Rightist vs. rebel in Colombia vote

HONOLULU — Lava from the Kilauea volcano reached a geothermal power plant on the Big Island on Sunday, approaching wells that have been capped to protect against the release of toxic gas should they mix with lava.

The lava breached the property overnight and was within 200 yards of the nearest well, said David Mace, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Asked about safety hazards, he replied: “I think it’s safe to say authorities have been concerned about the flow of lava onto the plant property since the eruption started.”

A plant spokesman, Mike Kaleikini, told Hawaii News Now that the lava was as close as 130 feet from wells. He said there was no indication of the release of the poisonous gas hydrogen sulfide, the greatest fear should lava hit the wells.

Steve Brantley of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the flow seemed to have halted Sunday morning after moving slowly into the proximity of the well overnight.

Lava had previously crossed onto an older part of the property, according to officials. But it’s now on 40 acres of the plant that are operational.

Officials this month carted away 50,000 gallons of potentially toxic gas away from the site, which lies on the southeast flank of the volcano, nestled between residential neighborhoods. They also capped the 11 wells at the property to try to prevent a breach. COLOMBIA’S presidential election is heading into a divisive runoff between two ideological opposites as the conservative first-place finisher in Sunday’s voting took a hard line against the country’s peace deal while his rival pledged to champion the poor and excluded.

Former Sen. Ivan Duque won nearly 39% of the vote, falling short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second round in three weeks. One-time rebel Gustavo Petro got 25% support, edging out former Medellin Mayor Sergio Fajardo, who could end up being the kingmaker following a surprise surge.

The showdown between Duque and Petro could have broad implications for the nation’s peace agreement ending more than five decades of armed conflict that left at least 250,000 dead, 60,000 missing and more than 7 million displaced.

Duque is vowing to modify the polarizing accord with changes to ensure that drug traffickers cannot get amnesty and that guerrilla leaders who haven’t made reparations to victims are barred from political office. The signed accord allows former rebels who fully confess their crimes to avoid any jail time.