Asia UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made an impassioned appeal for nearly a billion dollars of immediate aid for countries stricken by the Asian tsunami disaster as the embattled head of the world body took charge of coordinating the world's response to the tragedy. Asia The main hospital in Indonesia's tsunami-devastated Aceh province tentatively reopened amid optimism from the government that most survivors' immediate needs were now being met. Asia The European Union pledged an extra 350 million euros, or 461 million dollars of aid to the victims of the tsunami disaster, bringing to roughly two billion dollars the bloc's total commitment to relief efforts. Asia As world leaders pooled minds and resources here to cope with the aftermath of one of the worst natural catastrophes in modern history, countries devastated by the Asian tsunamis banded together in a bid to prevent the disaster from ever recurring. Asia The UN health agency raised its cash appeal to ward off health threats to tsunami victims in south Asia to 66 million dollars, as it urged vigilance against outbreaks of disease. Asia Indian activists called for a one year adoption ban to prevent human traffickers from exploiting children orphaned in the tsunami disaster for cheap labour or the sex trade. G8 Britain will use its presidency of the G8 group of industrialised nations to push for a modern day Marshall Plan delivering full debt cancellation, trade benefits and financial assistance for the world's poorest countries, finance minister Gordon Brown said. Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi extended the country's emergency law for 30 days to guard against attacks in the run-up to the nation's January 30 elections. Mideast Palestinian presidential election favourite Mahmud Abbas travelled to the main northern West Bank city of Nablus on the penultimate day of campaigning as Israeli right-wingers threatened to sabotage the ballot in east Jerusalem. SAfrica Former South African president Nelson Mandela said his son Makgatho had died of AIDS.