Warlords extradited to US to stand trial

BOGOTA - Fourteen paramilitary warlords were extradited to the United States yesterday by the Colombian government to stand trial on drug trafficking charges - a surprise move applauded by the Bush administration as evidence that Colombia deserves a trade deal. But many Colombians worried that a narrow US focus on drug crimes would enable the warlords and their political allies to escape responsibility for human rights violations including the deaths of at least 10,000 people. Victims' families fear the extraditions will impede efforts to fully catalog the warlords' crimes and bring to justice the politicians and businessmen who allegedly colluded with them. (AP)

PUERTO MONTT - A towering cloud of hot ash, gas, and molten rock spewed miles into the air by a volcano in southern Chile has partially collapsed, raising fears it could smother surrounding villages, a specialist said yesterday. Luis Lara, a scientist with the government's geology and mining agency, said the column of ash, which had soared as high as 20 miles, was now about 4.5 miles. The column of debris, kept aloft by the pressure of constant eruptions, could collapse entirely, smothering the ghost town of Chaiten 6 miles away with hot gas, ash and molten rocks. (Reuters)

BRASILIA - Brazil's environment minister, hailed as a champion of the green movement but scorned by powerful farming groups, resigned yesterday after losing key battles in her efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest. Marina Silva's resignation will probably reinforce the view that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is more concerned with economic development than conservation as a commodities export boom fuels Brazil's growth. It could also be a setback for Brazil's ambitions to become a major voice in global environmental debates. (Reuters)