New Zealand
Volcano spews ash
A volcano erupted on New Zealand’s North Island, spreading a layer of thick ash for several miles and causing some residents to evacuate their homes. Some domestic flights were canceled. Scientists say they had noticed increased seismic activity below Mount Tongariro for weeks but got no specific warning before the volcano blew late Monday night. The eruption lasted about 30 minutes and didn’t cause any injuries or damage in the sparsely populated region.
Honduras
Ernesto to bring rain
Tropical Storm Ernesto’s forward movement slowed Monday as it headed for an expected close pass along Honduras’ northern coast after dropping heavy rains on Jamaica without causing serious problems. Ernesto hasn’t made any direct hits on land since entering the Caribbean early Saturday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ernesto could bring rain to the coast of Honduras late Monday and this morning.
JAPAN
Atomic blast anniversary
Japan marked the 67th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack with a ceremony Monday that was attended by a grandson of Harry Truman, the U.S. president who ordered the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. About 50,000 people gathered in Hiroshima’s peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people.
MEXICO
Kiss leads to arrest
The arrest of a man after a woman objected to him kissing his female companion in public has prompted a “kiss-in” protest in a conservative Mexico city. An official of the northern city of Leon said authorities are investigating police who arrested the man, identified as Manuel Berumen. City spokesman Jesus Montano said Berumen’s 12-hour arrest and $65 fine for “insulting police” and arguing with the woman who complained appear to have been unjustified.
Compiled from wire reports.
