Monday, December 29, 2008

Bangladesh PM, Thai PM

"Bangladesh's Hasina wins 1st election in 7 years"
Julhas Alam (AP)

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's political alliance won a landslide victory in elections aimed at restoring democracy to the troubled South Asian nation, an election official said Tuesday.

But even before the tally was complete, Hasina's opponents launched allegations of irregularities and forgery late Monday night — leading some to wonder if the election would be able to end a cycle of unrest that has made the country virtually ungovernable. The party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said it would make a formal comment on the result later Tuesday. More>>

A Thai female protester climbs as her colleagues block at the half-opened gate of the parliament to prevent riot police officers to come out to clear way for the government to declare its policy at parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008. Thailand's government, beset by months of virtual paralysis, was again at a standstill Tuesday as thousands of demonstrators loyal to exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra surrounded Parliament (AP/Apichart Weerawong).
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"Thai PM says his goal is to heal political divide"
BANGKOK, Thailand – Anti-government protesters abandoned their siege of Thailand's Foreign Ministry building on Tuesday, easing a standoff that threatened to re-ignite a long-running political crisis.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cabinet then left the building, where he had earlier given a key policy address in which he vowed to jump-start Thailand's economy, heal its political divisions and repair its tattered image. More>>

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