Latest news with #Crete
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Powerful 5.3-magnitude earthquake rattles Greek holiday island with tourists 'leaping from sunloungers'
A powerful 5.3 magnitude earthquake rocked a Greek holiday hotspot today, with tourists left fearing for their lives. The huge quake took place at 4.26 pm local time on Wednesday, with the epicentre around 13 miles off the coast of Antikythera, Greece's Geodynamic Institute said. The tremble, which had a focal depth of 36 miles, was reportedly felt in some parts of the Greek holiday island of Crete, which is popular among British tourists. No casualties have been reported, but locals described how terrified tourists 'jumped out of their sun loungers and asked if this was normal and if there was a fear of a tsunami'. Others described how the tremor made items in their homes move and how they heard loud banging sounds as buildings swayed. One local said that 'it felt like the whole building moved slightly', while another described how they 'heard a rumble' as the 'house shook.' According to a 2.6 magnitude quake was detected at around 5.30am this morning, followed by a 2.2 magnitude tremor at 6.40am. The epicentre of all these tremors were located between Antikythera and Crete. A powerful 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Greece today between the islands of Crete (pictured) and Antikythera Your browser does not support iframes. The Greek island of Antikythera lies just south of the Peloponnese peninsula and northwest of Crete and is a growing tourist destination thanks to its ancient Greek ruins and stunning beaches. Crete, meanwhile, is Greece's largest and one of its most famous islands, drawing in millions of holidaymakers every year. The earthquake off the coast of Greece comes a month after hundreds of firefighters battled raging wildfires off the island of Chios. Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island, where authoritieS sent firefighting reinforcements from Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and the nearby island of Lesbos. Apocalyptic scenes captured in images and videos showed firefighters battling the flames as the wildfires raged on, while thick plumes of black smoke filled the sky. Other footage showed helicopters spraying water over smoke-filled fields. It also comes just five days after a powerful earthquake hit the Italian city of Naples and its surrounding region. Local residents reported hearing a 'roar' and feeling a 'strong tremor' as the 4.6 magnitude quake struck at around 9.15 am last Friday. The epicentre of the earthquake was just off the coast of the highly active Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic caldera west of the city, at a depth of 1.5 miles. Multiple people living nearby in the seaside town of Bagnoli said it 'seemed like a bomb' had gone off when the quake hit. It measured the same magnitude as an earthquake recorded in the region on March 13, the strongest to hit the region in 40 years. 'We rocked a lot... I'm still shaking,' one woman, living in the Vomero district of the city, told La Repubblica. Another local, who lives in the western Fuorigrotta suburb, described the experience as 'terrifying'. Rail traffic has been temporarily suspended in the city, which is home to more than 900,000 people. This is a breaking story, more to follow.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Powerful 5.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Greece
A powerful 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Greece today between the islands of Crete and Antikythera. The quake took place at 4.26 pm local time on Wednesday, with the epicentre around 13 miles off the coast of Antikythera, Greece's Geodynamic Institute said. The tremble, which had a focal depth of 36 miles, was reportedly felt in some parts of the Greek island of Crete, as well as in the Peloponnese and Attica. No casualties have been reported. It comes just five days after a powerful earthquake hit the Italian city of Naples and its surrounding region. Local residents reported hearing a 'roar' and feeling a 'strong tremor' as the 4.6 magnitude quake struck at around 9.15 am last Friday. The epicentre of the earthquake was just off the coast of the highly active Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic caldera west of the city, at a depth of 1.5 miles. Multiple people living nearby in the seaside town of Bagnoli said it 'seemed like a bomb' had gone off when the quake hit. It measured the same magnitude as an earthquake recorded in the region on March 13, the strongest to hit the region in 40 years. 'We rocked a lot... I'm still shaking,' one woman, living in the Vomero district of the city, told La Repubblica. Another local, who lives in the western Fuorigrotta suburb, described the experience as 'terrifying'. Rail traffic has been temporarily suspended in the city, which is home to more than 900,000 people. This is a breaking story, more to follow.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
'Invisible enemy' kills over 450 at Area 51 after exposure to top-secret project; victims say his brain is 'dying'
Area 51 has captured the imagination of everyone from UFO hunters to meme makers, and the truth might just be stranger than fiction. Among all the shocking stories from the place, the most recent report reveals that multiple staff at Area 51 have reportedly died or suffered from a similar deadly disease after being exposed to a 'top secret' project. Area 51 is highly classified as a US Air Force facility situated near the Nevada desert that has long been linked to controversy and strange goings-on, with many aliens and UFO sightings also being reported close to the base over many years, reported Lad Bible. Not only this, but even Google Maps believes that they have spotted otherworldly activities close to the base, with alien conspiracy theories. I found this little tidbit of info quite interesting and revealing. During the recent Tucker Carlson interview with Rob O'Neil, he talked about his experience at Area 51 while preparing for the Bin Laden raid. For those that don't know, Rob was the Seal Team 6 operator that… Multiple staff members at Area 51 died of severe illness According to the Lad Bible, some US Air Force veterans and security guards claim that they were handed a death sentence by the government due to the presence of a mysterious and invisible killer at the location. David Crete, a former Air Force sergeant who worked at the Nevada Training and Testing Range (NTTR) between 1983 and 1987, said that the left side of his brain was 'dying' due to atrophy (the decrease in size or wasting away of a body part, cell, tissue, or organ) while speaking at the House of Veterans Affairs Committee in early 2025. Around 490 people died of severe diseases like cancer at Area 51 Crete is voicing himself to seek help for denied healthcare in the US because none of the surviving veterans can prove they were exposed to radiation near Area 51, and their work was so 'top secret' that there were no records of anyone being there. While Sergeant Crete made bold claims that nearly 490 of his former colleagues have died of severe diseases, including cancer, since the time they served at the former nuclear site, due to the radiation risks. "My wife had three miscarriages. One of the guys that I worked with, his wife had seven," he quoted in the report. He added that all four of his children were born with birth defects or significant health problems, and it is not their fault. Scarred lungs and cysts in the liver Apart from this, Crete also suffers from scarred lungs and has cysts in his liver. "My wife had three miscarriages. One of the guys that I worked with, his wife had seven," he added.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Greece arrests hundreds of migrants after imposing asylum freeze
Greece has detained nearly 200 migrants who arrived after an asylum freeze imposed on claimants from North Africa. 'The illegal immigrants who entered from Libya in recent hours were arrested by the coast guard,' migration minister Thanos Plevris said on X on Saturday. 'They do not have the right to apply for asylum, they will not be taken to reception centers, but will be held in police custody until the process of their return is initiated,' he added. The 190 migrants arrived in three groups south of the island of Crete, the coastguard told AFP. A fourth group of 11 people was found near the island of Agathonisi, opposite the Turkish coast. State TV ERT reported one of them was injured and later died in hospital. The move marks a further hardening of Greece's stance towards migrants under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' centre-right government, which has built a fence at its northern land borders and boosted sea patrols since it came to power in 2019. Greece is experiencing a rise in migrant arrivals from Libya, mainly landing in Crete, the home island of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Over 2,000 people have landed just in July, sparking anger among local officials and tourism operators who have put pressure on the conservative government to take action to stop the flows. The government has declared a three-month suspension on asylum requests from any persons arriving by sea from North Africa. Earlier this month, dozens of migrants were seen in shocking footage leaping off a boat and running onto a beach in front of tourists on a Greek holiday island. In one clip, recorded at Diskos beach in the south of Crete, a group of asylum seekers were seen crammed in to a small boat as it bobbed near the shoreline. The concerning levels of sea arrivals prompted a visit by Greece's foreign minister George Gerapetritis to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar this month. Last month Athens also said it would deploy two frigates near Libyan territorial waters to help stem the flow. It urged Libya to cooperate more closely with Greece and the EU to stop migrants sailing from there or turn them back before they exit Libyan territorial waters. The North African country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi. Human rights groups accuse Greece of forcefully turning back asylum-seekers on its sea and land borders. This year, the European Union border agency said it was reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece. The government denies wrongdoing. Greece was on the front line of migration crisis in 2015-16 when hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa passed through its islands and mainland.
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Travel + Leisure
3 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Gorgeous Island Was Just Named the No. 1 Retirement Spot for Americans in Greece
Greece doesn't even crack the top 20 most popular countries for American expats, according to data from World Population Review. And that feels like a mistake, considering the European nation is filled with stunning mountains, historic cities, and seaside towns. But nothing quite compares to the beauty of the Greek Islands, which make for a picture-perfect retirement destination. While there are around 100 inhabited islands in the archipelago, there's one particular island that International Living says is heads and shoulders above the rest as the ultimate place to spend your golden years. In late June, the website dedicated to helping expats find their perfect home abroad shared its list of the six best Greek islands for retirement. And the list comes from one very knowledgeable source: Lynn Roulo, an American expat now living in Athens, Greece. According to Roulo, her top pick for retirees looking for a top-notch spot to spend their golden years is the largest island in Greece, Crete, as it "combines the best of Greek island living with practical advantages like top-notch healthcare, reliable accessibility, major universities, and solid infrastructure." An older couple walking through an olive grove in island, home to about 600,000 people, is like a mini-country in its own right. As Roulo noted, it stretches on for 3,260 square miles, punctuated by small cities, quaint towns with white-washed buildings and blue roofs, and country farms in its rolling hillsides. "Whether you prefer urban energy, peaceful seaside villages, or quiet mountain retreats, you'll find it here, all within a few hours' drive," Roulo added. As Travel + Leisure previously shared, Crete is an excellent place for those who love history, thanks to sites like the Palace of Knossos, the island's most iconic archaeological site. "Crete's most famous archaeological site is the great Minoan Palace of Knossos, the oldest, largest, and most elaborate of these sites," Peter Sommer of Peter Sommer Travels shared. "In its wide courts, shaded colonnades, and intricate arrangements of room after room, floor after floor, one can really come to grips with a civilization from far back in the Bronze Age, and grapple with questions that are still hotly debated – what did these palaces look like, what were they for, who lived in them, and how did they function?" And it's a fantastic place for those who love the outdoors, with destinations like Samaria Gorge, which will take you on a 10-mile hike through Crete's White Mountains. And naturally, there are plenty of beaches to relax on, including the famed Elafonissi Beach, known for its pink sand created by millions of crushed seashells. Roulo added that the island is also well-connected to the rest of the world, thanks to its two international airports (Heraklion and Chania) and ferry ports. Healthcare is also relatively accessible thanks to the University General Hospital of Heraklion. Crete also "has large supermarkets and chain stores, including Lidl, and starting in 2025, Heraklion will be home to a newly opened IKEA," Roulo said. Other spots to make Roulo's list include Corfu, Syros, Naxos, Rhodes, and Evia. As for how you can make the leap to the Aegean nation, the best option may be the Greece Retirement Visa, otherwise known as the Greece FIP visa, which offers temporary residency to non-EU citizens that can show passive earnings of at least €3,500 (about $4,100) per month, according to Lincoln Global Partners. See more about the visa process and start your application at
