Volcano’s eruption intensifies

Activity on the Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi has intensified, with continuous clouds of ash, gas and rock fragments spewing from its crater. The BBC reports that one of the emissions sent a pile of debris four kilometres down one side of the mountain. Experts monitoring the volcano, in central Java, raised its alert status to the highest level on Saturday. Thousands of people have been moved from the volcano's upper slopes, but a small number are refusing to leave.