Quake rattles Indonesia's Sumatra

Praise for Aceh tsunami recovery
Indonesia's Aceh Province has made a "remarkable" recovery after the devastating 2004 Tsunami but many serious challenges remain. A UN Development Programme report said rebuilding had been impressive in Aceh. But it added that more needed to be done to lessen the impact of Natural Disasters and to reduce Poverty. In December 2004, a quake off the coast of Aceh triggered a Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, which killed a quarter of a million people in 13 countries. Aceh sits on the vol...

Strong earthquake hits off southern Japan
TOKYO - A strong Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has struck in the Pacific Ocean off southern Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a Tsunami warning from the quake, which occurred about 130 kilometers (80.6 miles) off the southern coast of Chichi Island in the Pacific Ocean. The offshore quake struck at around 2:20 a.m. (1720 GMT) at the depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The agency issued a Tsunami Alert of up to 2 meters (6 feet) for nearby islands and warnings...

Tsunami alert downgraded in Japan
Scores of villagers on a remote Japanese island chain scrambled for higher ground after a major 7.4-magnitude offshore quake early on Wednesday sparked a Tsunami Alert that was later downgraded. Waves of 30cm hit the shores of the Ogasawara islands, an archipelago with a population of about 2,300 some 1000km south of Tokyo, near Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean. The tremor, which struck at 2.19am local time (0419 AEDT), jolted people out of bed as loudspeakers blared across the island villages and ...

Jakarta denies that pressure was applied over Kopassus
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has denied that it threatened to derail President Barack Obama's visit to Jakarta to pressure Washington into lifting its ban on training Kopassus, Indonesia's Controversial special army forces. The US announcement in July that it would remove its 12-year Moratorium on training Kopassus, which has a long history of Human Rights abuses, was based on mutual interest, the Indonesian Defence Minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, said. ''In the agreement that we signed, In...

Indonesia radical cleric has cataract surgery
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia's best-known radical cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, has undergone cataract surgery as he awaits trial on Terrorism charges. Lawyer Achmad Michdan says the 72-year-old Bashir started complaining about deteriorating vision in his left eye soon after his arrest in August. He says Bashir, who has been jailed since his arrest, was taken under police escort Monday to a Hospital in the capital, Jakarta, and had successful surgery. Bashir — the spiritual head of the...

Jakarta accused over Papua
THE United States fears that Indonesian government neglect, rampant Corruption and Human Rights abuses are stoking unrest in its troubled province of West Papua. Leaked Embassy cables reveal that US Diplomats privately blame Jakarta for instability and "chronic underdevelopment" in West Papua, where Military commanders have been accused of Drug Smuggling and illegal logging rackets across the border with Papua New Guinea. A September 2009 cable from the US Embassy in Jakarta says "...;

Indonesia: vigilante thugs from Islamic Defender Front offer to "protect" churches at Christmas; churches decline
All dhimmitude ultimately amounts to is a protection racket claiming divine sanction. It is protection from the people who style themselves "protectors," because the alternatives to "protection" are so ugly. The options set forth for unbelievers in Qur'an 9:29 are conversion, warfare, or subjugation as dhimmis, accepted with "willing submission." Thus, in addition to rejecting obvious, fox-guarding-henhouse illogic of accepting the "protection" of the Islamic Defender Front, the churches (whet...

Indonesia radical cleric has cataract surgery
Indonesia's best-known radical cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, has undergone cataract surgery as he awaits trial on Terrorism charges. Lawyer Achmad Michdan says the 72-year-old Bashir started complaining about deteriorating vision in his left eye soon after his arrest in August. He says Bashir, who has been jailed since his arrest, was taken under police escort Monday to a Hospital in the capital, Jakarta, and had successful surgery. Bashir — the spiritual head of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Isl...

Indonesian army linked to drugs
THE United States fears Indonesian government neglect, rampant Corruption and Human Rights abuses are stoking unrest in its troubled province of West Papua. Leaked Embassy cables reveal that US Diplomats privately blame Jakarta for instability and ''chronic underdevelopment'' in West Papua, where Military commanders have been accused of Drug Smuggling and illegal logging rackets across the border with Papua New Guinea. A September 2009 cable from the US Embassy in Jakarta says ''the region is po...

Indonesia court jails militants
A court in Indonesia has jailed six men linked to a Militant group accused of plotting attacks in the capital, Jakarta. The men are among dozens arrested since the discovery of an Islamist paramilitary Training Camp in Aceh in February. Indonesian police say the Aceh group were planning attacks on Western targets and politicians in Jakarta. One man was jailed for nine years for providing funding for the camp. Judge Mutarto - who goes by one name - said Oman Rohman had given Militant leader Du...

Strong earthquake hits off southern Japan
TOKYO (AP) - A strong Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck in the Pacific Ocean in the early hours of Wednesday, triggering a brief Tsunami warning off the southern coast of Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred about 80 miles (130 kilometers) off the southern coast of Chichi Island in the Pacific Ocean. The offshore quake struck at around 2:20 a.m. (1720 GMT Tuesday) at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers). The Japanese agency issued a Tsunami Alert of up...

Japan 7.4 seabed quake sparks tsunami scare
Scores of villagers on a remote Japanese island chain in the Pacific scrambled for higher ground early Wednesday after a major 7.4-magnitude offshore quake sparked a Tsunami Alert. The seabed tremor struck at 2:19 am local time (1719 GMT Tuesday), jolting people out of bed as loudspeakers blared across the Ogasawara islands and authorities warned of the risk of a two-metre (six-foot) high local Tsunami. The tsunami alert was later downgraded and all warnings were lifted five hours after the quak...

Tsunami alert issued after quake hits Japan
TOKYO - An Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 jolted islands in the Pacific southeast of mainland Japan on Wednesday and a Tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage, public broadcaster NHK said, adding the Tsunami warning was for waves of up to one metre (3 feet) high for the Ogasawara islands, about 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo. Small waves had already hit one of the islands, NHK reported. The focus of the tremor was about...

Earthquake Off Southern Japan Triggers Tsunami Warning
What is this? A magnitude 7.4 Earthquake near the Bonin Islands off southern Japan has led that nation's Meteorological Agency to issue a Tsunami warning for the Ogasawara Islands about 500 miles from Tokyo and Tsunami advisories for some coastal areas of Japan. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says "a destructive Pacific-wide Tsunami is not expected." What is this? Please note that all comments must adhere to the NPR.org discussion rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ. You ...

Major 7.4-magnitude quake hits near Japanese islands: USGS
A major 7.4-magnitude quake struck southern Japan Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, with people in nearby coastal regions told to evacuate ahead of a possible two-metre-high Tsunami. The quake hit at 3:19 am local time (1719 GMT Tuesday), 153 kilometres (95 miles) east of Chichi-shima in Japan's remote Bonin island region and at a shallow depth of just 14 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no thr...

Strong Earthquake Hits Japan, Tsunami Warning Issued
TOKYO -- A strong Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has struck in the Pacific off southern Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a Tsunami warning from the quake, which occurred about 80 miles off the Chichi Island in the Pacific Ocean. The offshore quake struck at around 2:20 a.m. local time at the depth of 6.2 miles. The agency issued a warning for a mild Tsunami for nearby islands. There was no immediate report of any damage or injuries....

MASSIVE 7.4 Earthquake in Japan Triggers Tsunami Warnings
A massive Earthquake struck near Japan’s Bonin Islands early Wednesday. A Tsunami warning was issued. A Tsunami warning has been issued after a tremor occurred in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Japan. The United States Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.4, and was centred about 55 kilometres east of Chichi-shima in Japan’s Bonin Islands, or about 1,050 kilometres south-southeast of Tokyo. The quake was reported to have occurred almost 15 kilometres belo...

Strong earthquake hits off southern Japan
A strong Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has struck in the Pacific off southern Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a Tsunami warning from the quake, which occurred about 130 kilometers (80.6 miles) off the Chichi Island in the Pacific Ocean. The offshore quake struck at around 2:20 a.m. (1720 GMT) at the depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The agency issued a warning for a mild Tsunami for nearby islands. There was no immediate report of any damage or injuries. Ariz. ...

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes near southern Japanese island; tsunami warning issued
Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake struck off the coast of a Japanese island early Wednesday morning. A Tsunami warning was issued after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake....

Tsunami warning issued as quake hits southeast Japan
Tokyo | Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:00pm EST Tokyo (Reuters) - An Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 jolted islands in the Pacific southeast of mainland Japan on Wednesday and a Tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage, public broadcaster NHK said, adding the Tsunami warning was for waves of up to one meter (3 feet) high for the Ogasawara islands, about 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo. Small waves had already hit one of the islands...

3RD LD: M7.4 quake hits Ogasawara isles in Pacific with brief tsunami warning+
warning+ (AP) - Tokyo, Dec. 22 (Kyodo)—(EDS: UPDATING 3RD-5TH GRAFS, ADDING INFO AT LAST 2 GRAFS) An Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 hit the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo in the Pacific early Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, briefly issuing a Tsunami warning for the area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the 2:20 a.m. quake, which measured 4 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 on Hahajima and Chichijima islands in the Ogasawara is...

Strong Earthquake Near Japan Triggers Tsunami Warning
Source: NPR A strong Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has struck in the Pacific Ocean, triggering a Tsunami warning off the southern coast of Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred about 80 miles off the southern coast of Chichi Island in the Pacific Ocean. The offshore quake struck at around 2:20 a.m. local time. The U.S. Geological Survey also put the quake's magnitude at 7.4. The Japanese agency issued a Tsunami Alert of up to 6 feet for nearby islands and ...

The tsunami, the animals, and the humans
We’ve written about the coming Debt crisis of the cities and states. CBS took a look at the problem and produced a pretty good piece on 60 Minutes. Meredith Whitney says that the dominoes will begin to fall in the next 12 months, and that 50 to 100 defaults may occur. Politics seems crazy at the moment. The Democrats have spent like drunken sailors; the Republicans (with a few exceptions) refuse to talk about just how they are going to cut Debt levels and entitlements, for fear they will...

A strong earthquake hits in the Pacific Ocean off southern Japan; tsunami warning issued
You must login to comment. 'No plans' to expand Raids in Pakistan? Military asking for greater presence?...

Earthquake Off Southern Japan Triggers Tsunami Warning
What is this? A magnitude 7.4 Earthquake near the Bonin Islands off southern Japan has led that nation's Meteorological Agency to issue a Tsunami warning for the Ogasawara Islands about 500 miles from Tokyo and Tsunami advisories for some coastal areas of Japan. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says "a destructive Pacific-wide Tsunami is not expected." What is this? Please note that all comments must adhere to the NPR.org discussion rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ. You ...