Stone 'So Sorry' About Quake Karma Crack

So rest easy, California, your risk is no higher than normal

(NEWSER) - Over the past 15 months, large earthquakes have struck China , Haiti , Chile , New Zealand , Japan , and Burma . But those quakes weren't connected, and they won't trigger any other big ones, seismologists say. A new study shows that, even when they seem linked, large and distant quakes likely aren't—and while they can trigger smaller quakes, sometimes even in far-away locations, they won't trigger other big quakes. More»

People of Tibetan region left without shelter in freezing temperatures

(NEWSER) - Tens of thousands of survivors spent the night in freezing temperatures after yesterday's earthquake on the Tibetan Plateau. The Chinese military is rushing in tents, food, and medical supplies, but the cold temperatures mean hope is fading for those still trapped in the ruins of schools and monasteries, Reuters reports. The death toll stands at 600 but is certain to rise sharply, authorities say. More»

Tan Zuoren sentenced to 5 years on subversion charges

(NEWSER) - A Chinese activist who blamed shoddy construction for the deaths of thousands of schoolchildren in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for subversion. Tan Zuoren was charged for a document he wrote on the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square, but supporters believe he was prosecuted because of his efforts to draw attention to poorly built schools, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Rare animals will return to Sichuan preserve by 2012

(NEWSER) - Sixty giant pandas displaced after a massive earthquake rocked China last year will head home to their nature preserve, reports Xinhua. China is pouring $55 million into rebuilding the endangered animals' Sichuan Province base that previously housed 63 pandas. One died in the quake, one went missing, and one died of illness. More»

(NEWSER) - Ai Weiwei, China's leading artist and a prominent critic of the country's government, said yesterday he was beaten and detained when he tried to testify at a civil rights advocate's trial. Ai told the New York Times that dozens of police officers barged into his hotel room in Chengdu, the capital of earthquake-rocked Sichuan province. The artist, famous for his design of the Bird's Nest stadium has been leading efforts to account for the deaths of children in last year's quake. More»