THOUSANDS of people living on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Indonesia were being taken to safety yesterday because of fears the volcano may be about to erupt.

Indonesia yesterday raised the alert at the Merapi volcano to the highest level, indicating that an eruption might be imminent, an official said.

The 9,700 ft (3,000m) peak has been rumbling ominously in recent weeks, and spewing clouds of black ash and lava.

Merapi is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" . . . a series of fault lines stretching from the western hemisphere through Japan and southeast Asia.

Havel approves stem cell research

CZECH president Vaclav Klaus yesterday approved legislation that will allow the use of embryonic stem cells for research, his office said.

The law, adopted by the parliament earlier this year, will allow the use of stem cells for research, but will ban their use in cloning. Violations will be punishable by up to eight years in prison.

Embryonic stem cells form during the early days after conception and can turn into any tissue in the body. Many scientists hope they could be used in the future to treat Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and other diseases.

The Czech Republic has so far had no laws governing their use. The Catholic church in the country has repeatedly protested the legislation.

Stasi film wins top German award

A FILM about communist East Germany's all-pervasive Stasi secret police has been awarded the German Film Prize in the best film category yesterday, while its director and star won in their categories as well.

Das Leben der Anderen (The Life of Others) was director Florian von Donnersmarck's debut feature film; he took best director for it, and star Ulrich Muehe was named best actor for his performance as a loyal Stasi officer who keeps surveillance on a leading playwright and increasingly begins to doubt his beliefs.

The film topped other nominees for best film including Paradise Now, this year's foreign language Oscar nominee, and Requiem, a tale of exorcism in 1970s West Germany.