THAILAND-PROTEST: Thai police have ordered anti-government protesters occupying Bangkok's
Don Muang domestic airport to leave or face arrest and fines.
The order issued today (Sunday) says protesters who gather in groups larger than five could face two years in prison.
Earlier in the day, police officials said they had begun negotiations
with leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, who have taken
over and shut down Don Muang and Bangkok's (Suvarnabhumi) international airports since last week.
The airport shutdowns have stranded more than 100 thousand travelers,
while grounding exports and threatening to cripple economic growth.
Indian government officials say Home Minister Shivraj Patil has
submitted his resignation in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks in
Mumbai.
INDIA ATTACKS: Officials say the decision follows a meeting of the ruling Congress
Party late Saturday. Patil has faced intense criticism over his
handling of India's domestic security.
India media report that National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan has also submitted his resignation (today/Sunday) in response to the attacks.
Nearly 200 people were killed in the nearly three-day siege that began
Wednesday with gun and bomb attacks at 10 locations across Mumbai.
Hundreds of people were wounded. Authorities say nine attackers were
killed. One gunman, identified as a Pakistani, was captured alive.
OBAMA-CLINTON: U.S. Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama will name Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State on Monday.
The (unnamed) officials say Mr. Obama is also expected to
confirm he is keeping Robert Gates as Defense Secretary, and name
retired Marine General Jim Jones as national security advisor.
The announcements, which have been expected, are to be made at a news conference in Chicago.
To clear the way for Clinton to head the State Department, officials
say her husband - former President Bill Clinton - has agreed to
disclose the names of all donors to his foundation.
CHINA-BURMA: China's state media say senior military officials of China and Burma
agreed on Saturday to strengthen relations between the two countries
and their armed forces.
China's official Xinhua news agency said today (Sunday)
that in a meeting Saturday between Chen Bingde - chief of the General
Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army - and his Burmese
counterpart, She Mann, the two sides agreed to enhance military and
state-to-state exchanges.
ZIMBABWE GRAVES: City officials in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, say they are offering
free graves for victims of a cholera outbreak that has swept the
country, claiming nearly 400 lives.
A grave costs about 30 dollars, a prohibitive cost for most Zimbabweans
because of the country's more than 200 million-percent inflation rate.
