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.

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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.

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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.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”