Ministers from dozens of nations debated rival plans for a southern Asia tsunami warning system today, as the United Nations called on countries to make good on pledges of aid to sustain the massive relief effort for last month’s disaster.

A year ago they were filming battle scenes for the movie Alexander – now six elephants are pitching in to help with the massive clean-up effort from the tsunami that devastated many of Thailand’s prime tourist destinations.

Rescuers were today ready to give up hope of finding more survivors in Indonesia’s shattered Sumatra island, one week after tsunamis wrought death and destruction on a massive scale across Asia.

The new year got off to a subdued start around disaster-ravaged Asia, where prayers frequently substituted for parties.

International teams and thousands of Thais were mounting the country’s largest ever rescue and relief operation today, with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra fearing the death toll will soar beyond 7,000.

THE United Nations last night began to mobilise what it called the biggest relief operation in its history to cope with the disaster caused by one of the worst tsunamis in history.

OF THE 12 million tourists who visited Thailand this year, many headed straight to the gems of the south to soak up the sun along tropical beaches, dive on spectacular coral reefs and indulge in a languid, sometimes lascivious, lifestyle.

Rescuers were hoping for “individual miracles” of survival as they combed the beaches and islands of southern Thailand today for missing tourists and locals swept away by earthquake-powered tidal waves.

Volunteers dragged scores of bodies from Thai beaches, inland pools and once-luxury hotels today with the prime minister saying the death toll from earthquake-powered tidal waves could pass 2,000.

Volunteers dragged scores of corpses from beaches, inland pools and once top-class hotels today with the prime minister of Thailand saying the death toll from earthquake-powered tidal waves could pass 2,000.

RESCUE teams converged on beaches and remote islands in search of the missing yesterday as authorities reported that more than 430 people, including a number of foreign tourists, were killed and 4,100 injured when earthquake-spawned tidal waves devastated idyllic resort areas of southern Thailand.

NEARLY 300 people, including a number of Western holidaymakers, were killed and more than 2,300 injured in southern Thai resorts after a major earthquake hit southeast Asia yesterday, causing tidal waves and flooding, a government disaster centre said.

Nearly 170 people were killed and more than 1,900 injured, with scores missing in southern Thai resorts after a major earthquake hit southeast Asia today.

A China Airlines passenger jet dumped its fuel after takeoff and returned to Taiwan for an emergency landing today when one of its engines vibrated strongly.