Volcanology

Insisting that his government will never betray its commitment to social cohesion, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras reiterated Tuesday that islands of the eastern Aegean will be exempt from a value-added tax hike introduced as part of the country's bailout commitments, as they are the ones, he said, that have borne the brunt of the ongoing migrant crisis.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras was expected to tour the eastern Aegean island of Nisyros on Tuesday, government officials have announced. From Nisyros, the premier was set to announce a series of measures regarding Greek islands.

With the slogan “Santorini — the all-year island,” Santorini is attempting to extend its hospitality season and attract tourism throughout the year, with over 100 hotel units keeping their doors open this winter.

This year has been a particularly good one for tourism on Santorini, as, in addition to the increase in foreign arrivals, the season was extended, according to the island's mayor.

"What's happening in Vlychada is a crime. Geological formations that are thousands of years old are being destroyed and not just by illegal but also legal construction," warns Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos. "If we want to salvage something of Santorini, we need to stop building on it."

Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos has asked the Greek Tourism Ministry to declare that the island has reached its tourism saturation point, as the law provides for.

An international team of researchers led by Lund University archaeologists has virtually reconstructed a large house of the Pompeian banker Lucius Caecilius Iucundus. A research paper about the virtual reconstruction is published in the journal SCIRES-IT.

A beautiful video shows how the cosmopolitan Cycladic island of Santorini was formed through the ages. Using visual effects, the video presents the gradual birth of the volcanic rock island after a series of explosions and earthquakes caused by four separate volcanoes.

REU PhotoRescuers in Indonesia were dispatched Sept. 28 to evacuate nearly 400 tourists, most of them foreigners, after a volcano erupted at one of the country's most popular hiking destinations, an official said.

Thousands of tourists had the unique opportunity to watch an amazing spectacle in the sky above Santorini during the Ifestia Festival.