International

Volcanic ash closes airport in La Palma – again

AFP

Clouds of thick ash from the volcano on La Palma on Thursday forced the island’s airport to close for the second time since the eruption began last month, Spain’s airport authority said.

“La Palma airport is not operational due to the accumulation of ash,” AENA tweeted, with a spokeswoman telling AFP “some cleaning work needs to be done” on the runways before it would reopen.

The airport was briefly shut on September 25 after a thick cloud of black ash forced airlines to cancel flights.

Although it was reopened a day later, flights did not resume until September 29.

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It has been 18 days since La Cumbre Vieja began erupting, forcing more than 6,000 people out of their homes as the lava burnt its way across huge swathes of land on La Palma, one of Spain’s Atlantic Canary Islands that lie off the northwestern coast of Morocco.

The AENA spokeswoman said Thursday’s airport closure “may not last very long”.

David Calvo, spokesman for Involcan, the Canary Islands volcanic institute, said the volcano was producing “a lot of ash”, saying a change in the wind meant the ash cloud was “affecting the airport”.

On Wednesday evening, local airline Binter had said it was cancelling all flights in and out of La Palma.

“This suspension will last until conditions improve and we can fly safely,” Binter tweeted, with rival airline Canaryfly also suspending flights.

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An AFP correspondent at the scene said the glowing lava streams could still be seen for miles around on Wednesday night.

By Thursday morning, images released by the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME) showed a thick cloud of black smoke billowing from the crater of Cumbre Vieja.

– The 100-acre lava delta –

Pumping out endless streams of molten rock with a temperature of over 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit), the volcano spewed out streams of lava that consumed more than 1,000 acres (422 hectares) of land as it cut a six-kilometre (3.5-mile) path to the sea.

Once it reached the coast on September 29, it cascaded into the sea, creating a growing lava delta that is currently the size of 60 football pitches (100 acres), Involcan data shows.

And figures released on Tuesday by the islands’ regional government said more than 605 of the destroyed buildings were homes.

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It has also destroyed huge swathes of banana plantations — the chief cash crop on La Palma.

“The damage is enormous.. We are talking about a third of the banana production of the entire Canary Islands,” the archipelago’s regional head Angel Víctor Torres said last week, indicating the current harvest had been “completely lost”.

The eruption on La Palma, an island of some 85,000 people, is the first in 50 years.

The last was in 1971 when another part of the same volcanic range — a vent known as Teneguia — erupted on the southern side of the island.

Two decades earlier, the Nambroque vent erupted in 1949.

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International

U.S. to invest $700 million in coal plants and mines under Trump initiative

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a $700 million funding package aimed at supporting the American coal industry, marking the latest step in his administration’s efforts to boost the use of the fossil fuel.

According to Trump, the funding will be used to keep 14 coal-fired power plants operating across ten states, maintain 42 coal mines, and support the construction of two new power plants and an export terminal.

The president said the initiative will be financed through the Defense Production Act, a law enacted in 1950 that grants emergency powers to the president to support and direct domestic industries considered critical to national interests.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has pursued policies designed to expand domestic energy production and roll back a number of environmental regulations. He has also repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus regarding human-caused climate change.

Coal remains the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions among major energy sources, making it a central focus of debates over climate policy and energy security.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the initiative, describing coal as a critical resource for both electricity generation and industrial production.

The announcement comes as global energy markets continue to evolve. According to an analysis by the Global Energy Monitor, the world added and commissioned more coal-fired power capacity in 2025, although overall coal consumption declined. The report also found that the United States was the only major economy to record a significant increase in coal-fired power generation during that period.

The new funding package underscores the administration’s commitment to supporting traditional energy industries while debate continues over the balance between energy security, economic growth and environmental objectives.

International

Four decapitated bodies found in abandoned vehicle near Guerrero state Congress

Police in Mexico have found four decapitated bodies inside an abandoned vehicle parked near the state Congress building in Guerrero, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The southern state of Guerrero, home to the resort city of Acapulco, has long been affected by violent clashes between criminal organizations competing for control of drug trafficking routes.

According to prosecutors cited by AFP, the bodies were wrapped in black plastic bags and left inside a car parked at one of the rear entrances of the legislative building in the state capital, Chilpancingo.

Authorities say the region has seen intensified conflict between rival drug trafficking groups, including the Sierra Cartel and Los Ardillos, a criminal organization that Indigenous communities have accused of carrying out attacks in the mountainous, impoverished areas of the state.

The ongoing violence highlights the persistent security crisis in Guerrero, where organized crime continues to exert significant influence over large parts of the territory.

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International

Foro Penal Reports 404 Political Prisoners Still Held in Venezuela

The Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, which leads legal defense efforts for political prisoners in the country, reported on Wednesday that 404 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, five fewer than the figure released a week earlier. Among those detained are 39 foreign nationals or individuals with dual citizenship.

According to data published by the organization, the current total includes 369 men and 35 women being held on political grounds. The report also indicates that 225 of the detainees are civilians, including one teenager, while 179 are members of the military.

Foro Penal stated that 167 of the prisoners have been convicted, whereas 237 remain behind bars without a final sentence. The organization also noted that it has documented 19,102 politically motivated detentions in Venezuela since 2014.

The updated figures come amid an ongoing process of prisoner releases announced by Venezuelan authorities. Two weeks ago, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that approximately 300 detainees would be freed as part of a new round of releases, separate from those granted under an amnesty approved earlier this year.

Days later, acting President Delcy Rodríguez stated that the number of releases would reach 500 in the coming days. However, relatives of political prisoners and human rights organizations have questioned the pace of the process, arguing that the number of verified releases remains significantly lower than the figures announced by the government.

Foro Penal has reported that dozens of prisoners have been released in recent weeks, but the organization maintains that hundreds of people continue to be detained for political reasons despite the government’s promises and the implementation of the amnesty process.

Families of detainees have continued to demand greater transparency regarding the release process, alleging that many of the promised excarcerations have yet to materialize and calling on authorities to provide clear information about those who remain in custody.