Earthquakes in Santorini, thousands of citizens flee the island
Residents on Santorini faced a sleepless night as a wave of seismic activity continued to shake the country. Over the past three days, a staggering 550 earthquakes have been recorded in the sea between Santorini, Amorgos and Ios, with 36 tremors overnight alone.
Despite assurances from seismologists, fear has driven thousands of residents to flee Santorini. In the last 24 hours alone, 2,000 people have arrived in Athens, bringing the total number of those who have fled to over 5,000.
Early Tuesday morning, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck between Santorini and Amorgos, with its epicenter located 20 kilometers south-southwest of Arcesina, Amorgos, at a depth of 14.3 kilometers, according to the Geodynamic Institute. This was followed by a series of strong aftershocks, measuring 4.2, 3.9 and 4.0 on the Richter scale.
In response to the increased seismic risk, local authorities have ordered schools to remain closed on Santorini, Anafi, Ios and Amorgos until Friday, February 7. Schools and sports facilities on Tinos have also been closed as a precaution.
China responds to Trump tariffs, launches Google investigation
China announced on Tuesday that it was imposing tariffs on a number of American products and launched an investigation into Google. The announcements came on the same day that US President Donald Trump's 10% general tariffs were set to take effect.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said it would impose a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products, as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural equipment and some machinery.
"The unilateral increase in US tariffs seriously violates World Trade Organization rules," the ministry said in a statement. "It is not only unhelpful in solving its own problems, but also undermines normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US."
The 10% tariff that President Donald Trump ordered on China took effect on Tuesday, although Trump said he planned to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the coming days.
Trump tariffs, EU leaders discuss possible solutions
European Union leaders have gathered in Brussels for an informal meeting that focused on the relationship between the European alliance and the United States, as the stance to be taken towards Trump's warnings was discussed.
Previously, leaders of member countries and senior officials of the bloc have said that no one would win in a trade war with the United States.
French leader Macron called for close cooperation with the new administration, but also pledged a strong response if necessary.
On the other hand, Trump suspended the tariffs he imposed on Mexico for a month after the latter agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the border to secure the border between the two countries.
The war in Ukraine, Trump's proposal for aid
US President Donald Trump is demanding that Ukraine supply the US with rare earths as a condition for aid to the war-torn country, without specifying exactly what that means.
"We're looking to make a deal with Ukraine where they'll secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on February 3.
Trump did not specify what kind of materials Washington is seeking from Kiev.
A source in the President's Office familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that sharing Ukrainian resources with allies was part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan" that he showed to foreign leaders, including Trump.
Trump's proposals come amid uncertainty over the future of US aid to Ukraine.