Officials From 39 Countries Meet To Discuss Disaster Risk Reduction Last Updated: 03 Dec 2008 Officials from 39 Asian countries are in Kuala Lumpur to discuss policies to help reduce the impact of disasters. The United Nations estimate that natural disasters cost Asian countries over US$2.95 billion in damages in the first six months of this year alone, with about 228 000 lives lost and over 109 million people affected. According to experts, the numbers affected could have been significantly reduced if risk reduction action plans had been put in place. They explain scientists have the tools to predict cyclones and earthquakes but the information is not disseminated quickly enough.   China’s Hu Attends the G-20, APEC, and Conducts Four State Visits Last Updated: 02 Dec 2008 Download here (.doc)   Freezing Pakistani Quake Survivors Wait For Aid Last Updated: 30 Oct 2008 Thousands of villagers in southwest Pakistan waited for aid in freezing conditions Thursday after a powerful earthquake that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 215 people. The 6.4-magnitude pre-dawn quake on Wednesday flattened mud-brick houses and triggered landslides in the impoverished province of Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan, killing or injuring their occupants as they slept. International and Pakistani agencies were struggling to get help to survivors who spent the night in the open, with rescuers discovering more victims as they reached remote villages that had still not seen any aid. "The total I had last night was 215 dead. This figure may go up as there were whole families who disappeared in the disaster," provincial revenue minister Zamarak Khan told AFP.   Australia Boosts Bio-Security Defenses Last Updated: 16 Sep 2008 Australia has opened a new National Center for Bio-Security to build its defenses against infectious diseases and biological weapons. Medical experts say it will help protect the country from threats such as SARS and bird flu as well as attacks by terrorists or rogue scientists. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports. The new bio-security center adds another layer to Australia's counterterrorism defenses. Its researchers will look at ways to combat biological warfare, naturally occurring diseases and the theft or misuse of sensitive research on micro-organisms. In addition, they will study the dangers posed by synthetic biology, where a virus or bacteria can be created from scratch. The center's work will concentrate on 22 bacteria, viruses and poisons that the Australian government considers "agents of concern".   World Food Program To Resume Aid Flights To Myanmar Last Updated: 09 May 2008 The World Food Program said that two relief flights will be sent to Myanmar on Saturday, just hours after suspending flights due to "unacceptable restrictions" by the government. "The World Food Program has decided to send in two relief flights as planned tomorrow, while discussions continue with the government of Myanmar on the distribution of the food that was flown in today, and not released to WFP," Nancy Roman, WFP director of public policy and communications, said Friday. She added that enough high-energy biscuits to feed 21,000 people, which were airlifted on Thursday, have been delivered over the last 24 hours to some of the worst hit areas. Earlier Friday, the WFP suspended aid flights into Myanmar because of "unacceptable" restrictions imposed by the country's military rulers.