Survivors and relief workers paused to note the one-month anniversary Wednesday, of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of southern Asia.
Thousands of Sri Lankans stood for a minute's silence, and television and radio stations went off the air at 9:36 a.m. local time -- the exact moment the tsunami struck the island. Sri Lanka's Tiger Tamil rebels also declared Wednesday a day of mourning.
In the Indonesian province of Banda Aceh, teachers and students opened their first day of classes since the tragedy with prayers and tears for their missing friends and colleagues.
Estimates of the total number of victims run as high as 290-thousand.
Meanwhile, the International Red Cross says it has raised enough money to help victims of the disaster and will wind down its fundraising.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.