Briefly

INDONESIA

Hundreds flee homes as volcano erupts

Mount Merapi unleashed a torrent of hot clouds, turning the sky a fiery red, as molten lava flowed down its slopes on Thursday with the eruption forcing over 250 people to flee their homes, authorities said. The volcano－one of the most active in the world－erupted multiple times overnight, spewing gas, volcanic ash and rocks that flowed over 5 kilometers down its slopes, the head of Indonesia's National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency said. "Due to the avalanches of hot clouds and ash, 253 people took shelter," Abdul Muhari said in a statement. Mount Merapi, in Java, is on its second-highest alert level since November 2020 after showing renewed activity. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of around 280,000 residents from surrounding areas.

IRAN

Washington approach on talks slammed

A top Iranian security official on Thursday slammed the US approach to the ongoing talks in Vienna on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, saying Washington is not willing to reach a "strong deal" that would satisfy both sides. "US approach to Iran's principled demands, coupled with its unreasonable offers and unjustified pressure to hastily reach an agreement, show that the United States isn't interested in a strong deal that would satisfy both parties," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani tweeted. He stressed that in the absence of a political decision by the US, the negotiations in the Austrian capital would get more complicated every hour. Talks in Vienna to revive Iran's nuclear agreement with world powers have hit a critical stage.

Agencies - Xinhua