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 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.
Survivors relived the terrible awe they felt when the sea rose as high as 33 feet and surged inland for miles with seemingly unstoppable force, carrying along trees, houses, train cars - and thousands people - in a churning rush.
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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
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 prepares to remember tsunami
Countries around the Indian Ocean are preparing to commemorate the first anniversary of the Asian tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history, that left more than 216,000 people dead or missing.
The disaster, which was triggered by the most powerful earthquake in more than 40 years, ravaged Indian Ocean coastlines on 26 December 2004, smashing cities, seaside communities and holiday resorts in a dozen countries from Indonesia to Somalia.
Thousands of foreign survivors and bereaved relatives are expected to head to the affected countries to mark the event and to promote solidarity and remembrance, while
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
Relief But Little Rebuilding - Asia's Tsunami
Unlike in previous disasters of this magnitude, almost no one died from outbreaks of disease, lack of clean water or starvation in the wake of the catastrophe, even in remote islands off India and Indonesia. In some fields, the recovery has proceeded very quickly: most children in tsunami-affected areas are back in school, although not necessarily in a proper building. In Indonesia, for example, the United Nations Children's Fund has set up temporary schools for over 500,000 children.
But the transition from emergency relief to reconstruction has gone less smoothly. Donors have been slower to
