Volcano spews rocks, killing 4 climbers
MANILA, Philippines One of the Philippines most active volcanoes spewed huge rocks and ash early today after a three-year calm, killing four climbers and trapping others near the crater, officials said.
Rescue teams were sent to Mayon volcano in the central Philippines to look for four climbers and guides trapped after the mild eruption, Albay provincial Gov. Joey Salceda said. Clouds have cleared over the volcano, which was quiet later in the morning.
The four climbers who died were struck by huge rocks, guide Kenneth Jesalva told ABS-CBN TV network by cellphone from a camp near the crater. Another man was critically injured from a group of eight that included five foreigners and three Filipino guides.
One of those killed was Filipino. The nationalities of the foreign climbers were not immediately clear. No bodies have been retrieved yet.
Family: U.S. cant see man held in nightmare
CARACAS, Venezuela U.S. diplomats have been given no access to a California man held in Venezuela for nearly two weeks in what his family Monday called a nightmare that unfolded after he was accused of being a spy fomenting postelection unrest.
The family of Timothy Tracy, 35, told The Associated Press in a statement, We hope that he is granted consular access very soon.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that diplomats have not been allowed to see Tracy, who is held by the Venezuelan intelligence service. It is standard practice for countries holding foreign citizens to allow diplomats to see them to confirm that they are being treated humanely, and help them negotiate the local court system.
Alleged Auschwitz guard is arrested
BERLIN A 93-year-old man who was deported from the U.S. for lying about his Nazi past was arrested by German authorities Monday on allegations he served as an Auschwitz death camp guard, Stuttgart prosecutors said.
Hans Lipschis was taken into custody after authorities concluded there was compelling evidence he was involved in crimes at Auschwitz while there from 1941 to 1945, prosecutor Claudia Krauth said.
Lipschis has acknowledged being assigned to an SS guard unit at Auschwitz but maintains he only served as a cook and was not involved in any war crimes.
Associated Press
