INDIA - ATTACKS: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the perpetrators of
coordinated attacks on the financial capital Mumbai were likely based
outside the country.
Mr. Singh addressed the nation today a day
after gunmen attacked 10 sites in the city, killing about 100 people
and wounding about 300. Without specifying another nation, he said he
will tell "neighbors" that the use of their territory for launching
terrorist attacks will not be tolerated.
As Mr. Singh was speaking, Indian security forces were moving through
two luxury hotels -- The Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi-Trident -- in
an attempt to free hostages and find remaining gunmen.
INDIA ATTACKS - ECONOMY: India closed its stock and commodity markets today following a deadly terrorist attack on the country's financial center, Mumbai. A spokesman for the Bombay Stock Exchange said officials decided to close the market because of the ongoing crisis, and the government's advice that people stay home. The National Stock Exchange is also closed. Indian-linked stocks fell today during trading in Singapore. And an analyst quoted by the Bloomberg news service says he expect the value of the Indian currency, the rupee, to fall in trading today.
INDIA ATTACKS SDBR - REAX: The international community has condemned the terror attacks in the
Indian financial capital, Mumbai.
The White House said the United States is ready to help the Indian
government, and President George Bush offered condolences to the
victims' families. A spokeswoman for U.S. President-elect Barack Obama issued a statement saying the coordinated attacks on
innocent lives demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.
The Pakistani government said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani
expressed sorrow for the victims of the attack.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan officials say a suicide car bomb exploded today near the U.S. embassy in Kabul, killing four Afghans. A health ministry spokesman says 18 other people were wounded in the attack. The U.S. embassy was hosting a foot-race for the Thanksgiving holiday and some foreigners were arriving at the time of the explosion. An Interior spokesman (Zamary Bashary) says officials believe the attacker was targeting a convoy of foreign troops. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack. Foreigners in Kabul have been targeted in a string of recent kidnappings and shootings.
THAILAND - PROTEST: Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has declared a state of emergency at Bangkok's two airports, which have been taken over by anti-government protesters. The decision was made today during a Cabinet meeting far away from the capital in the northern city of Chiang Mai. The meeting was held to discuss ongoing protests that have stopped flights at the capital's Suvarnabhumi international airport and Don Mueang domestic airport. A state of emergency would allow the prime minister to suspend some civil liberties and use the army to clear protesters from the two airports.
THAILAND - ASEAN: Thailand says it may have to postpone a regional meeting set to take place next month because of the anti-government protests. The Thai foreign minister says today the unstable political situation in Bangkok may make hosting the annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in mid-December too difficult. Officials from Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos first suggested postponing the summit, saying it is important that it be successful. The three countries have already contacted the ASEAN secretary-general with their concerns.
US - THANKSGIVING: Millions of Americans are celebrating the annual Thanksgiving Day
holiday today with a traditional feast with friends and
family. Thanksgiving, which is held in the United States on the fourth
Thursday
of November, is one of the biggest travel weekends of the year. The
holiday is centered on a meal usually including turkey or ham, squash,
cranberry dressing, and pumpkin pie. The U.S. space agency NASA says
even the astronauts and a Russian
cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station will celebrate the
holiday with a special freeze-dried meal of the traditional foods.
Listen to our World News for details.
