Nation, world briefs 5/22/2016

Volcano erupts in Indonesia, killing 3

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A volcano in western Indonesia unleashed hot clouds of ash Saturday, killing three villagers and injuring four others, an official said. Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province blasted volcanic ash as high as two miles into the sky, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said ash tumbled down the slopes as far as three miles westward into a river. The 8,530-foot-high mountain had been dormant for four centuries before springing to life in August 2010, killing two people and forcing 30,000 to flee. An eruption in February 2014 killed 16 people. All the victims of Saturday's eruption were working on their farms in the village of Gamber, about 2 1/2 miles from the slope, or within the danger area. Video images showed dead farm animals covered in dust.

Girl playing with gun shoots herself

LAPLACE, La. -- Authorities said a 5-year-old girl shot and killed herself with a handgun at a Louisiana home. The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement the girl's father told investigators his daughter was playing with the gun when she shot herself inside a LaPlace home Saturday morning. Paramedics took the girl to a hospital, where she later died. Detectives said the gun hadn't been securely stored in the home before the shooting occurred, about 9:45 a.m. The sheriff's office said the shooting remained under investigation and additional information would be released "when warranted."

3 more bikers sue over Waco shooting

WACO, Texas -- Three bikers arrested after a shooting involving police outside a Waco restaurant have filed lawsuits against local officials, alleging civil-rights violations. The Waco Tribune-Herald reported Bradley Terwilliger, Benjamin Matcek and Jimmy Dan Smith filed suit Friday in a Travis County federal court, seeking unspecified damages. The suits name McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna, Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman, Waco police officer Manuel Chavez and an unidentified Texas Department of Public Safety agent as defendants. Altogether, 10 bikers have filed civil suits alleging unlawful arrest and due-process violations. Nearly 200 people were arrested after the May 2015 shooting that left nine dead. Since November, a grand jury has indicted 154 people on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. No trial dates have been set.

54 arrested in prostitution bust

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. -- Police said 54 people have been arrested in South Carolina during a prostitution bust dubbed "Operation Good Time." Police Chief Keith Grounsell said Friday it could be the largest-ever prostitution bust in the city of about 20,000 people. Grounsell said the sting Tuesday and Wednesday resulted in the arrest of 26 soliciting men and 28 prostitutes. They collectively face 64 charges, including 11 drug charges and one gun charge. More than $2,000 in cash was seized. Eight of the 54 had outstanding warrants against them, including for failing to appear in court, violating probation and not paying child support. Police said officers used social-media sites in the undercover sting.

-- From wire

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