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
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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