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Mount Etna Eruption Disrupts Sicily’s Troubled Catania Airport 

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, lights up the night sky with eruptions as seen from Rocca Della Valle, Italy, August 13, 2023. (Etna Walk/Marco Restivo/ Handout via Reuters)
Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, lights up the night sky with eruptions as seen from Rocca Della Valle, Italy, August 13, 2023. (Etna Walk/Marco Restivo/ Handout via Reuters)
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Mount Etna Eruption Disrupts Sicily’s Troubled Catania Airport 

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, lights up the night sky with eruptions as seen from Rocca Della Valle, Italy, August 13, 2023. (Etna Walk/Marco Restivo/ Handout via Reuters)
Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, lights up the night sky with eruptions as seen from Rocca Della Valle, Italy, August 13, 2023. (Etna Walk/Marco Restivo/ Handout via Reuters)

Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Monday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, local authorities said, bringing fresh travel woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport.

The 3,330 meter (10,925 ft) high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The lava flow subsided before dawn, but ash was still coming from one of the craters.

Flights to and from Catania, a popular tourist destination, would be suspended until 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), the airport said on Twitter.

Catania Mayor Enrico Trantino banned the use of motorcycles and bicycles in the city for the next 48 hours, because many streets were covered in ash, and ordered cars to drive no faster than 30 kph (19 mph) due to the skiddy conditions.

The latest cancellations at Catania airport, which attracts more arrivals than the island's capital, Palermo, came a month after a fire at a terminal building led to weeks of disruptions for passengers.

The last major eruption was in 1992.

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Worst November Snowstorm in Half Century Hits Seoul and Grounds Hundreds of Airplane Flights

Macao tourists wearing Korean traditional Hanbok dresses take pictures amid snowfall at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2024. (EPA)
Macao tourists wearing Korean traditional Hanbok dresses take pictures amid snowfall at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2024. (EPA)
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Worst November Snowstorm in Half Century Hits Seoul and Grounds Hundreds of Airplane Flights

Macao tourists wearing Korean traditional Hanbok dresses take pictures amid snowfall at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2024. (EPA)
Macao tourists wearing Korean traditional Hanbok dresses take pictures amid snowfall at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2024. (EPA)

The most severe November snowstorm to hit South Korea's capital in more than a half century blanketed the capital on Wednesday, grounding hundreds of airplane flights and disrupting commuter traffic.

South Korea’s weather agency said 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) of snow fell in northern areas of Seoul and nearby areas. The agency said it was the heaviest snowstorm Seoul has experienced in 52 years. A storm on Nov. 28, 1972 dumped 12 centimeters (4.7) inches of snow on the capital.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said one person died and four others were injured in a five-vehicle accident in the eastern town of Hongcheon.

The storm blanketed much of the country, with the country’s central, eastern and southwestern regions seeing about 10 to 23 centimeters (3.9 to 9 inches) of snow.

At least 220 flights were canceled or delayed at airports nationwide, while authorities ordered around 90 ferries to remain at port. They also shut down hundreds of hiking trails .

Icy road conditions slowed down the morning commute in Seoul, while emergency workers across the country responded to fallen trees, signs, and other safety risks.

The weather agency said snow will continue in most parts of the country until noon Thursday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the safety and transport ministries to mobilize all available relevant personnel and equipment to prevent traffic accidents and other snow-related incidents.

Yoon also asked officials to convey weather and traffic information to the public swiftly to help ensure they avoid snow-related damages and inconveniences, according to the presidential office.