Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer and former Nazi who fled a British prisoner of war camp in India for the northern Himalayas, where he befriended and tutored the Dalai Lama, died today. He was 93.

THROWING Austrian politics into fresh turmoil, far-rightist Joerg Haider has announced he will stay on as a provincial governor and Freedom Party member, hours after vowing to resign when the party was thrashed in weekend elections.

Austria has refused to deport a former SS officer to Italy where he is accused of being involved in the murder of more than 300 civilians.