Volcano in western Indonesia erupts again

Pic: AP.

By AP News Sep 25, 2014 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A volcano in western Indonesia has sent a new, powerful burst of hot ash into the air.

National disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says Mount Sinabung erupted for about 15 minutes Wednesday, creating an avalanche of hot clouds as far away as 2 kilometers (about a mile) from the peak.

Nugroho says the eruption of the 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) volcano in North Sumatra province didn’t cause more evacuations, and its alert status remains at the third-highest level.

More than 22,000 people were evacuated from the area after eruptions earlier this year that killed at least 16 people. Most have returned home, but about 4,700 remain in evacuation centers.

Mount Sinabung, among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, has sporadically erupted since 2010 after being dormant for 400 years.

HK Occupy Central activists issue manual for democracy sit-in

Protesters raise a placards that read “Occupy Central” at the financial Central district in Hong Kong Wednesday. Pic: AP.

By AP News Sep 25, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong democracy activists say protesters planning to blockade the city’s financial district should bring food, goggles and sleeping bags.

It’s a signal organizers are determined to go ahead with a prolonged confrontation after Beijing ruled out genuine democratic reforms.

Leaders of the Occupy Central movement did not say Thursday when the long-threatened sit-in would happen, saying timing would be announced on the weekend.

The organizers have dropped strong hints that it would take place Oct. 1, a public holiday.

They released a civil disobedience manual outlining what protesters should bring. The list included two to three days’ worth of food, goggles to protect against tear gas or pepper spray and sleeping bags.

Men should also bring plastic bottles to relieve themselves.