New geological research suggests that the 2004 tsunami, which killed 230,000 people, was the biggest in the Indian Ocean in over 600 years. Researchers working in Thailand and northern Sumatra found evidence that the last comparably large tsunami was between 1300 and 1400.
****New York Times**** OnlineThe trial of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, ended Oct. 27. Stevens was convicted on seven felony corruption charges for failing to disclose gifts. Leaders of the Republican Party, including Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her running mate John McCain, are calling for Stevens to resign before Nov. 4.
****LA Times****
Shortly after 4 a.m. Oct. 29, tremors measuring as high as 6.5 on the Richter scale struck villages 45 miles north of Quetta, the capital of the Baluchistan province of Pakistan. The earthquake killed at least 170 people, injured hundreds of others, and destroyed houses and government buildings. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers move into more remote villages.
****Washington Post**** Online