also due to the negative impact it could have on the economy of the island, one of the most tourist destinations in Greece.
The Government has decided to create in cooperation with the Armed Forces “an escape port” in a safe place in Santorini, where passenger ships can dock in case of emergency.
Meanwhile, schools remain closed for the third consecutive week on this island and in those of Amorgos, Ios and Ánafe.
A committee of experts is examining the creation of restricted access locations throughout the Santorini volcanic caldera, reports the portal protothema.gr.
For its part, the Government has already announced that works will be carried out in certain points of Santorini to ensure the stability of the volcanic caldera, on the edge of which two of the most touristy towns on the island are built, which is visited by about three million tourists each year, most in summer.
The professor of Natural Disaster Management, Efthimis Lekkas, reiterated this Tuesday during a meeting with the head of Civil Protection on the island that the most likely scenario is that there will be “a progressive de-escalation of the phenomenon”, which could however last weeks, perhaps months.
However, the expert did not rule out the possibility of a magnitude 6 earthquake, or slightly larger, that could cause building collapses in the boiler, he said.
Regarding the two volcanoes that exist in the area (Nea Kameni in front of the Santorini caldera and Kolumbo further east), Lekkas stressed that no volcanic eruption is expected in the near future.
International
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore
Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.
Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.
In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.
Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.
“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.
He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.
International
Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking
Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.
Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.
The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.
“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
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