Volcanic Ash Cloud Closes Airport in La Palma

La Palma airport was briefly shut on September 25 after a thick cloud of black ash forced airlines to cancel flights. JORGE GUERRERO AFP/File
La Palma airport was briefly shut on September 25 after a thick cloud of black ash forced airlines to cancel flights. JORGE GUERRERO AFP/File
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Volcanic Ash Cloud Closes Airport in La Palma

La Palma airport was briefly shut on September 25 after a thick cloud of black ash forced airlines to cancel flights. JORGE GUERRERO AFP/File
La Palma airport was briefly shut on September 25 after a thick cloud of black ash forced airlines to cancel flights. JORGE GUERRERO AFP/File

Clouds of thick ash from the erupting volcano on La Palma on Thursday forced the island's airport to close for the second time since the September 19 eruption, Spain's airport authority said.

"The airport is not in operation at the moment," an AENA spokeswoman told AFP, saying "some cleaning work needs to be done" on the runways before it would reopen.

But the closure "may not last very long" she added.

On Wednesday evening, local airline Binter had said it was cancelling all flights in and out of La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic, just off the northwestern coast of Africa.

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

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.



Philippine President Says Russian Submarine 'Worrisome'

The Russian submarine, pictured on November 28 by the Philippine military. Handout / AFP
The Russian submarine, pictured on November 28 by the Philippine military. Handout / AFP
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Philippine President Says Russian Submarine 'Worrisome'

The Russian submarine, pictured on November 28 by the Philippine military. Handout / AFP
The Russian submarine, pictured on November 28 by the Philippine military. Handout / AFP

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday described as "very worrisome" the presence of a Russian attack submarine off the country's coast in the disputed South China Sea.
The UFA 490 submarine was spotted 148 kilometers (92 miles) west of Cape Calavite on Thursday, the Philippine military said.
"Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), of our baselines is very worrisome," Marcos told reporters.
The Philippines dispatched a plane and a warship to the submarine, where the crew said they were awaiting good weather before proceeding to Russia's Vladivostok, the Philippine Navy said in a Monday statement.
Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the navy in the South China Sea, said the incident is "not alarming".
"But we were surprised because this is a very unique submarine," he told AFP.
The 74-metre (243-foot) long vessel is armed with a missile system that has a range of 12,000 kilometers, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
The submarine was last seen in Philippine waters on Sunday, Trinidad said.
Russia's embassy in Manila and the Philippine foreign ministry did not immediately respond to AFP requests to comment on the matter.