Mourners observed a minute of silence yesterday to mark one year since the Indian Ocean tsunami crashed ashore in a dozen countries, devastated coastal communities and swept away at least 216,000 lives.
In Aceh, the hardest-hit area, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presided over memorial services, setting off a siren at 8:16am, to mark to moment the first waves struck on Dec. 26 last year.
The president also presided over one minute of silence at a mosque, which was the only building left standing in Ulee Lheue district town.
"Today, we are in this place to remember the tsunami disaster, a tragedy, calamity and a test for the Indonesian nation. We observe a brief moment of silence in honor of our brothers and sisters who died in the tsunami disaster," Yudhoyono told the Acehnese survivors in a speech.
"Under the blue sky, we stand together as God's children. It was under the same blue sky exactly a year ago that mother earth unleashed the most destructive power among us," he said.
After the ceremony, Yudhoyono visited a mass grave nearby where nearly 47,000 bodies of tsunami victims were buried in the days after the disaster. He also toured the sites where thousands of survivors have been housed.
But a new hope of peace in Aceh emerged after last year's disaster, Yudhoyono said, referring to a peace accord signed in August with the Free Aceh Movement.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering £100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for £100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple