Free Republic

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has visited the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh. Mr Howard toured the main hospital in the regional capital, Banda Aceh, before meeting Australian aid workers. He then talked to senior Indonesian officials about aid and further co-operation. Australia is one of the largest donors to tsunami-affected areas, having pledged A$1bn ($773m) to relief efforts in Indonesia. Australia's large contribution to disaster relief has raised hopes of an easing in longstanding tensions between the two countries. Relations were strained when Australia led a multi-national force to return law and order to East Timor in 1999, after...

Three people died and 24 were injured in a train collision in the Latvian capital, Riga. An empty Moscow to Riga train reversing towards a depot collided with a commuter train on Wednesday. The front carriage of the first train has been seriously damaged, and it took several hours for rescue teams to access its interior. Investigators say that the collision occurred because one of the drivers failed to notice red stop lights. Twelve people have been rushed to hospitals from the scene, three of them in a serious condition. Another 12 suffered light injuries and went home after receiving...