- Despite hurricanes, Floridians refuse to leave 'paradise'
- Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
- Trump demonizes migrants in dark, misleading speech
- X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
- US, European markets rise before Boeing unveils sweeping job cuts
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Comoros shock Tunisia, Salah, Mbeumo strike in AFCON qualifiers
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Germany win in Nations League as 10-man Dutch rescue point
- Undav brace sends Germany to victory against Bosnia
- Israel says fired at 'threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- Ecuador's last mountain iceman dies at 80
- Milton leaves at least 16 dead, millions without power in Florida
- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
- Tears, warnings after Japan atomic survivors group win Nobel
- 'Unspeakable horror': the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- Christian villagers 'trapped' in south Lebanon crossfire
- Sabalenka sets up Gauff showdown in Wuhan semis
Iceland's iconic Blue Lagoon closes over eruption fears
Iceland's famed Blue Lagoon geothermal spa said on Thursday it was temporarily closing as a precaution, after thousands of small recent tremors raised fears of a potential volcanic eruption.
"The Blue Lagoon has made the proactive decision to temporarily close its operations for one week although the current phase of uncertainty has not been elevated by the authorities during this seismic period," it said in a statement posted to its website.
The closure of the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's most popular tourist site known for its steaming milky blue water, would start on Thursday.
The announcement came after frightened guests left the Blue Lagoon hotel in the night, with at least 40 being picked up by taxis, according to a report in the Vikurfrettir newspaper.
"The primary reasons for the decision are the disruptions to our guest experience this night and the prolonged strain on our employees", the resort wrote in its statement.
The guest exodus came after an uptick in tremors that have been shaking the surrounding area on the Reykjanes peninsula on Iceland's southwest in recent weeks.
Some 23,000 small earthquakes have been recorded since late October, according to Iceland's Met Office (IMO).
On Wednesday, the IMO said the tremors reached 1,200 in the preceding 24 hours.
The agency has also noted an accumulation of magma underground, and while the accumulation is ongoing "it is likely that seismic activity will continue, and be episodic in intensity," it said.
The accumulation of magma has been recorded at a depth of about five kilometres (3.1 miles), and should it start moving towards the surface it could lead to a volcanic eruption.
- Seismic events -
Over the weekend, the IMO said there were "no clear signs" of this but noted that "the situation can change on short notice."
Four similar seismic events occurred in the same area in 2020 and 2022 without leading to an eruption.
Since 2021, three eruptions have taken place on the Reykjanes peninsula.
They occurred in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023, and all three were located far from any infrastructure or populated areas.
Prior to the 2021 eruption, the Reykjanes volcanic system had remained dormant for eight centuries, but volcanologists believe the new cycle of increased activity could last for several decades or centuries.
The North Atlantic island straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
L.Davis--AMWN