Thailand

A vehicle carrying Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was attacked by anti-government protesters Tuesday as turmoil intensified in Thailand days ahead of a key regional summit. A group of 50 protesters smashed the rear window and pummeled Abhisit's driver and bodyguards while the vehicle was stopped at a red light, according to local media reports and witnesses.

The leader of one of the biggest ethnic groups fighting Myanmar's military government was killed at his home in this border town Thursday, police said. Karen National Union General Secretary Mahn Sha, 64, was shot by two men, possibly as the result of differences within the rebel group, Thai police Col. Pasawat Tangjui said. No one has claimed responsibility.

Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned today from 17 months in exile, and police immediately took him into custody on corruption charges at an airport where thousands of supporters awaited his arrival. Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire ousted in September 2006, could face a maximum of 15 years in prison on corruption charges in two cases that date to his time in office. "I have to restore my reputation, which has been tarnished by the coup," he said.

The long hunt for a man regarded as one of the world's most notorious arms dealers climaxed Thursday in Bangkok, Thailand, where an eight-month sting operation by a team of U.S. agents led to the capture and arrest of Russian businessman Viktor Bout during an alleged attempt to supply Colombian rebels with weapons and explosives. Bout was taken into custody by Thai police at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, where, U.S.

Don Chew leaned in close, crinkled his nose and offered a Cheshire smile that threatened to envelop his face. Yes, he said, he is well aware that his grand dream -- a foreign man pioneering badminton, a foreign sport, in a foreign land -- has been preposterous from the start. But, he said, here's the thing: "It's all coming true." Chew's American tale has its roots in his native Thailand. It incorporates faces from Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters left at least two people dead Tuesday and hundreds injured as tear gas, gunshots and Molotov cocktails filled central Bangkok, officials and witnesses said. A crackdown on the People's Alliance for Democracy movement erupted into a day of rioting at Thailand's besieged government complex. "I came to protest, and then the police used violence against the people. I saw my uncle and aunt hit with tear gas.

A protest group seeking to unseat Thailand's government was buoyed Thursday by court rulings that ordered insurrection charges dropped against its leaders and called for the authorities to use "soft means" to quell demonstrations. The court actions came after violent clashes Tuesday between police and protesters. Much of the media and professional and academic groups said the government had used unnecessary force.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was convicted of corruption Tuesday and sentenced to two years in prison, a ruling that may embolden anti-government protesters. Thaksin said the charges, which involve a real estate purchase by his wife, were politically motivated. Prosecutors said they would try to extradite him from Britain. Thaksin, 59, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, remains the nation's most influential politician.

Hundreds of protesters seeking to topple Thailand's prime minister seized Bangkok's international airport terminal Tuesday, forcing cancellation of all flights. Members and supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy stormed through police lines at Suvarnabhumi Airport and into the fourth-floor departure area, according to reports from Bangkok. They were armed with metal rods, sticks and golf clubs. That forced officials initially to suspend outbound flights.

Thailand's beleaguered Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Thursday declared a state of emergency around two Bangkok airports occupied by protesters but insisted he wanted a peaceful resolution to the crisis. "I do not have any intention to hurt any members of the public," he said in announcing the targeted restrictions on civil liberties aimed at reopening the country's main international airport.