December 20, 2023

 Lava spewing from a volcano in Iceland appeared to be flowing away from the only nearby town and the intensity of the eruption was dropping, offering hope that homes would be safe even though seismic activity could last months, officials said on Tuesday. The government said flights were unlikely to be affected, quashing international travel concerns lingering after chaos that resulted from the ash cloud caused by an eruption on the north Atlantic island in 2010. The eruption late on Monday on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland spewed lava and smoke more than 100 metres (330 feet) into the air after weeks of intense seismic activity. “The eruption does not present a threat to life,” a government statement said. “There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open.” Authorities last month evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik about 40 km (25 miles) southwest of capital city Reykjavik, allowing them back intermittently to check on homes put at risk by the tremors. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Kristin Maria Birgisdottir, 43, a Grindavik resident who has been evacuated since Nov. 10, at first had a hard time believing it when the volcano erupted. “Everything happened so fast,” said Birgisdottir. “I had already put my kids to sleep, and I was already in bed when I saw someone posted that it had erupted. I took a screenshot, and thought to myself that it was a bad joke.” “We are just waiting for somebody to wake us up or to say cut, the filming is over, because it’s so unreal. It’s hard to believe this is happening,” she later added. Live footage of the eruption showed bright yellow, orange and red lava in sharp contrast against the sky. Some tourists were in awe at the spectacle. “Our BnB hosts sent us a message that the volcano has erupted,” a tourist from the Netherlands who gave his name as Wouter said. “It’s a once in a lifetime for us so we don’t want to miss that … It’s a bit far from here, but you can still see some lava coming up, for us this is amazing.” The eruption opened a 4 km (2.5 mile) fissure. But at its southernmost point, the crack was still 3 km away from Grindavik, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said, and the power of the volcano was decreasing. “The eruption is taking place north of the watershed, so lava does not flow towards Grindavik,” geologist Bjorn Oddson told public broadcaster RUV. Gas pollution could still occur in the area of Reykjavik late on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, officials said. A volcano erupted late on Monday in southwest Iceland, spewing lava and smoke through a four-kilometer-long fissure. BLUE LAGOON A drone picture shows lava spewing from the site of the volcanic eruption north of Grindavik, photographed from Sylingarfell, Iceland, December 19, 2023. REUTERS/Sigurdur Davidsson Acquire Licensing Rights Located between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic hot spot because the plates move in opposite directions. The eruption is about 30 km from Reykjavik. Keflavik international airport is somewhat nearer but remains open. The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa popular with tourists, has been largely closed since the seismic activity was detected. “It could potentially go on for several months. It could also just stop later today or tomorrow,” said Halldor Geirson, an associate professor at Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland. Lava flows had decreased from 200-250 cubic meters per second in the first two hours of the eruption to around a quarter of that by Tuesday morning. Most of the lava was flowing into an area where there was little infrastructure, Geirson said. That could change. “There is still a threat to Grindavik, for sure. Now the lava is flowing mostly to the north, but it depends on the topography and where the openings are,” he said. In 2010, ash clouds from eruptions at the Eyafjallajokull volcano in the south of Iceland spread over large parts of Europe, grounding some 100,000 flights in Europe and beyond, and forcing hundreds of Icelanders to evacuate their homes. Weather forecasting service AccuWeather said this eruption was very different. “If little to no volcanic ash is lofted into the atmosphere, there may be no impact to aviation,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. The 2010 impact on air travel was largely caused by the interaction of magma with the melting water from a glacier, a different scenario to what is happening now. Matthew Watson, professor of volcanoes and climate at the University of Bristol in Britain, said it was “not impossible that there may be some impact on air travel”, although it was unlikely. “This type of eruption doesn’t generally produce much ash, which is what tends to ground planes.” CHRISTMAS AWAY FROM HOME “Unfortunately, the hope that had ignited in the hearts of many about the possibility of celebrating Christmas at home in Grindavik was extinguished when the eruption began yesterday,” Grindavik Mayor Fannar Jonasson said in a statement addressing residents. Hans Vera, 56, originally from Belgium but living in a house just east of Grindavik since 1999, had hoped residents would be allowed to return for good, or as long as is possible on a volcanic island. That all changed when the eruption finally arrived. “I don’t see that in the near future they will let people get close to Grindavik. So we are back in the waiting game,” he said. He described his home near the sea as a winter paradise, and said the prospect of not being able to spend the Christmas holidays there with his family came as a blow. “We are not going to paradise this time around.” Reporting by Tom Little, Louise Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm and Terje Solsvik in Oslo; additional reporting by Antoine Demaison for Reuters TV; Writing by Niklas Pollard, Terje Solsvik and Johannes Birkebaek; Editing by David

Among the arrested, 93 were proclaimed offenders and three were included in Red Book which is made for most wanted human traffickers. The FIA shared that the arrested including 94 suspects and facilitators were involved in the Libya/Greece boat accident. This year, 858 cases were registered against human traffickers and 882 cases were investigated and Challans were submitted while 56 human traffickers were convicted. In a bribery case registered by the FIA Gujranwala, a court sentenced the accused to 5 years imprisonment and 29 lakh fine. Strict screening has been started at the Sialkot airport to prevent incidents like Greece. According to the FIA Gujranwala, special training was given to immigration officials regarding passenger profiling. Checking of passengers’ baggage was also ensured in collaboration with other law-enforcement agencies. This year, a crackdown was launched on the elements involved in illegal currency exchange and Hundi. The Gujranwala zone conducted 34 raids on the elements involved in illegal currency exchange. As a result of the raids, 34 cases were registered and 80 accused were arrested. During the raids, 32,191 dollars and other foreign currency worth more than 4 crore 39 lakh rupees were recovered. Rs 14.14 million were also recovered. The arrested were involved in currency exchange without licence. In various inquiries by the Evacuee Trust Property Board, properties worth more than Rs 5 crore 81 lakh were disposed of. This year, the FIA conducted an operation at the Sialkot airport and registered cases against human smugglers by offloading 43 passengers on fake documents. At least 73 accused wanted by law-enforcement agencies were handed over to them. All resources were being used to arrest all the accused, said the FIA spokesperson. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1140049-gujranwala-fia-arrests-814-suspects

Israeli attacks in Gaza in only one day have killed “around 100” Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others, Gaza’s Health Ministry says. A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) vote on a draft resolution to halt the fighting has been delayed and is now expected on Wednesday. Israel says it has taken control of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli army claims that the Hamas force in the area has been “dismantled”. At least 19,667 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. The death toll from Hamas’s attack on Israel stands at nearly 1,140. Fighting intensified after US Secretary of Defense visited Israel Usaid Siddiqui Hani Mahmoud Reporting from Rafah, southern Gaza Whenever a high-ranking official, whether European or American, comes to the region we see a surge in air attacks and mass bombardment Since the visit of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, we’ve seen more Palestinians being killed at record numbers. More women and children are being killed. More residential buildings and other public facilities – including hospitals and schools – are being destroyed. Every time there is a visit (by a foreign official to the region) people in Gaza make similar observations. That’s why they have been largely skeptical of these latest visits of high American officials to the region. Click Photos: The aftermath of Israeli army strikes on homes in Deir el-Balah [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu] [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu] [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu] [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu] Click Hamas’s political faction, Palestinian rivals discuss post-war Gaza: Report The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that Hamas’s political leaders have been in discussions with their Palestinian rivals about a post-war future for Gaza and the West Bank. Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’s Doha-based political bureau, spoke to the WSJ on the outskirts of the Qatari capital. “We don’t fight just because we want to fight. We are not partisans of a zero-sum game,” he said in the interview. “We want the war to end,” he added. “We want to establish a Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.” Click Israeli raid hits home in central Gaza Israeli forces have destroyed a house near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah. On Tuesday, at least 13 people were reported killed and many wounded in the central Gaza City. Deir el-Balah has come under repeated Israeli assaults since the war began on October 7. Click ‘No safe place’: Jenin’s Freedom Theatre ransacked, vandalised The Freedom Theatre in Jenin, a popular symbol of peace and hope in the occupied West Bank, has experienced many attacks over the years. Most recently, the theatre, which provides artistic programmes for traumatised children in the occupied West Bank, was raided and vandalised on December 13. Its Director Mustafa Sheta and acting trainer Jamal Abu Joas were arrested. The pair are reportedly being detained in Megiddo prison, outside the occupied West Bank, according to an update from Freedom Theatre, which also said this may be in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. You can read more about the importance of this iconic theatre company here. The outside wall of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin bears graffiti including the Star of David and a menorah [Courtesy of Jenin Theatre] Click More injuries, arrests in latest Israeli raids across occupied West Bank Israeli forces carried out another dawn raid targeting the city of Tubas and the town of Tammoun, resulting in injuries and detentions, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. In Tubas, many military vehicles entered the city from the eastern side amid volleys of gunfire, Wafa said. At least two people related to released Palestinian prisoners have been detained. In Tammoun, sources from the Red Crescent said, a 16-year-old was wounded in the firing by Israeli forces, who also bulldozed two homes in the area. Earlier, we also reported about injuries and arrests following separate raids in Nablus and occupied East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, more Israeli raids were carried out in the following areas: Town of Balaa in Tulkarem, where several young men were arrested Town of al-Lubban Asharqiya, south of Nablus Town of al-Yamoun, west of Jenin Town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron [Translation: Sounds of gunfire exchange heard in the background as Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian youths during the storming of the town of al-Yamoun, west of the city of Jenin.] Click ere to share on social media If you’re just joining us It’s almost 7am (05:00 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are some of the key developments overnight: “Without safe water, many more children will die [in] coming days” in Gaza, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell says. Apparent “targeted” killings of journalists in Gaza need to be investigated, Jody Ginsberg, the president of the Committee to Protect Journalists, tells NPR. The Malaysian ban on Israeli shipping vessels is “effective immediately”, the office of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says. The UN Security Council humanitarian resolution vote has been postponed until at least Wednesday morning. Click More casualties reported in Israeli strikes on southern Gaza A video posted on Instagram and verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit, Sanad, showed the arrival of an injured man at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis following the reported strike on a home in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah. According to Abdallah al-Attar, a photojournalist who took the video, the strike hit the Mansour family residence in the centre of Rafah. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera is also following up reports of multiple casualties following a separate strike that targeted a house in the so-called Japanese neighbourhood of Khan Younis. Al Jazeera also received reports of heavy bombardment in the Jabalia neighbourhood in northern Gaza. [Translation: An injured person arrives at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis following an Israeli bombing on al-Shaboura refugee camp.] Click Israeli soldier killed in fighting in Gaza According to the Israeli army, Captain Lior Sivan, 32, was killed in the fighting with Palestinian armed groups in southern Gaza. Sivan was from Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, and was a combat officer in the 363rd