ATHENS, Greece: Two tremors with a magnitude of 5.2 and 5.4, respectively, have jolted Greece’s southern islands, but no damage or casualties have been reported so far.
The first tremor, a 5.2-magnitude, struck at 5:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) east of the island of Crete and at a depth of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles), the Institute of Geodynamics reported in Athens. The earthquake was felt in Crete and the islands of Karpathos, Kassos, Rhodes and Santorini, according to local media.
An even larger tremor of 5.4 magnitude struck at 8:59 p.m. (1859 GMT) about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) northwest of the first, at a depth of 6.3 kilometers (3.9 miles), the Institute of Geodynamics reported.
The mayor of the small island of Kassos, closest to the epicenter, told state news agency ANA that no buildings were damaged in either earthquake.
An unrelated 4.0-magnitude tremor also hit at 6:14 p.m. (1614 GMT) west of Athens, the Institute of Geodynamics reported. The epicenter was at a depth of 16.7 kilometers (10.4 miles), it said.
Tremors of that magnitude are not uncommon in Greece, which lies close to a meeting point between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. A second earthquake being stronger than the first is a rare occurrence, but it has happened on several occasions.
2 strong tremors strike off Greek island of Crete
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2 strong tremors strike off Greek island of Crete
- The first tremor, a 5.2-magnitude, struck at 5:15 p.m. and the larger tremor of 5.4 magnitude struck at 8:59 p.m.
- The mayor of the small island of Kassos told state news agency ANA that no buildings were damaged
Saudi ambassador becomes first foreign envoy to meet Bangladesh’s new PM
- Tarique Rahman took oath as PM last week after landslide election win
- Ambassador Abdullah bin Abiyah also meets Bangladesh’s new FM
Dhaka: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Dhaka became on Sunday the first foreign envoy to meet Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since he assumed the country’s top office.
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party made a landslide win in the Feb. 12 election, securing an absolute majority with 209 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
The son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, he was sworn in as the prime minister last week.
The Saudi government congratulated Rahman on the day he took the oath of office, and the Kingdom’s Ambassador Abdullah bin Abiyah was received by the premier in the Bangladesh Secretariat, where he also met Bangladesh’s new foreign minister.
“Among the ambassadors stationed in Dhaka, this is the first ambassadorial visit with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since he assumed office,” Saleh Shibli, the prime minister’s press secretary, told Arab News.
“The ambassador conveyed greetings and best wishes to Bangladesh’s prime minister from the king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia … They discussed bilateral matters and ways to strengthen the ties among Muslim countries.”
Rahman’s administration succeeded an interim government that oversaw preparations for the next election following the 2024 student-led uprising, which toppled former leader Sheikh Hasina and ended her Awami League party’s 15-year rule.
New Cabinet members were sworn in during the same ceremony as the prime minister last week.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is a former UN official who served as Bangladesh’s national security adviser during the interim government’s term.
He received Saudi Arabia’s ambassador after the envoy’s meeting with the prime minister.
“The foreign minister expressed appreciation for the Saudi leadership’s role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and across the Muslim Ummah. He also conveyed gratitude for hosting a large number of Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom and underscored the significant potential for expanding cooperation across trade, investment, energy, and other priority sectors, leveraging the geostrategic positions of both countries,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The Saudi ambassador expressed his support to the present government and his intention to work with the government to enhance the current bilateral relationship to a comprehensive relationship.”
Around 3.5 million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia. They have been joining the Saudi labor market since 1976, when work migration to the Kingdom was established during the rule of the new prime minister’s father.
Bangladeshis are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and the largest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh and send home more than $5 billion in remittances every year.
