A year after rejected Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri rammed a truck into the crowded market at Breitscheidplatz, killing 12 and wounding 70 others, the authorities have come under fire over security failings and their clumsy handling of the aftermath of the assault.

“It is true that some support came late and remained unsatisfactory,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the bereaved and emergency workers at a private church memorial for the victims.

“Many family members and injured — many of you — felt abandoned by the state,” he said, recalling the words of a mother who had lost her daughter and said no-one had comforted her after the attack.

A counsellor places a flower on the memorial as she attends the inauguration of the memorial for the victims of the 2016 deadly truck attack at the Christmas market in front of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaechtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, on December 19, 2017. // AFP PHOTO

“I can’t get those words out of my head,” he admitted, saying that the relatives’ appeal to be heard had “triggered something and set it in motion.”

In the hours following the assault, politicians had put on a brave front and repeated the mantra that Germany would not be cowed by terror.

But Steinmeier acknowledged such rhetoric had done little for the victims.

“So soon after the attack … these words don’t sound simply defiant and self-confident, but also strangely cold and detached,” he said.

– ‘We can only apologise’ –

To mark the anniversary, the popular Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz will stay shut all day out of respect for the victims.

At midday, Chancellor Angela Merkel was to inaugurate a memorial — a 14-metre (46-foot) golden crack in the ground engraved with the victims’ names.

And during the evening, there will be a public ecumenical prayer at 8:02 pm (1902 GMT) — the exact time when Amri rammed his truck into the crowded square a year ago, when people can light candles and the church’s bells will chime for 12 minutes.

But the run-up to the commemoration has been marred by criticism of the authorities by families of the victims.

A wrenching open letter by some of the bereaved accused Merkel of failing to personally offer condolences.

The chancellor held her first meeting with relatives only on Monday.

Acknowledging the criticism, Merkel said: “It is clear to me that their suffering, this complete transformation of their lives, cannot be put right.

“But nevertheless we can show compassion and will improve the things that must be improved.”

In an editorial in Tagesspiegel daily, Justice Minister Heiko Maas apologised.

“We were not sufficiently prepared to deal with the consequences of such a terror attack,” he wrote.

“For that, we can only apologise to the victims and their surviving relatives.”

– ‘Taxi costs not reimbursed’ –

Kurt Beck, who was commissioned by the government to look into the handling of the aftermath, last week outlined a litany of official failings, including taking up to three days to inform anxious relatives that their loved ones had perished and even sending the bereaved autopsy bills complete with late payment warnings.

Further adding to the embarrassment, Bild daily said the letter inviting relatives to Tuesday’s commemoration was accompanied by an information sheet stating that “taxi costs will not be reimbursed!” and urging them to use public transport instead.

A spokeswoman for Berlin authorities, Claudia Suender, told Tagesspiegel that such information was “required under budgetary and administrative law” even if she “regretted the impression it gave.”

Police also faced fierce criticism after it emerged that Amri, who arrived in Germany in 2015 and registered under several different identities, should have been deported.

On Sunday, Welt am Sonntag newspaper said the Tunisian had been under closer surveillance by Germany’s secret service than previously thought, suggesting the authorities may have left him free in order to detect his instigators.

Amri himself was shot and killed four days after the attack by police in Italy, where he had previously lived.

Senator Abdullah Mat Yasim, a division chief of the ruling Umno party, said in Parliament the fitted attire of AirAsia’s and Firefly’s female flight attendants can “arouse passengers”, the New Straits Times reported.

The “eye-catching outfits” also do not reflect the status of Islam as the official religion of Malaysia, Abdullah added according to the newspaper.

“The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) must really look into this,” Abdullah said when debating the MAVCOM (Amendment) Bill 2017 in Parliament on Monday (Dec 18).

His view was supported by Senator Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, who suggested that the airlines redesign the uniforms.

“My wife is worried whenever I fly alone on Malindo or AirAsia,” Megat, who is also general-secretary of the Malaysian National Silat Federation, quipped.

“This is a real hassle for me,” he said, drawing laughter from other members of the Dewan Negara or Parliament.

Abdullah said the flight attendant uniforms of Malindo Air, another Malaysian budget carrier, were “acceptable”, NST reported.

The uniforms are also body hugging but at least the “sensitive areas” are covered, he was quoted as saying, without specifying which areas he deemed to be “sensitive”.

Abdullah was praised by Dewan Negara deputy president Abdul Halim Abd Samad for highlighting the issue.

“This is a good topic that many people can relate to as they always take flights,” he said.

It was the second time in two weeks that flight attendant uniforms have come under the spotlight at Malaysia’s Parliament.

Last week, Senator Hanafi Mamat, who is secretary of the Kelantan Umno branch, said attendants should wear “syariah-compliant” uniforms as Malaysia is an Islamic country.

Tourists might get the wrong impression of Malaysia if flight stewardesses dress up “sexily and disrespectfully”, he said.

    Kim Jong-Hyun, a 27-year-old lead singer of the massively popular K-pop boyband SHINee, was found in a Seoul hotel room on Monday in what police said was suicide.

Kim’s close friend, musician Nain9, released a suicide note on Tuesday on her Instagram account, saying he had asked her to publish the message in the event of his death.

“I am broken from inside. The depression that gnawed on me slowly has finally engulfed me entirely,” it said, adding he “couldn’t defeat it anymore”.

“I was so alone,” he went on. “The act of ending is difficult. I’ve lived until now because of that difficulty.”

“Please tell me I did a good job,” he implored, ending the note with: “You’ve worked hard. You’ve really gone through a lot. Goodbye.”

Read : Full Text of Suicide Note

Five-member SHINee debuted in 2008 and went on to lead the “Korean Wave” that saw South Korean pop culture develop followings across Asia and beyond.

Known for peppy songs and carefully-choreographed dance numbers performed with military precision, SHINee have become one of the world’s best-known K-pop acts.

The band have released five albums that swept charts at home and abroad, with some topping the US Billboard World Albums chart.

The band’s agents SM Entertainment — which dominates K-pop and has several other top acts under its wings — said Kim’s funeral would be held on Thursday.

“Other members of SHINee as well as other artists at our company are all mourning his death amid deep sorrow and shock,” it said in a statement.

Many other K-pop stars at the firm cancelled public appearances to visit the mourning altar at a Seoul hospital where his body lies, with hundreds of tearful fans also in attendance.

“It looks certain that it was a suicide,” police told a briefing. “So we plan to close the case without autopsy as requested by the family.”

– Ultra-competitive society –

Social media was flooded by thousands of messages of mourning, with photos showing throngs of fans sobbing near a makeshift memorial set up outside the Korean embassy in Santiago, Chile.

Kim was pronounced dead shortly after being moved to a hospital. A coal briquette was found burning on a frying pan in the room where he was found — a common method of suicide in South Korea.

The country — known for its ultra-competitive society — has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with the deaths of public figures and celebrities often making headlines.

K-pop stars go through cutthroat competition and gruelling, years-long training by their agents, who dictate everything from the artists’ music style to diet regimen and even mobile phone use.

Many are also pressed to maintain squeaky-clean and wholesome images at all times, smiling throughout their public appearances and staying away from “troubles” such as romantic relationships.

Kim earlier sent his sister several text messages saying “This is my last farewell” and “Please let me go and say I did a good job”, prompting her to make an emergency phone call to police.//AFP

    Tucked behind banana trees on the banks of the city’s Red River, the men meet to shed their clothes, and modesty, for a cheeky dip, a game of chess, or yoga headstands in the buff — which they believe comes with health benefits.

“It’s important for us to come here because we want to be healthy, we call ourselves addicts,” said Nguyen Tuan Nghia, 43, a self-taught Buddhist who’s been disrobing at the meeting spot for 18 years.

For Nghia, who recently embraced Protestantism, getting naked is his way to return to infancy, making him feel like he was just “given birth (to) by Jesus or Buddha”.

Most of them have straightlaced day jobs as civil servants, journalists, or even state officials.

Many come every day — a temperature of 18 Celsius (64 Fahrenheit) did not keep a few dozen skinny dippers out of the water on a recent afternoon, though many warm up over hot tea by the fire.

They say shedding their clothes makes them feel uninhibited, a rare chance to stray from the pack in the one-party state where social compliance and strict norms are taught from a young age.

“I feel relaxed… and it’s fun. I feel at ease when I come here, I exercise and it makes me feel better when I return to my day job,” vendor Nguyen Hoang Duong, 23, told AFP wearing nothing but an army green cap.

– ‘No skin disease’ –

Though public nudity remains taboo in much of Asia, nudist swimming clubs have popped up in conservative China, and tourist-haven Thailand boasts several ‘naturalist’ retreats mostly for foreigners, while public bathhouses have long been popular across Japan and South Korea.

But nudist bathing and beach-going is rare in Vietnam, a one-party state where porn is banned and communist propaganda posters are ubiquitous.

Nudity in art, photography, film and dance is subject to strict censorship by eagle-eyed authorities, though some exhibitions featuring nudes have been given the greenlight in recent months.

None of this phases the men at Hanoi’s nudist enclave, who also brush aside concerns that the Red River might not be clean enough for swimming.

They are not worried by rising levels of trash on the river’s edge, nor do they pay much attention to reports about polluted runoff from nearby factories.

“We’ve never had any skin disease or feel itchy at all, we think it’s quite clean here,” said 67-year-old Le Duc Lam, who says his own health has improved after swimming in the river, which flows from southern China to the South China Sea east of Hanoi.

For Lam, the skinny dipping sessions under the 115-year-old Long Bien bridge, today buzzing with motorbikes, are also a chance to escape the commotion of the fast-growing capital and have a bit of fun with friends.

His group is one of a handful that meet in different spots along the waterway, including one for women to swim in the buff.

Some hope the trend will catch on.

“Vietnamese people should be more open when they talk about nudist bathing. We shouldn’t be so modest about it like in the past,” said naked bather Nguyen Thi Thuy, wearing nothing but the hair on her head.//AFP

The Southeast Asian countries flanking the Mekong river, which snakes down from the Tibetan plateau to the South China Sea, are among the most biodiverse in the world.

Each year scientists announce scores of new species discovered in the region, which includes Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

But there are fears that many more species could die out before they are found in the region whose jungle and river ecosystems are increasingly threatened by roads, dams and a thriving illegal wildlife trade.

In total, scientists confirmed 115 new species in 2016 after a lengthy vetting process, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

They include 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles, 88 plants and three mammals.

“While the global trends are worrisome, and the threats against species and their habitats here in the Greater Mekong are massive, these new species discoveries give us enormous hope,” said WWF’s Lee Poston.

“But we have to do more to protect their habitat and prevent them from entering the illegal wildlife trade,” he added.

The new finds include a bat with a horseshoe-shaped face and a snail-eating turtle discovered by a scientists in a local market in northeastern Thailand.

The Crocodile Lizard, a scaly reptile that hails from northern Vietnam’s evergreen forests, was also among the new species announced on Tuesday.

Although the reptile was first discovered in 2003, it has taken years to confirm its status as a separate subspecies.

Coal mining and pet trade poachers have gravely endangered the lizard, whose numbers are estimated to be fewer than 200, scientists said.

Two new mole species were also found in Vietnam, with researchers noting that their underground dwellings have helped protect them.

Over the past 20 years more than 2,500 new species — amounting to around two per week — have been discovered in the Greater Mekong, WWF said.

Following is the unofficial English translation of Jonghyun‘s suicide note in Korean.

I was broken from the inside.

The depression slowly chipped me away, finally devouring me.

I could not beat the negativity.

I hated myself. Even though I tried so hard demanding my memories that kept getting cut off to ‘wake up,’ all I got in return was silence.

I‘d rather stop if I cannot breathe.

I asked who could be responsible for me.

You’re the only one.

I felt utterly alone.

It is easy to say “I‘m going to end it.”

It is very difficult to actually go through with it.

I’ve been struggling through the difficulty.

I told myself that it‘s just me wanting to run away from everything.

It’s true. I really did want to run away.

From me.

From you.

I asked, “Who‘s there?” It’s me. It‘s me again. And it’s me the third time.

I asked, “Why do I keep on losing my memory?” They said it‘s due to my personality. I see. It’s all my fault.

I wanted someone to notice (my suffering), but no one knew. Of course, they wouldn‘t. They never met me before.

I asked why people live. Just. Just. They live “just because.”

If I ask why people died, they would probably say they couldn’t bear it any longer.

Troubling thoughts flooded my head. I never got the chance to learn how to change dull pain into pure joy.

Pain is just pain.

I kept reprimanding myself not to do so.

Why? Why can‘t I even end my life with my own will?

I tried figuring out the reasons for my pain and suffering.

I already had the answer. I was in pain because of me. It’s all my fault that I carry so many imperfections.

Teacher, is this what you wanted to hear?

No. I didn‘t do anything wrong.

I used to think that it’s so easy for doctors to blame your personality for the suffering in their calm voice.

It surprises me how I am feeling this much pain. Those people, who have suffered worse than I, seem to go on living perfectly fine. Those weaker than I am live on as well. I guess not. Among the living, there is no one who is suffering worse and no one who is weaker.

The only answer I got back was “just live nevertheless.”

Asking the purpose of life more than one hundred times is not for me. It‘s for you.

I wanted to do it for me.

Please don’t say things you don’t know.

How could you ask me to still look for reasons behind my pain? I told you multiple times why I‘m suffering. Do I need more reasons to be in pain? More dramatic details in my stories? More stories even?

I told you already. Were you absent-minded when I told you? Things you can bear and even come above do not leave scars.

It wasn’t my responsibility to go against the world.

It wasn‘t my path to become world-famous.

That’s why they say it‘s hard to go against the world and to become famous. Why did I choose this path? It’s quite funny now that I think about it.

It‘s a miracle that I endured through it all this time.

What more can I say. Just tell me “good job.”

You did great. Tell me I suffered enough.

Even though you can’t laugh right now, just don‘t send me off blaming me.

Good job.

You suffered a great deal.

Good-bye.

The train, which was carrying 78 passengers and five crew, was part of a newly expanded faster rail service along the route linking Seattle and Portland, Oregon — featuring new locomotives.

This image from State Trooper Brooke Bova via the official Twitter media page of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department obtained 18 December, 2017 shows the scene of an Amtrak high speed train after it derailled from an overpass on Interstate I-5 highway earlier in the day near the city of Takoma, Washington state. “Multiple” people were killed when the Amtrak passenger train derailed, sending cars flying off a bridge and onto a busy interstate, officials said.

It derailed during the morning rush hour at about 7:40 am (1540 GMT), about halfway between Tacoma and Olympia, the capital of Washington state.

“There’s multiple fatalities,” said Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

“It’s pretty horrific,” he said.

This CCTV image released on the Twitter account of the Washington State Department of Transport (@wsdot_tacoma) shows a high speed train after it derailled from an overpass on Interstate I-5 highway on December 18, 2017 in Pierce County, Washington state. An Amtrak passenger train derailed early Monday in Washington state near the city of Tacoma, with one car dropping down onto a busy interstate highway, officials and witnesses said. // AFP PHOTO

Troyer put no number on the fatalities, but local media said at least three people were killed. None of the people in vehicles travelling on the highway below the train were killed, according to Troyer.

Local news outlets reported that dozens of people were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

“When we got to the scene, it was obvious there were fatalities and injuries, and some people were able to get off the train,” Troyer said.

“No fatalities on the roadway. As you can see by the large response, we have taken them out and people that were able to walk are under the tents being cared for by multiple groups,” he said.

Photographs posted online from the scene showed multiple cars having derailed from the train. At least two dropped onto the roadway below, a busy highway that connects Olympia to the busy Seattle metro area just to the north.

A worker walks the tracks at the scene of a Amtrak train derailment on December 18, 2017 in DuPont, Washington. // AFP PHOTO

The accident snarled morning rush hour traffic and officials warned the highway, Interstate 5, would be blocked in that area for a long period of time.

“We had just passed the city of DuPont and it seemed like we were going around a curve,” passenger Chris Karnes told local CBS News affiliate KIRO-TV.

“All of a sudden, we felt this rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill,” said Karnes, adding that several cars had gone off the tracks and passengers kicked out the windows to escape.

“The next thing we know, we’re being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there’s water gushing out of the train. People were screaming.”

Karnes said the tracks were supposed to have been upgraded to accommodate higher speeds.

“I’m not sure what happened,” he said.

Isabelle, a Grade 12 student at Ateneo de Davao, is the first granddaughter of President Duterte. She is the vice mayor’s first child with his ex-wife Lovelie Sangkola Sumera.

Photos posted by members of her style team on Instagram showed a stunning Isabelle posing inside the Palace and on its grounds in different gowns, including a voluminous, off-shoulder red one by Dubai-based designer Garimon Roferos.

One photo showed her in a pink gown posing before the seal of the President and beside the Philippine flag. In another photo, she was in a red gown at the carpeted hallway leading to Rizal Hall, the venue for many of the official events held at the Palace.

A third photo showed her in a floral dress before the fountain at the Palace’s grounds.

Isabelle captured the attention of some netizens for her princess-like beauty in what appeared to be her fairy-tale palace.

But she also earned the ire of other social media users who saw the Palace as an inappropriate venue for her predebut photo shoot.

Nonissue

According to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the pre-debut photo shoot of the President’s granddaughter in Malacañang is actually a non issue.

Roque said he did not think any law was violated.

“For me, there’s nothing wrong with the President’s granddaughter posing for birthday pictures in Malacañang,” he told reporters.

Roque said Duterte could have opted to live in the Palace and bring his entire family with him, but he did not. When he is in Manila, Duterte resides at Bahay Pagbabago, the former clubhouse of the Malacañang Golf Club.

“I think his relatives, including his own grandchildren, can have their pictures taken in Malacañang,” he said.

Party venue?

“I don’t think it should be an issue because they should be living in Malacañang but they chose not to do so. They’re like ordinary citizens who can have their pictures taken in Malacañang,” he said.

Roque also defended the birthday party of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and the baptism reception for Robin Padilla’s daughter held at the Malacañang complex last month.

The Palace did not spend public funds for these events, as the expenses were shouldered by the celebrators, he said.

“But if they want to invite the President, it should be held at Malago because the President does not want to cause traffic gridlocks. I repeat, no government funds were spent for these parties,” he said.

The President would rather not go out for social events, he said.

“So if you want to be with the President, you would come here and bring your own caterer,” he said.

Asked if Malacañang was becoming a party venue, he replied: “There are people close to him who the President wants to spend some time with.”

Velasco’s party was held at the Malacañang Park, while the reception for Padilla’s daughter was at Malago Clubhouse last month. Duterte was a guest at both events.

Velasco and his friends had shared photos of his 40th birthday celebration on Instagram, during which he also took his oath as a Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan member.

Padilla’s wife, Mariel, also posted photos of the reception for daughter Isabella on social media.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport sustained a power outage shortly after 1:00 pm today,” the airport said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had put a “ground stop” on flights inbound for Atlanta, meaning they are held at the airports from which they were to depart.

“The FAA Tower can operate normally, however, departures are delayed because airport equipment in the terminals is not working,” it said on Twitter.

About 11 hours after first reporting a power disruption, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said on its Twitter account that power has been restored on all concourse.

Giving an idea of how many people were affected, the airport added: “5,000+ meals are being delivered to passengers. Trains will be operational soon.”

Theories for what might have caused the outage circulating online included a power line cut by a construction crew and a fire near the intra-terminal train.

But the airport said that “the cause of the incident remains under investigation.”

Flightview.com, which tracks air travel data, listed hundreds of flights as being delayed or canceled, and a bar graph on the site showed more than 80 percent of departing flights at the airport and 80 percent of arriving flights as being late.

Another aircraft tracking site, flightstats.com, also reported widespread Atlanta delays.

Photos and video posted on social media showed people walking through darkened corridors at the airport, with windows only partially cutting through the gloom.

Those stuck at the airport were predictably not amused.

“I haven’t eaten since 8AM central. I feel great. #AtlantaAirport,” one user tweeted.

Others said they were waiting on the tarmac: “Atlanta airport doesn’t have power. I’m trapped on the runway, I’m hungry, and slightly buzzed….. Send help!!!”

And some said people were not being permitted to leave the airport, including a mother who tweeted: “My kid is trapped with the others at the Atlanta airport. No one is allowed to leave. Isn’t this kidnapping?”//AFP

The panda named Xiang Xiang — derived from the Chinese character for “fragrance” —  has sparked a media frenzy since its birth on June 12 at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo.

Broadcasters aired live footage of the cub nimbly climbing a tree and chomping on bamboo in a special cage.

Along with local schoolchildren, selected media were permitted to watch and film the panda through a glass shield.

The public will get their first chance to see Xiang Xiang on Tuesday, the zoo’s first baby panda exhibition since 1988.

“Xiang Xiang has been thriving with the loving nurturing by mum Shin Shin,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said at a ceremony, describing the baby as “a new treasure of Tokyo”.

The panda cub weighs 12.3 kilos (27 pounds) and is the size of a medium-sized dog, zoo officials said, adding that it is in good health.

In order to reduce stress on the panda and avoid crowds, the zoo will limit the maximum number of visitors to 2,000 a day for a one- to the two-minute slot until the end of January.

The zoo received nearly 250,000 applications for a lottery to see Xiang Xiang.

For avid panda fans who miss out, the zoo will offer a live stream of Xiang Xiang’s daily life from Tuesday for a year.

Mum Shin Shin, which mated with Ri Ri in February, had previously given birth in 2012 — the zoo’s first panda delivery in 24 years — only for the cub to die from pneumonia six days later.

Zookeepers have since given the adult pandas some private space in a bid to create an environment for the bashful creatures to mate successfully — a notoriously difficult process.

Until recently considered an endangered species, it is estimated that around 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild, in three provinces in central China.//AFP