Texas governor signs law allowing state to detain and deport migrants

Online News EditorDecember 18, 2023

 

Los Angeles, USA, Dec 18 (EFE). – Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a package of anti-immigrant laws on Monday, including SB4, considered one of the harshest in American history, which gives state officials the power to stop, arrest, detain and deport migrants.

“The goal of Senate Bill 4 is to stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas,” Abbott said at a signing ceremony along the border in Brownsville.

One of the harshest immigration laws in American history, SB4 allows local and state law enforcement to arrest anyone suspected of crossing the border illegally and charge them with crimes ranging from Class A misdemeanors to felonies, punishable by up to 20 years in case of a repeat offender.

The law also allows the state judiciary to order the deportation of people without a trial.

Amid concerns from activists who argue that the law will encourage racial profiling of immigrants living in the state, among other negative outcomes, Abbott warned that the application of this law “will be focused on the border”.

Meanwhile, dozens of Texas organizations strongly criticized the law on Monday, and warned Abbott that they will meet in court “very soon”.

A group of activists led by LUPE and the Frontera Texas Organising Project, among others, reminded the governor that they are in a “state of vigilance and resistance” against the implementation of this measure.

“There is no limit to the terror that Governor Abbott is inflicting on Texans,” said Tania A. Chávez Camacho, director of LUPE, said.

She also warned that they will continue to march, testify and organize against these policies “in the streets and in the courts”.

Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas confirmed to EFE on Monday that it “intends” to file a lawsuit against SB4 this week.

Sarah Cruz, border and immigrant rights policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, said this law is one of the “most radical and anti-immigrant bills in the country,” and warned that SB4 violates international and state law and interferes with the asylum process.

She added that it will “undoubtedly lead to more rights violations” and “it will instill fear in black, brown and indigenous communities and all people of color across the state.”

Fernando García, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), warned in a press release that dozens of Texas organizations have pledged to “resist the anti-immigrant, racist and xenophobic agenda led by Governor Abbott”.

Domingo García, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, also attacked Abbott and the Texas legislature, accusing them of being “determined to turn their legislative power into a weapon to achieve political gains at the expense of human lives”.

The president of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), Arturo Vargas, also issued a statement condemning the promulgation of the law, which he described as anti-immigrant, unconstitutional, costly and unsound.

On Monday, Abbott also signed two other bills, including SB3, which provides an additional $1.54 billion for the construction of the border wall and funding for security operations in the region, including funding for police departments to implement SB4.

Despite the exorbitant cost of his immigration policies, the measures have allowed Abbott, who has been governor since 2015, to consolidate his power in the state by overriding Democratic objections, promoting his anti-immigrant agenda nationally and challenging President Biden’s administration, which he blames for illegal immigration because of its supposed ‘open borders’ policy. EFE

amv/mcd (video)

 

Catholic priests can now bless same-sex couples, with a big caveat

December 18, 2023

John Haltiwanger GZERO

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window, at the Vatican, December 17, 2023. 

 REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

The Vatican on Monday announced that Pope Francis has granted formal approval for Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples – but it must be clear that such blessings are not part of the ritual of marriage or in connection with a civil union.

The new guidance marks yet another departure from long-standing Vatican policy under Pope Francis, who has taken a number of steps to make the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion members more tolerant toward the LGBTQ community.

As he pushes for more progressive policies, Pope Francis has often clashed with the more conservative wing of the Catholic Church – particularly in the US. In August, the Pope ripped into what he described as the “backward” attitude of conservative American Catholics.

The Catholic Church is not the only Christian institution facing divisions over issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community. A quarter of the United Methodist Church’s congregations in the US – primarily conservative-learning churches – have left the denomination amid debates surrounding its LGBTQ policies. The massive exodus from the United Methodist Church comes as many more liberal congregations ignore the denomination’s official ban on same-sex marriage and on openly LGBTQ clergy.

Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples in landmark ruling for LGBTQ Catholics

Roman Catholic priests will be able to bless same-sex couples, as long as the blessings are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, under a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis.

Key points:

• The Catholic Church teaches that same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are
• The church previously barred same-sex couples from receiving blessings in a 2021 ruling, saying God 'cannot bless sin'
• The Vatican now says priests should decide whether to bless same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis

A document from the Vatican's doctrinal office, which effectively reversed a declaration the same body had issued in 2021, said such blessings would not legitimise "irregular situations" but be a sign that God welcomes all.

Blessings should in no way be confused with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage, the document said.

It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and "should not prevent or prohibit the church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God's help through a simple blessing".

The pope hinted that an official change was in the works in October, in response to questions put forward by five conservative cardinals at the start of a synod of bishops at the Vatican.

While the response in October was more nuanced, Monday's eight-page document, whose subtitle is "On the pastoral meaning of blessings", spelled out specific situations in which a blessing would be appropriate. An 11-point section was titled "Blessings of couples in irregular situations and of couples of the same sex".

The church teaches that same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are. Since his election in 2013, Francis has tried to make the church, which has more than 1.35 billion members, more welcoming to LGBTQ people without changing moral doctrine.

James Martin says he will be delighted to bless people in same-sex unions.(Reuters: Gregory A Shemitz)

Father James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who ministers to the LGBTQ community, called the document "a major step forward in the church's ministry" to them.

In a post on X, Father Martin said the document "recognises the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God's presence in their loving relationships", adding that "along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions".

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a group that advocates for LGBTQ rights in the church, said the document's importance "cannot be overstated".

He praised the document's wording that people seeking blessings should not be subjected to "an exhaustive moral analysis".

Martin Hardwick and Andrew Gibb of Manchester, England, who are married and have been together 41 years, said the move was long overdue.

"You know if Jesus said love was love, then love is love, isn't it?" Mr Hardwick said.

"It's about time," Mr Gibb added.

'An invitation to schism'

Monday's ruling is bound to be opposed by conservatives, who already criticised the pope when he made his initial comments on the subject in October.

Ulrich L Lehner, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, said the new guidance from the doctrinal office "invites misunderstanding and will sow confusion".

Voicing concern that some bishops would use it as a pretext to do what is explicitly forbidden, the professor added: "It is, and I hate to say it, an invitation to schism."

Vatican previously refused to bless same-sex unions

The Vatican announced in 2021 that "God does not and cannot bless sin", as it decided that members of the Catholic clergy could not bless gay unions.

Read more

The document, whose Latin title is Fiducia Supplicans ("Supplicating trust"), said the form of the blessing "should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage".

It said it can be applied to those who "do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit".

"Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God," it said.

The document said the blessing should not be linked to or timed with a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the "clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding".

Places for such blessings, it said, might be "in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage".

The ruling was signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the head of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and approved by the pope in a private audience with Cardinal Fernandez and another doctrinal office official on Monday.

Posted 2h ago

Largest Health Union in US Calls for Cease-Fire in Gaza



"War crimes committed by one side of the conflict cannot and do not serve as justification for crimes and breaches of the Geneva Conventions by the other," said 1199SEIU.


U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) attends a press conference with union leaders and supporters of a cease-fire in Gaza in Washington, D.C. on December 14, 2023.
(Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

JULIA CONLEY
Dec 15, 2023

Days after U.S.-backed Israeli forces conducted its latest raid on a hospital in Gaza and as the spread of diseases including meningitis and chickenpox were reported in the besieged enclave, the largest healthcare union in the United States joined the international call for a cease-fire.

The executive council of 1199SEIU, a union that represents more than 450,000 healthcare workers from five states and Washington, D.C., said all parties involved "must commit to negotiating a permanent, just resolution to this conflict which will enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and build a future."

"1199SEIU calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, to allow for urgent humanitarian relief amid the collapse of the territory's health and other infrastructure," said the executive council. "International humanitarian law and the laws of war must be upheld without exception, which include the inviolability of healthcare facilities. War crimes committed by one side of the conflict cannot and do not serve as justification for crimes and breaches of the Geneva Conventions by the other."




Like other groups, lawmakers, and advocates who have been demanding a cease-fire since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza on October 7, in retaliation for a surprise attack by Hamas, the union reiterated its condemnation of Hamas, its reported "use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and kidnappings of Israelis and foreign nationals," and demanded that the group release all hostages.

The union rejected the notion that Israel's numerous attacks on healthcare centers—where doctors are struggling to treat sick and injured patients and displaced Palestinians are sheltering—as well as "apartment blocks filled with families, and the deaths of 11,000+ Palestinian women and children are acceptable collateral damage."

1199SEIU made its statement a day after the leaders of unions including the United Auto Workers; the Postal Workers Union; and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America joined progressive lawmakers at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol to urge President Joe Biden to back a cease-fire.

Recent polling has shown that 66% of Americans want the president to call for a cease-fire, but the U.S. vetoed a resolution supporting the demand last week at the United Nations Security Council and was one of just 10 countries to oppose a cease-fire in a later vote at the U.N. General Assembly.

At least 18,787 Palestinians have been killed in the war in just over two months.

1199SEIU's statement came hours after Palestinian healthcare unions issued a call for international solidarity.

"Working to provide care amid this ongoing assault has taken an enormous toll on the mental and physical health of the sector's workers," said the groups, including the Palestinian Respiratory Care Association, the Emergency Medical Service Union, and the Palestinian Occupational Therapy Association. "In the face of these formidable challenges, we call upon healthcare unions worldwide to rally in solidarity with the Palestinian health sector."

"This call is not merely about union support," the unions added. "It is a plea to the very essence of our profession—the commitment to humanity. We appeal to the compassion that drives us as healthcare professionals and the collective strength inherent in union solidarity."

Biden Offshore Drilling Plan Continues 'Dangerous Cycle'

"Offshore oil and gas drilling is not only dirty and dangerous, but it also supercharges the existing climate crisis," said one campaigner.

The Biden administration announced plans for three offshore fossil fuel lease sales for the Gulf of Mexico in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
(Photo: nightman1965/Getty Images)

JESSICA CORBETT
Dec 15, 2023

The Biden administration on Friday finalized a five-year plan for offshore fossil fuel leasing that was initially released in September and sharply condemned as a "climate nightmare."

The Department of the Interior (DOI) highlighted in a statement Friday that the 2024-29 National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program has the fewest sales in history, with just three for the Gulf of Mexico set to be held in 2025, 2027, and 2029.

The DOI also stressed that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed last year by President Joe Biden "prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing a lease for offshore wind development unless the agency has offered at least 60 million acres for oil and gas leasing on the OCS in the previous year."

"BOEM continues to treat the Gulf as a region where community health and well-being can be sacrificed to allow continued oil and gas production."

That part of the IRA is one of the key reasons it has been criticized by climate campaigners, who continue to warn that the landmark package is far from enough to meet the U.S. goal of halving planet-heating emissions by the end of this decade.

The DOI's plan outraged the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) for not being friendly enough to the fossil fuel industry while advocates for the planet warned that it's not bold enough given the worsening climate emergency.


"Offshore oil and gas drilling is not only dirty and dangerous, but it also supercharges the existing climate crisis," Beth Lowell, Oceana's vice president for the United States, declared in a Friday statement about the finalized program. She pointed out that the process actually began under former President Donald Trump, who proposed 47 leasing sales.


"This five-year plan started with President Trump proposing to open nearly all U.S. waters to offshore oil drilling and ends with President Biden's final plan that is the smallest to date," she said. "The footprint of offshore drilling was not expanded, but the dangerous cycle of drilling and spilling must end."

After the Biden administration released its proposal in September, Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Irene Gutierrez wrote the following month that "BOEM continues to treat the Gulf as a region where community health and well-being can be sacrificed to allow continued oil and gas production."

"BOEM also fails to account for the severe risks from additional oil and gas leasing to the Gulf ecosystem and species like the critically endangered Rice's whale," Gutierrez charged. "BOEM's analysis also treats catastrophic oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon disaster as events that are speculative and unlikely to repeat again, and the program excludes such spills from its analysis."


"In our comments to the proposed program and in other advocacy, we urged BOEM to issue a program with no new lease sales. The agency has ample authority to do so," she noted. "Further, declining fossil fuel demand and existing energy reserves mean that no new offshore leasing is needed for at least the next 30 years to meet national energy needs. BOEM could have issued a zero-lease sale plan, but declined to do so, despite calls from a wide range of community and environmental groups for no new leasing in the Gulf."




The DOI plan comes near the end of what experts have said will be the hottest year on record. It also comes on the heels of United Nations climate talks that scientists called "a tragedy for the planet," given that the final deal out of COP28 called for "transitioning away from fossil fuels," but did not endorse the "phaseout" demanded by civil society and most participating countries.

Biden—who is seeking reelection next year and may face off against Trump—has previously come under fire from frontline communities and climate organizations for skipping that U.N. summit, supporting the Willow oil project and Mountain Valley Pipeline, enabling the expansion of liquefied natural gas exports, and refusing to declare a national climate emergency.

On Thursday, the Biden administration released new proposed guidance on clean energy tax credits from the IRA.


"President Biden must do so much more if he wants to be taken seriously by young voters," Michele Weindling, political director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, said in response to the guidance. "He is overseeing an explosion in oil and gas production that has resulted in the U.S. producing more fossil fuels than ever before."

Chile Rejects Effort to Extend Pinochet's 'Extremist Neoliberal Model'

The proposed right-wing constitution would have further imperiled abortion rights and boosted the private sector's role in key areas, including healthcare and education.


Opponents of a proposed new Chilean constitution hold a demonstration in Santiago, Chile on December 14, 2023.
(Photo by Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu via Getty Images

JAKE JOHNSON
Dec 18, 2023

Chilean voters on Sunday rejected a proposed right-wing constitution that would have further weakened abortion rights and allowed the private sector to extend its reach in the country's healthcare, education, and pension systems.

Sunday's vote marks the second time in as many years that Chileans have spurned a replacement for the current constitution, which was drafted during Gen. Augusto Pinochet's murderous U.S.-backed dictatorship and subsequently amended dozens of times.

Last year, after a massive far-right disinformation campaign, voters rejected a progressive constitution that would have enshrined gender equality, formally recognized the nation's Indigenous groups, strengthened workers' rights, and expanded the welfare state, including by making public colleges tuition-free.

The new proposal, crafted by elected members of a constitutional council dominated by conservatives, "placed private property rights and strict rules around immigration and abortion at its center," Reutersreported.

The proposed replacement would have slightly tweaked the current constitution to protect "the life of who is unborn," a change that observers said would have opened the door to the total criminalization of abortion. The procedure is currently legal in Chile only in cases of rape, a nonviable fetus, or a threat to the life of the mother.

Progressive International co-general coordinator David Adler warned that the proposed rewrite "threatened to enshrine an extremist neoliberal model in the country's constitution, extending Pinochet's original vision to include provisions against abortion and same-sex marriage."

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who also served as United Nations high commissioner for human rights, toldThe Associated Press that she voted against the new proposal because she prefers "something bad to something worse."


The proposal failed with 56% opposed, and Chilean President Gabriel Boric said his government would not attempt to replace the constitution a third time, ending an effort that began with an overwhelming 2020 vote in favor of rewriting the document.

"Our country will continue with the current constitution, because after two plebiscites on proposed constitutions, neither managed to represent or unite Chile in its beautiful diversity," Boric said Sunday.

Paula Ávila-Guillen, an international human rights lawyer and executive director of the Women's Equality Center (WEC), said in a statement that "Chile rejected a constitution that jeopardized the three exceptions to abortion access and would have put the lives of Chileans at risk."

WEC noted that in addition to imperiling Chileans' minimal access to abortion, the proposed replacement "included text that would have allowed pharmacies to refuse to sell the morning-after pill" and "allowed schools to reject children with single mothers under the 'institutional conscientious objection.'"


"The will of the people is clear: The majority of Chileans support reproductive healthcare and will not stand by as their rights are taken away," said Ávila-Guillen. "From Chile to Ohio, this proves that when abortion is on the ballot, protecting abortion access always wins."

UPDATED

Iceland volcano erupts on Reykjanes peninsula following hundreds of earthquakes

A volcanic eruption began Monday night in Iceland, north of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes peninsula. An evacuation order for the small population of Grindavik was issued last month following seismic activity and indications of considerable magma movement in the area. Photo courtesy of Icelandic Met Office

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula started erupting Monday night following hundreds of earthquakes over the past few weeks, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

The Icelandic Met Office said the eruption started at about 10:17 p.m., local time, following an "earthquake swarm" about an hour earlier near the fishing town of Grindav

"An eruption has started on the Reykjanes peninsula," scientists at the Icelandic Met Office wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, with a photo of the eruption.

"A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption," the meteorological office added.

"An eruption has begun near the evacuated town of Grindavík," President Guòni Th. Jóhannesson of Iceland also warned Monday in a post on X.

"Our priorities remain to protect lives and infrastructure. Civil Defense has closed off the affected area. We now wait to see what the forces of nature have in store," Jóhannesson added. "We are prepared and remain vigilant."

Last month, scientists predicted the impending eruption of Fagradalsfjall volcano as they pointed to multiple earthquakes and a river of magma running underneath the town of Grindavik.

"Since midnight Nov. 12, around 1,000 earthquakes have been recorded within the dike boundaries, and all of them have been below M3.0 magnitude," said Icelandic Met Office scientists. "The most seismic activity has been from the center of the corridor to the north and south under Grindavik."

In preparation, Iceland shut down its iconic geothermic spa, Blue Lagoon, and evacuated the town's 3,000 residents in the country's Reykjanes peninsula.

Fagradalsfjall had been dormant for 800 years before erupting in 2021 and 2022.

As evacuations were ordered last month, the government reassured the country that it was ready.

"Icelandic authorities and the public are highly prepared for such events, and Iceland has one of the world's most effective volcanic preparedness measures," the government stated. "Iceland's geoscientists possess vast experience in dealing with volcanic activities."

Iceland volcano - latest: Lava pouring from

two-mile crack - and 'may head towards'

nearby town

Lava is emerging from a crack in the earth's surface which is around 3.5km (two miles) long and has grown rapidly. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has warned the nearby town of Grindavik may be at risk. You can watch live footage of the eruption below.

Tuesday 19 December 2023 , UK
LIVE
Watch live: Volcano erupts in Iceland after thousands evacuated from tow

Key pointsWhat we know so far as lava spews from two-mile crack in Iceland - as nearby town at risk View post

Explained:What is happening under the surface? View post

Live reporting by Ollie Cooper

Aerial teams have already flown over the fissure to get this incredible view of the flow of lava - which is considerable.

The eruption is said to have started around 4km (2.4 miles) from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has said.

There is some speculation the eruption began at 10.17pm local time last night, with some webcam footage purporting to show the moment it started (which you can see in our 7.19am post).

Watch:Aerial video shows scale of Iceland eruption View post

In pictures: Lava cascading downhill as eruption continues

Some more images to bring from the site of the eruption now.

The Icelandic Meteorological society said the intensity was beginning to decrease in its latest update, but lava is still continuing to flow.

As our correspondent Ashna Hurynagdescribed, "we can see pictures that show some of this lava now cascading downhill and almost seeping into the kind of mountains and surrounding areas".




How long can we expect the eruption to last?

Well, Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, a scientist who flew over the site this morning onboard a coast guard research flight, said it was difficult to be precise, but offered a rough estimate based on what he's seen.

He said the eruption was expected to continue decreasing in intensity but that scientists generally had no idea how long it would last.

"It can be over in a week, or it could take quite a bit longer," Mr Gudmundsson told told Icelandic broadcaster RUV.

He also estimated the crack in the earth had seen twice as much lava spewed than the entire month-long eruption in the peninsula this summer.

What happened during Iceland's last major volcanic eruption?

The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 was the second-largest of the 20th century, stranding tens of thousands of air travellers for days and sending a huge ash cloud into the sky.

More than 95,000 flights were cancelled across Europe during the six-day airspace ban - accounting for 48% of total air traffic.

The volcanic event began on 20 March and lasted until 23 June.

At first, lava shot several hundred metres into the air.

By April, ash was sent to over 26,000ft into the atmosphere.

Luckily, no deaths were recorded as there are warning systems in place and people in the area were evacuated.

But the ash cloud that darkened the air drastically dropped the air quality, with ash raining down on farms and villages surrounding Eyjafjallajokull.

Although experts had initially feared the predicted eruption this year could reach similar proportions, concern has been scaled back somewhat.

What's the latest with the nearby town of Grindavik?

As we've been reporting, a crack in the earth has been spewing lava close to the town of Grindavik.

The Icelandic Met Office said: "Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik."

A subsequent update said the crack's southernmost point was still 3km away from Grindavik, meaning the risk is now lower.

A geologist went further, suggesting the flow of lava could not reach the town currently.

"The eruption is taking place north of the watershed, so lava does not flow towards Grindavik," geologist Bjorn Oddson told public broadcaster RUV.

Nevertheless, the fishing town has seen an evacuation take place in recent days, moving nearly 4,000 people out, as fears grew of an eruption from the Reykjanes peninsula.

Our correspondent Ashna Hurynag said, as a result, "there aren't currently any any people in imminent danger".

"Their homes, though, may be significantly damaged by this" if the lava does reach the town.


Are flights disrupted?

Today's developments will remind many readers of the mass travel disruption caused by the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010.

For now, the international airport in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, which is located near the two-mile long lava-filled crack, remains open.

"The eruption does not present a threat to life," an Icelandic government statement said.

"There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open."

British holidaymaker Helen Hope was on a plane waiting for her flight back to Manchester to take off.

She told Sky News: "Most people were intrigued by it. People possibly started worrying more as we were delayed longer. Some passengers noticed it and then people were scrambling to have a look.

"The pilot has been waiting for the OK from various people in charge of safety to check which way the wind and any ash is blowing."

Eyewitness: 'Bittersweet' moment as eruption begins

We can bring you a bit of reaction from the ground now.

Asked for his thoughts, French tour guide Ael Kermarec, who is living in Iceland, said: "It's kind of a mixed feelings, to be honest.

"Let's see how it goes and how long it lasts - it's still amazing to see but, yeah, that's kind of a bittersweet feeling at the moment."


Tourist Robert Donald Forrester III is a little more excited by the morning's events.

"I'm very excited to be here in this place, in this time, just being able to see this natural phenomenon happened," he said.

"Just seeing lava emerge from the ground. Even if it's in a particular continent, it's just fascinating to see nature in action.

"It's just [like] something from a movie!"

Explained: What is happening under the surface?
By Thomas Moore, science correspondent

Iceland has been forged by the heat of the Earth's core.

The molten rock that sat 800 metres below the fishing village of Grindavik has finally spewed out of fissures in the ground, after nearly two months of activity.

The Icelandic Met Office said in the early hours of Tuesday that the eruptive fissure is about 4km (2.48 miles) long, with the northern end just east of Stora-Skogfell and the southern end just east of Sundhnuk.


The distance from the southern end to the edge of Grindavik is shorter, at just shy of 3km (1.8 miles).

Around 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated in the early hours of Saturday in anticipation of the eruption.

Movement beneath the surface started in October, where there had been more than 1,000 tremors in just a few hours caused by the magma forcing its way upwards.

Iceland had declared a state of emergency over the activity.

The Reykjanes volcanic system is barely 35 miles from the capital, Reykjavik. It had been dormant for 800 years until it erupted from a fissure in March 2021.

The lava fountain became a tourist attraction over a six-month period.

There have been two more eruptions in the same area since then. But the amount of molten rock just below the surface this time was substantial enough to cause an overflow of magma.

According to RUS.is, at around 2.45am on Tuesday, geophysicist Bjorn Oddson said a team in a helicopter saw "a four-kilometre-long fissure that lines up in the old crater sequence".

"It's in the best place if there was to be an eruption there," he said after a status meeting of the Civil Defence in Skogarhlid, Reykjavík.

"The eruption is taking place north of the watershed (in which lava clearly flows one way or the other), so lava does not flow towards Grindavik."


Iceland is one of the most volcanic regions on the planet, sitting on the mid-Atlantic ridge, where the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia are pulling apart by 2cm a year.

Over millions of years, a plume of molten rock poured from the rift, eventually breaching the ocean surface to form an island.

On average there is an eruption from one of Iceland's 32 active volcanoes every four or five years, with rivers of lava shaping the stark landscape.

Some of the eruptions have been catastrophic.

In 1783, around a quarter of the population was killed following an eruption of the Laki/Skaftareldar volcano.

The biggest current concern is over Katla, which last erupted in 1918. It lies under hundreds of metres of ice and any eruption is likely to cause widespread flooding.

Iceland no stranger to volcanic eruptions


The country's geography means it is vulnerable to eruptions.


Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge.

This makes it one of the most active volcanic regions in the world.

It regularly suffers seismic events ranging from minor tremors to significant earthquakes.

This seismic activity is often due to magma movement beneath the earth's crust - which sometimes will result in the magma taking the easiest path to the surface and becoming a volcanic eruption.

Authorities are constantly monitoring the situation, and although there is no way of accurately predicting whether, where or when an eruption will occur, scientists are alert to the warning signs.

In pictures: Two-mile long crack spewing lava

These images, captured by the Icelandic coast guard, show the two-mile long crack in the earth spewing lava.

Police are keeping a watchful eye on developments, but as we just told you, an evacuation had already taken place in recent days in the fishing town of Grindavik.

What we know so far

Molten rock has been spewing spectacularly from fissures in the ground after a volcano erupted in Iceland following weeks of intense earthquake activity.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has said the lava is emerging from a crack in the earth's surface which was around 3.5km (two miles) long and had grown rapidly.

An evacuation had already taken place in recent days, moving nearly 4,000 people out of the fishing town of Grindavik in the country's southwest, as fears grew of an eruption from the Reykjanes peninsula.

There have been several eruptions in unpopulated areas in the peninsula in recent years, but the current outbreak was believed to pose an immediate risk to the town, authorities have said.

The Icelandic Met Office said: "Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik."