January 14, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 23, 1427

TOKYO, Jan 13: A powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the northern Pacific on Saturday, prompting warnings for thousands of Japanese to flee for higher ground before tsunami fears eased as only small waves hit the coast.

The US cancelled an earlier tsunami alert for Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and other smaller Pacific islands issued after the huge tremor off the Russian-controlled Kuril Islands at about 0424 GMT.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre also withdrew a tsunami watch for a vast part of the Pacific basin including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua-New Guinea and Hawaii.—Agency