A journalist covering the volcano eruption in Guatemala was among those killed in the eruption.
For more of the story below:
Death toll climbs to 3 from Guatemala volcano
By the CNN Wire staff
Guatemala City, Guatemala (CNN) -- The death toll from the eruption of a volcano in Guatemala has risen to at least three people, an official said Friday.
Two villagers from El Bejucal and a reporter from CNN affiliate Noti 7 were killed as a result of Thursday's eruption of the Pacaya volcano, said David de Leon, a spokesman for the national disaster commission.
The three victims were crushed by rocks strewn by the volcano.
Pacaya, located about 15 miles (25 km) south of Guatemala City, began spewing ash and soot about 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) Thursday.
Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a state of calamity for 15 days and called for calm as the eruption spread ash over the capital, prompting evacuations and shutting down the city's international airport.
Four people were missing as evacuations continued, the president said.
At least 1,800 people have been placed in shelters after four villages near the volcano were evacuated, de Leon said.
The runway at La Aurora International Airport -- the third busiest airport in Central America in terms of passenger traffic -- was covered with ash and will be closed Friday, Colom said.
About 25 percent of the airport's daily flights had to be diverted to alternative airports after La Aurora was closed around 7:30 p.m., said Monica Monje with Civil Aeronautics.
The states of Guatemala, Escuintla and Sacatepequez were hardest hit. Classes were canceled Friday in Escuintla and Guatemala states, Colom said.
A slight rain that fell over the area mixed with the ash, hindering visibility.
Alejandro Estrada Garcia, a 21-year-old student in Guatemala City, filed a CNN iReport detailing his difficulties.
"I was returning from the university," he said. "It was really hard to drive because the ash was coming down with a bit of rain, so it was kind of muddy and really hard to get off the windshield. I drove with my window open so I could see."
Garcia's dad inspects his ash covered car
Pacaya had been dormant for a century until 1965, when it erupted again. It has been active since.
Its summit has an elevation of 8,373 feet (2,552 meters).
CNN's Gustavo Valdes and journalists Bertha Ramos-Rodriguez and Alexia Rios Hayashi contributed to this report.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Philippine Election
As of 10:00 p.m. Philippine time, Noynoy Aquino leads in the Philippine election as president followed by Joseph Estrada. For VP, leading is Jojomar Binay followed by Mar Roxas.
For more of the news, read below:
Ex-president's son leads in Philippine vote count
From Arwa Damon and Kathy Quiano, CNN
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- Sen. Benigno Aquino III, the son of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, held the lead Monday as votes were counted to determine the next president of the Philippines, according to partial and unofficial returns.
Aquino had 35 percent of the vote compared with 27 percent for his nearest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, according to results from PPCRV, a church-based watchdog organization that works in conjunction with the country's electoral commission.
It was not immediately clear how many of the total votes had been counted to yield those partial results, and the figures could change as more ballots are tallied.
Voters cast ballots to choose a president, vice president and about 17,000 other local and legislative positions.
The voting was marred by violence Sunday -- a gunman killed three people and wounded at least five at the house of a mayoral candidate, a military spokeswoman said.
In southern Mindanao, meanwhile, four municipalities declared election failure after poll workers reported harassment and death threats.
The election commission accepted the declarations and said it would re-schedule a special election in Mindanao, an island where a political massacre left 57 people dead in November.
In 2007, 13 municipalities in the same area declared election failure and re-held the elections after a year.
One election monitor, Leila De Lima, emphasized the importance of the vote.
"It's a very crucial litmus test to our democracy, our fragile democracy," said De Lima, chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.
"The administration has been hounded by issues of corruption, human rights violations. People are looking forward to a new administration that will hopefully usher in meaningful changes. So, it's very, very important."
For more of the news, read below:
Ex-president's son leads in Philippine vote count
From Arwa Damon and Kathy Quiano, CNN
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- Sen. Benigno Aquino III, the son of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, held the lead Monday as votes were counted to determine the next president of the Philippines, according to partial and unofficial returns.
Aquino had 35 percent of the vote compared with 27 percent for his nearest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, according to results from PPCRV, a church-based watchdog organization that works in conjunction with the country's electoral commission.
It was not immediately clear how many of the total votes had been counted to yield those partial results, and the figures could change as more ballots are tallied.
Voters cast ballots to choose a president, vice president and about 17,000 other local and legislative positions.
The voting was marred by violence Sunday -- a gunman killed three people and wounded at least five at the house of a mayoral candidate, a military spokeswoman said.
In southern Mindanao, meanwhile, four municipalities declared election failure after poll workers reported harassment and death threats.
The election commission accepted the declarations and said it would re-schedule a special election in Mindanao, an island where a political massacre left 57 people dead in November.
In 2007, 13 municipalities in the same area declared election failure and re-held the elections after a year.
One election monitor, Leila De Lima, emphasized the importance of the vote.
"It's a very crucial litmus test to our democracy, our fragile democracy," said De Lima, chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.
"The administration has been hounded by issues of corruption, human rights violations. People are looking forward to a new administration that will hopefully usher in meaningful changes. So, it's very, very important."
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Indonesia 7.4 quake
Indonesia was revisited by another strong quake at 7.4 magnitude.
Quake strikes off Indonesia coast
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 9, 2010 -- Updated 0729 GMT (1529 HKT)
(CNN) -- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday but did not trigger a tsunami, the National Weather Service said.
The quake, with a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers), struck about 140 miles (226 kilometers) southeast from Banda Aceh, according to the United States Geological Survey said.
It triggered a tsunami watch that was canceled about 45 minutes later when sea level readings indicated that a significant tsunami was not generated, the weather service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
No immediate information on damage was available.
In April, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the same area triggered two tsunamis and wounded several people.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was among the hardest hit nations.
Quake strikes off Indonesia coast
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 9, 2010 -- Updated 0729 GMT (1529 HKT)
(CNN) -- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday but did not trigger a tsunami, the National Weather Service said.
The quake, with a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers), struck about 140 miles (226 kilometers) southeast from Banda Aceh, according to the United States Geological Survey said.
It triggered a tsunami watch that was canceled about 45 minutes later when sea level readings indicated that a significant tsunami was not generated, the weather service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
No immediate information on damage was available.
In April, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the same area triggered two tsunamis and wounded several people.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was among the hardest hit nations.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Peru 6.4 earthquake
Peru is hit by 6.4 quake.
Read story below:
6.4-magnitude quake rattles Peru
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Tacna in the southern border of Peru on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said.
The earthquake, with a depth of 11 km (6.8 miles), struck 25 km (16 miles) west of Tacna, the agency said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
Read story below:
6.4-magnitude quake rattles Peru
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Tacna in the southern border of Peru on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said.
The earthquake, with a depth of 11 km (6.8 miles), struck 25 km (16 miles) west of Tacna, the agency said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Lynn Redgrave died of breast cancer
Lynn Redgrave, British actress who belonged to a dynasty of actors and actresses, and started her career in the 60's, died of breast cancer.
Story below.
Actress Lynn Redgrave dies at 67
By Alan Duke, CNN
(CNN) -- Actress Lynn Redgrave died Sunday after a seven-year battle with breast cancer, according to her family.
Redgrave, 67, was surrounded by her children at her Connecticut home when she died, the family said in a statement Monday morning.
The star of stage, film and television was twice nominated for an Academy Award: for best actress in 1966 for her role in "Georgy Girl" and for best supporting actress in the 1998 film "Gods and Monsters."
"She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before," the family said. "The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time," the statement said.
Redgrave is from "a family of actors, embracing as it does more than five generations," she wrote on her official website.
She is the younger sister of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the aunt of the late actress Natasha Richardson.
Her parents, Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, were British stage and film actors.
Her paternal grandparents, Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore, were stage and silent film actors.
Redgrave teamed with daughter Annabel Clark in 2004 to produce the book "Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery from Breast Cancer."
"I thought I was living very fully before this happened," she said in 2005. "But in comparison, no, I really wasn't. I wasn't taking the time to notice things. I didn't see things as brightly or as sharply or as memorably as I do now.
"I really don't let a moment slide by. I just don't. It's a big price to pay, isn't it, to have to have cancer to learn that? But it is in the end, I have to say, a price worth paying," Redgrave said.
Redgrave's professional acting debut was in 1962 at London's Royal Court Theatre in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." A year later, she was invited to join Britain's National Theatre for its inaugural season under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, according to her personal biography.
Her first film performance came in "Tom Jones," a 1963 movie co-starring Albert Finney and her mother.
Redgrave's "Georgy Girl" role three years later, opposite James Mason, earned her a best actress Golden Globe and the Academy Award best actress nomination. Her portrayal of a wisecracking young woman was a box office hit.
Other early film roles included "The National Health," "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex," "The Happy Hooker" and "Getting It Right."
Redgrave enjoyed a revitalized film career late in life. She won a second Golden Globe and her second Oscar nomination for her comedic role in "Gods and Monsters."
She continued to make movies despite her illness, including her last film role in "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which hit theaters a year ago.
Redgrave debuted on Broadway in 1967 in "Black Comedy." The first of three Tony nominations came in 1976 for "Mrs. Warren's Profession." She was nominated again for her Broadway roles in "Shakespeare for My Father" in 1993 and "The Constant Wife" in 2005.
She teamed with her sister Vanessa Redgrave on the London stage in "Three Sisters" in 1991.
The sisters worked together the same year in a television version of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"
Her three Emmy nominations all came for TV work in the 1980s, including an episode of "House Calls" in 1981, "The Shooting Company" in 1982 and "Walking on Air" in 1987.
CNN's David Daniel contributed to this report.
Story below.
Actress Lynn Redgrave dies at 67
By Alan Duke, CNN
(CNN) -- Actress Lynn Redgrave died Sunday after a seven-year battle with breast cancer, according to her family.
Redgrave, 67, was surrounded by her children at her Connecticut home when she died, the family said in a statement Monday morning.
The star of stage, film and television was twice nominated for an Academy Award: for best actress in 1966 for her role in "Georgy Girl" and for best supporting actress in the 1998 film "Gods and Monsters."
"She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before," the family said. "The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time," the statement said.
Redgrave is from "a family of actors, embracing as it does more than five generations," she wrote on her official website.
She is the younger sister of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the aunt of the late actress Natasha Richardson.
Her parents, Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, were British stage and film actors.
Her paternal grandparents, Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore, were stage and silent film actors.
Redgrave teamed with daughter Annabel Clark in 2004 to produce the book "Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery from Breast Cancer."
"I thought I was living very fully before this happened," she said in 2005. "But in comparison, no, I really wasn't. I wasn't taking the time to notice things. I didn't see things as brightly or as sharply or as memorably as I do now.
"I really don't let a moment slide by. I just don't. It's a big price to pay, isn't it, to have to have cancer to learn that? But it is in the end, I have to say, a price worth paying," Redgrave said.
Redgrave's professional acting debut was in 1962 at London's Royal Court Theatre in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." A year later, she was invited to join Britain's National Theatre for its inaugural season under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, according to her personal biography.
Her first film performance came in "Tom Jones," a 1963 movie co-starring Albert Finney and her mother.
Redgrave's "Georgy Girl" role three years later, opposite James Mason, earned her a best actress Golden Globe and the Academy Award best actress nomination. Her portrayal of a wisecracking young woman was a box office hit.
Other early film roles included "The National Health," "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex," "The Happy Hooker" and "Getting It Right."
Redgrave enjoyed a revitalized film career late in life. She won a second Golden Globe and her second Oscar nomination for her comedic role in "Gods and Monsters."
She continued to make movies despite her illness, including her last film role in "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which hit theaters a year ago.
Redgrave debuted on Broadway in 1967 in "Black Comedy." The first of three Tony nominations came in 1976 for "Mrs. Warren's Profession." She was nominated again for her Broadway roles in "Shakespeare for My Father" in 1993 and "The Constant Wife" in 2005.
She teamed with her sister Vanessa Redgrave on the London stage in "Three Sisters" in 1991.
The sisters worked together the same year in a television version of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"
Her three Emmy nominations all came for TV work in the 1980s, including an episode of "House Calls" in 1981, "The Shooting Company" in 1982 and "Walking on Air" in 1987.
CNN's David Daniel contributed to this report.
Flooding in Tenessee, Mississippi, and Atlanta reminiscent of Ondoy Phils.
Flooding in Tennessee and Mississippi was reminiscent of Ondoy in the Philippines. Ondoy was worst. It killed hundreds.
Read the story below on the flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Atlanta, Georgia.
At least 15 dead in Southeast storms
By the CNN Wire Staff
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Storms that killed at least 15 people in Tennessee and Mississippi rolled into Georgia early Monday, flooding parts of Atlanta.
The rain and flooding left at least 11 dead Sunday in Tennessee, closing interstates, displacing thousands from their homes, prompting evacuations of hotels and nursing homes, and turning streets and parking lots into raging rivers.
Parts of the state were drenched with up to 20 inches of rain, and more was expected.
iReport: Have you been affected by the flooding? Send photos, video
Four people also died in Mississippi, three in tornadoes and one in a rain-related traffic accident.
The storm system moved into Georgia early Monday, delaying flights into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Latest updates on the storm
Thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecast to continue in north Georgia through Monday morning, with rainfall of up to 1 inch an hour possible, the National Weather Service said.
Video: Flood washes away building
Video: Aerial views of Tennessee flooding
Video: Memphis streets under water
The storm snarled the morning commute in metro Atlanta, already one of the most congested traffic areas in the nation. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.
In Tennessee, parts of Nashville were evacuated as a precautionary measure, the state's emergency management office said Monday morning.
Video: Nashville resident captures "rapids" on neighborhood streets
The Tennessee Highway Patrol provided food and water to stranded motorists on westbound Interstate 40 at the rest stop at mile marker 172 near the Dickson exit. The motorists had been stranded there for about 15 hours.
Authorities reported that 91 trucks were stranded between mile markers 192 and 196 on eastbound I-40. The truck operators were offered help to evacuate, but all 91 opted to stay with their rigs.
CNN affiliate WKRN-TV: Flooding in downtown Nashville
The Cumberland River, which runs through Nashville, was expected to crest at around 51 feet, the mayor's emergency management office said.
"All of our major creeks and the Cumberland River are near flood level, if not at flood level," Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said at a news conference Sunday. "The ground is entirely saturated, and the rain continues to fall. There's nowhere for the water to go."
Dean said that more rain has fallen in Nashville in the last 24 hours than has ever been recorded in the city.
"We are still at this point in rescue stage and will be until the water begins to subside," he said.
WKRN: Opryland Hotel guests evacuated
The National Weather Service advised that major flooding was expected to continue along the river Monday, followed by a gradual decrease in water levels. The river was expected to fall below flood stage late Tuesday night.
About 12,000 sandbags have been delivered -- 6,000 in Nashville and 6,000 in Jackson.
CNN affiliate WTVF-TV: Nashville newsroom flooded
Teams of inspectors will be mapping out the damage Monday morning, Nashville officials said.
Dean urged residents to skip work Monday. Nashville schools will be closed and public transportation will be suspended.
The American Red Cross reported that about 800 people were housed in 20 shelters.
Nashville's K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant will remain closed for several days, prompting Metro Water Services to order Davidson County residents to use water only for drinking and food preparation.
The public water supply provided by Metro Water Services continued to be safe, the mayor's office said.
Authorities recovered bodies from a flooded house in Nashville and from an overturned vehicle floating on a flooded road, among other places, the mayor's office said Sunday night.
In Mississippi, officials in Benton County reported two deaths, and Lafayette and Union counties had one each, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said. The three counties are in the north-central part of the state.
The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in the area.
One tornado touched down in Benton and Tippah counties in Mississippi and Hardeman County in Tennessee, the weather service said.
That tornado caused two fatalities and a critical injury when a double-wide mobile home was destroyed east of Ashland, Mississippi, the weather service said.
The tornado also killed one person in Pocahontas, Tennessee, when a single-wide trailer was demolished, the weather agency said.
A second tornado hit Lafayette County in Mississippi. One person was killed when a single-family home was destroyed, the weather service said.
Sunday's deaths in Mississippi came eight days after a monster tornado tore through the state and killed 10 people.
The western two-thirds of Tennessee has seen between 6 and 20 inches of rain since Saturday, with flooding spreading to Kentucky.
The National Weather service also issued a flood emergency for much of central Kentucky -- where tens of thousands were trying to get home after this weekend's Kentucky Derby -- and in south-central Indiana.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the National Turnpike and Gene Snyder Freeway were closed Sunday.
Read the story below on the flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Atlanta, Georgia.
At least 15 dead in Southeast storms
By the CNN Wire Staff
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Storms that killed at least 15 people in Tennessee and Mississippi rolled into Georgia early Monday, flooding parts of Atlanta.
The rain and flooding left at least 11 dead Sunday in Tennessee, closing interstates, displacing thousands from their homes, prompting evacuations of hotels and nursing homes, and turning streets and parking lots into raging rivers.
Parts of the state were drenched with up to 20 inches of rain, and more was expected.
iReport: Have you been affected by the flooding? Send photos, video
Four people also died in Mississippi, three in tornadoes and one in a rain-related traffic accident.
The storm system moved into Georgia early Monday, delaying flights into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Latest updates on the storm
Thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecast to continue in north Georgia through Monday morning, with rainfall of up to 1 inch an hour possible, the National Weather Service said.
Video: Flood washes away building
Video: Aerial views of Tennessee flooding
Video: Memphis streets under water
The storm snarled the morning commute in metro Atlanta, already one of the most congested traffic areas in the nation. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.
In Tennessee, parts of Nashville were evacuated as a precautionary measure, the state's emergency management office said Monday morning.
Video: Nashville resident captures "rapids" on neighborhood streets
The Tennessee Highway Patrol provided food and water to stranded motorists on westbound Interstate 40 at the rest stop at mile marker 172 near the Dickson exit. The motorists had been stranded there for about 15 hours.
Authorities reported that 91 trucks were stranded between mile markers 192 and 196 on eastbound I-40. The truck operators were offered help to evacuate, but all 91 opted to stay with their rigs.
CNN affiliate WKRN-TV: Flooding in downtown Nashville
The Cumberland River, which runs through Nashville, was expected to crest at around 51 feet, the mayor's emergency management office said.
"All of our major creeks and the Cumberland River are near flood level, if not at flood level," Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said at a news conference Sunday. "The ground is entirely saturated, and the rain continues to fall. There's nowhere for the water to go."
Dean said that more rain has fallen in Nashville in the last 24 hours than has ever been recorded in the city.
"We are still at this point in rescue stage and will be until the water begins to subside," he said.
WKRN: Opryland Hotel guests evacuated
The National Weather Service advised that major flooding was expected to continue along the river Monday, followed by a gradual decrease in water levels. The river was expected to fall below flood stage late Tuesday night.
About 12,000 sandbags have been delivered -- 6,000 in Nashville and 6,000 in Jackson.
CNN affiliate WTVF-TV: Nashville newsroom flooded
Teams of inspectors will be mapping out the damage Monday morning, Nashville officials said.
Dean urged residents to skip work Monday. Nashville schools will be closed and public transportation will be suspended.
The American Red Cross reported that about 800 people were housed in 20 shelters.
Nashville's K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant will remain closed for several days, prompting Metro Water Services to order Davidson County residents to use water only for drinking and food preparation.
The public water supply provided by Metro Water Services continued to be safe, the mayor's office said.
Authorities recovered bodies from a flooded house in Nashville and from an overturned vehicle floating on a flooded road, among other places, the mayor's office said Sunday night.
In Mississippi, officials in Benton County reported two deaths, and Lafayette and Union counties had one each, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said. The three counties are in the north-central part of the state.
The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in the area.
One tornado touched down in Benton and Tippah counties in Mississippi and Hardeman County in Tennessee, the weather service said.
That tornado caused two fatalities and a critical injury when a double-wide mobile home was destroyed east of Ashland, Mississippi, the weather service said.
The tornado also killed one person in Pocahontas, Tennessee, when a single-wide trailer was demolished, the weather agency said.
A second tornado hit Lafayette County in Mississippi. One person was killed when a single-family home was destroyed, the weather service said.
Sunday's deaths in Mississippi came eight days after a monster tornado tore through the state and killed 10 people.
The western two-thirds of Tennessee has seen between 6 and 20 inches of rain since Saturday, with flooding spreading to Kentucky.
The National Weather service also issued a flood emergency for much of central Kentucky -- where tens of thousands were trying to get home after this weekend's Kentucky Derby -- and in south-central Indiana.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the National Turnpike and Gene Snyder Freeway were closed Sunday.
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