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Asia news in brief

Asia news in brief A magnitude 7.7 undersea earthquake rocked eastern Indonesia early today, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There was no danger of a tsunami, and no injuries were reported. The earthquake occurred in the Banda Sea about 120 miles south of Ambon city, the USGS said. It occurred at a depth of 212 miles. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami threat existed. People reportedly fled their houses in panic when the earthquake struck. Japan's most prestigious university will discipline Professor Kazunari Taira after finding that 12 of his genetic research experiments could not be reproduced, raising questions about their veracity,

Asia to get Tsunami Warning System by July, UN promises

Asia to get Tsunami Warning System by July, UN promises Countries affected by the South Asian tsunami should have a warning system against sea surges in place by July, UN Under Secretary Jan Egeland said Monday, as officials took nations to task for failing to prepare civilians for a potential future disaster, reports Agence France Presse. The Third International Conference on Early Warning in Bonn, Germany is intended to create warning and fund systems around the world to "cover all countries and all hazards," a plea issued by UN chief Kofi Annan in the wake of the Asian tsunami. Egeland, who spearheaded

Asia-Pacific prepares pandemic test

Asia-Pacific prepares pandemic test Australia and Singapore will lead an international exercise in June to test communications preparedness for a possible bird flu pandemic, officials said on Thursday. The exercise, the first of its kind and involving major economies of the Asia-Pacific region, would test how countries would stay connected in a pandemic or other major disaster such as tsunamis and earthquakes. It will give them an opportunity to respond to a credible real-life scenario that allows them to test communications across the region, Australian official Helena Studdert said on the sidelines of a Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bird flu

World Reflects on Fury of Asia Tsunami

World Reflects on Fury of Asia Tsunami Survivors wept and prayed beside mass graves and at beachside memorials Monday, marking one year since earthquake-churned walls of water crashed ashore in a dozen nations, sweeping away hundreds of thousands of lives and uniting the world in grief and horror. In a taped message, President Bush recalled "the acts of courage and kindness that made us proud" in the sorrowful days after the disaster. Former President Clinton , the U.N. special envoy for tsunami recovery, promised not to let the world forget its pledges of aid. "I was not afraid at the

World Reflects on Fury of Asia Tsunami

World Reflects on Fury of Asia Tsunami Survivors wept and prayed beside mass graves and at beachside memorials Monday, marking one year since earthquake-churned walls of water crashed ashore in a dozen nations, sweeping away hundreds of thousands of lives and uniting the world in grief and horror. Mourners filled mosques in Indonesia's shattered Aceh province, the region hit hardest. Candlelight vigils in chilly Sweden remembered citizens lost during sunny holidays. An achingly personal tribute - a bouquet of white roses - stuck in the sand in Thailand. In a taped message, President Bush recalled "the acts of courage and kindness