A volcano has erupted on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest, forcing evacuations of the nearby town of Grindavík and the popular tourist destination Blue Lagoon spa.
Iceland’s Meteorological Office reported the eruption began around 09:45 local time (10:45 BST) just north of Grindavík. Within an hour, the ground fissure had widened to 700m (2296ft) and was continuing to expand.
The volcanic activity followed earthquakes that struck the Sundhnúk crater range around 06:30 local time. Authorities had already ordered evacuations of Grindavík and Blue Lagoon before the eruption occurred. While roads to and from the town remain closed, flight operations have not been affected.
The Blue Lagoon announced on its website that it would remain closed through Tuesday.
By 11:20 local time, Iceland’s Meteorological Office (IMO) reported that the original fissure had extended southward and a new crack had formed. Officials urged any remaining residents in Grindavík to evacuate immediately. Icelandic media reported that some individuals had initially refused to comply with evacuation orders.
Regional police chief Úlfar Lúðvíksson told local media that approximately 40 houses had remained occupied following previous volcanic events. Most of Grindavík’s 4,000 residents were permanently evacuated in November 2023, before eruptions that occurred in December 2023 and January, February, and March 2024.
The IMO noted that the magma formation beneath the crater series measured about 11 km (6.8 miles) in length – the longest recorded since November 11, 2023. Current wind patterns are expected to carry gas pollution from the eruption northeast toward the capital area.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has experienced multiple volcanic events since 2021. The region’s last period of volcanic activity occurred 800 years ago, when eruptions continued for decades.
Iceland contains 33 active volcano systems and is situated above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which marks the boundary between two of the planet’s largest tectonic plates.
About the author
Hungary Quits Global Court Hours Before Netanyahu Visit Defying Arrest Warrant
Hungary's government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) just before Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant. "Hungary exits the International Criminal Court. The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework," Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, posted on Facebook on Thursday. Orban had previously suggested Hungary might leave the ICC after United States President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, in February. "It's time for Hungary to review what we're doing in an international organisation that is under US sanctions," Orban stated on X at that time. The withdrawal legislation is expected to pass easily through Hungary's parliament, which is controlled by Orban's Fidesz party. The ICC has not yet responded to […]
Trump Tariff Bombshell Triggers Global Market Panic As Gold Hits Record High
Global stock markets tumbled Thursday as investors reacted to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcements, with the UK's FTSE 100 dropping 1.5% alongside other declining European markets, following earlier falls across Asia. While stocks retreated, gold prices reached a record high of $3,167.57 per ounce as investors sought safety amid growing economic uncertainty. Traders expressed concern that Trump's tariffs could fuel inflation and hamper global growth. Asian markets fell sharply following Trump's announcement, with Japan's Nikkei closing down nearly 3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropping 1.5%. European indexes followed suit, with Germany's Dax falling 2.2% and France's Cac 40 declining 2.5%. US markets were also projected to open significantly lower, with futures indicating a 3% drop for the S&P 500 and 2.4% for the Dow Jones. The US government's decision to impose a 10% baseline tariff plus higher duties […]
Top Gun Star Val Kilmer Dies At 65 After Battling Throat Cancer
US actor Val Kilmer, known for iconic roles in Hollywood blockbusters like Top Gun and Batman Forever, has died of pneumonia at age 65. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed he passed away Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Kilmer had previously recovered from a throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 that required two tracheotomies. As the youngest actor ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School at the time, Kilmer began his film career with the spy spoof Top Secret! in 1984 and comedy Real Genius in 1985. His career peaked in the early 1990s with notable performances alongside Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton in Tombstone (1993), as Elvis's ghost in True Romance, and as a bank-robbing demolition expert in Michael Mann's Heat (1995) with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Though initially reluctant to join Top Gun, Kilmer eventually agreed to play […]
Federal Judge Forces Trump To Keep Funding Lawyers For Migrant Children
A federal judge has ordered the US government to temporarily resume funding legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children, stating it enhances fairness in the immigration system. US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin of San Francisco issued the order Tuesday, preventing thousands of children traveling alone from losing their legal representation. The ruling follows the Trump administration's March 21 cancellation of a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit that facilitates legal representation for these minors. Acacia criticized the termination, arguing that legal assistance for vulnerable children is "more crucial than ever" as deportations increase under the new administration. "The administration's decision to end these services undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further irreparable harm or exploitation," said Shaina Aber, Acacia's executive director, in a press release. […]
Israel To Seize Large Parts Of Gaza As Military Operation Expands
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced plans to expand military operations in Gaza, seizing "large areas" of the territory to establish what he described as "security zones." In Wednesday's statement, Katz indicated the expanded operation aims to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure," requiring a substantial evacuation of Palestinian residents. This announcement follows reports from local hospitals that at least 15 Palestinians were killed in overnight strikes in Gaza. Extensive Israeli air strikes and shelling have been reported along the Egyptian border, suggesting an imminent major Israeli ground offensive. Earlier this week, Israel's military ordered an estimated 140,000 people in Rafah to evacuate their homes and issued new evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza. Throughout the war, Israel has already significantly expanded a buffer zone around Gaza's perimeter and seized control of a corridor […]
China Sets Taiwan Strait On Fire With Live Drills Targeting President Lai
China's military conducted a live-fire exercise called "Strait Thunder" in the Taiwan Strait, simulating strikes on key ports and energy facilities, according to a Wednesday announcement. This represents an escalation from Tuesday's military drills around Taiwan, the democratic island that Beijing claims as its territory. Taiwan's presidential office "strongly condemns" these "military provocations," which have become increasingly common as cross-strait relations deteriorate. The exercises coincide with China's intensified rhetoric against Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, whom they've labeled a "parasite" and "separatist." Earlier this month, Lai referred to China as a "foreign hostile force." China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) stated the drills served as a "serious warning and powerful containment of 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces." The military released cartoons depicting Lai as a "parasite" that was "poisoning Taiwan island" and "courting ultimate destruction," including an image of Lai being grilled over […]
Related
New York Mayor Eric Adams to Run as Independent After Corruption Case Dismissed
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday he will run for reelection as an independent, bypassing the Democratic primary just one day after a federal judge permanently dismissed corruption charges against him. "I have always put New York's people before politics and party — and I always will. I am running for mayor in the general election because our city needs independent leadership that understands working people," Adams stated in a Thursday morning post on X. The announcement follows Wednesday's dismissal of bribery and wire fraud charges against Adams. He had been indicted in September after prosecutors alleged he received over $100,000 worth of plane tickets and luxury hotel stays from Turkish nationals during his nearly decade-long service in local government. U.S. District Judge Dale Ho wrote in a 78-page order: "To the extent that the government may be […]
Hungary Announces Withdrawal from International Criminal Court During Netanyahu Visit
Hungary's government has declared its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). A senior official in Prime Minister Viktor Orban's administration announced the decision shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant, arrived in Hungary for a state visit. Orban had extended an invitation to Netanyahu immediately after the warrant was issued last November, stating the ruling would have "no effect" in Hungary. In November, ICC judges determined there were "reasonable grounds" that Netanyahu bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Israel-Hamas conflict. Netanyahu has denounced the ICC's decision as "antisemitic." The ICC, a global judicial body, has jurisdiction to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Hungary, a founding ICC member among 125 member states, will become the first European Union nation […]
Devastating January Wildfires Claim 30th Victim as LA Communities Struggle to Rebuild
Death toll in Los Angeles wildfires reaches 30 with newly confirmed fatality in Altadena A new death connected to January's wildfires has been confirmed, bringing the total death toll to 30, according to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner's office on Wednesday. The latest fatality was linked to the Eaton Fire after remains were discovered on the 900 block of Boston Street in Altadena. The medical examiner's office referred to the victim as "unidentified doe No. 203." With this additional death, the Eaton Fire has now claimed 18 lives, while the Palisades Fire resulted in 12 fatalities. The wildfires devastated the region, forcing thousands of residents from their homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Together, the fires consumed more than 37,000 acres. Both communities continue their rebuilding efforts following the destruction. Investigators are still working to determine […]
Global Markets Tumble as Trump Unveils Sweeping New Tariffs
World stocks, the dollar, and oil prices plummeted Thursday as Donald Trump's dramatic new U.S. trade tariffs sparked widespread fears of a global recession, sending investors rushing toward safe-haven bonds and the Japanese yen. The announcement of a baseline 10% tariff on imported goods plus additional "reciprocal" tariffs on numerous countries that Trump claimed maintained unfair trade barriers left traders visibly shaken by their severity. In Europe, where the 27-country EU bloc now faces a 20% reciprocal levy, markets fell between 1.3% and 2% as Brussels and other capitals expressed outrage. Wall Street futures dropped 3% ahead of what was anticipated to be a volatile U.S. market opening later. The dollar's 2% decline was on track to be its worst daily performance since November 2022. Asian markets, targeted by some of the harshest tariffs, saw Tokyo drop 2.7%, heading toward […]
Hungary Quits Global Court Hours Before Netanyahu Visit Defying Arrest Warrant
Hungary's government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) just before Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant. "Hungary exits the International Criminal Court. The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework," Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, posted on Facebook on Thursday. Orban had previously suggested Hungary might leave the ICC after United States President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, in February. "It's time for Hungary to review what we're doing in an international organisation that is under US sanctions," Orban stated on X at that time. The withdrawal legislation is expected to pass easily through Hungary's parliament, which is controlled by Orban's Fidesz party. The ICC has not yet responded to […]
Trump Tariff Bombshell Triggers Global Market Panic As Gold Hits Record High
Global stock markets tumbled Thursday as investors reacted to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcements, with the UK's FTSE 100 dropping 1.5% alongside other declining European markets, following earlier falls across Asia. While stocks retreated, gold prices reached a record high of $3,167.57 per ounce as investors sought safety amid growing economic uncertainty. Traders expressed concern that Trump's tariffs could fuel inflation and hamper global growth. Asian markets fell sharply following Trump's announcement, with Japan's Nikkei closing down nearly 3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropping 1.5%. European indexes followed suit, with Germany's Dax falling 2.2% and France's Cac 40 declining 2.5%. US markets were also projected to open significantly lower, with futures indicating a 3% drop for the S&P 500 and 2.4% for the Dow Jones. The US government's decision to impose a 10% baseline tariff plus higher duties […]
Be the first to leave a comment