WORLD NEWS

 BELFAST: Iceland’s volcano Eyjafjallajoekull, which has almost stopped erupting lava and ashes, has again grown active. Volcanic steam and ash are being thrown up to the height of 3,000 meters to 4.500 metres. However, the EU Transport Ministers have taken the decision to resume flights over Europe.

But some countries beg to differ on the decision. Finland’s and the UK’s ban on flights still stands. Conversely, Switzerland and Russia are opening their air space. According to the latest reports, Russia’s AEROFLOT air-carrier is going to resume regular flights to Milan, Venice and Nice, Egypt and Turkey.

Russia has suffered less from volcanic ash than Western Europe, says the chief of Russia’s weather-forecasting service Roman Vilfand, and elaborates. The height that volcanic steam and ash are being spewed to, does not exceed 5 kilometres, says Roman Vilfand. The key word is concentration; the concentration of volcanic ash over Russia is significantly lower than over Western Europe.

The elements caused the cancellation of both air flights and important political events. The Russia-NATO Council will specifically meet in the form of a video conference, to discuss Russia’s military doctrine owing to the fact that the deputy Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Yuri Baluyevsky is unable to fly to Brussels.

The erupting Eyjafjallajoekull volcano has also prevented UK newly-weds to celebrate their marriage back home, among their friends and next of kin. They were stranded in Dubai when on their honeymoon. The couple found a way out by organizing an internet conference with their guests in London.

Iceland’s volcano eruption has gravely damaged the EU economies. The European air-carriers are losing 250 million dollars a day because of forced idling.

Eyjafjallajoekull started erupting on the 14th of this month and seems to have fallen asleep, but only to wake up again, as it has turned out to be. So it can certainly uncork more surprises. Volcanologist Niels Oskarsson of the University of Iceland believes that the volcano’s awakening may provoke the eruption of a neighbouring, more powerful and dangerous, volcano, known as Katla.

The events already followed that scenario in the 17th and 19th centuries. Katla’s eruption was invariably provoked by that of Eyjafjalloekull the neighbouring volcano, and proved 100 times more powerful.