The US, Britain, Japan and Norway - the four nations leading Sri Lanka’s peace process - called on the Tamil Tigers on Friday to free 100,000 civilians they are holding. They also asked the military to stop shelling the no-fly zone.
The Thai government declared a state of emergency in the resort of Pattaya on Saturday, after anti-government protestors stormed the ASEAN summit venue. The summit was postponed indefinitely as leaders were evacuated.
Fiji's President Ratu Josefa Iloilo reappointed former coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama to head the
interim government on Saturday, less than two days after a court ruled his 2006 coup illegal.
A summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China was postponed indefinitely after thousands of Thai anti-government protestors stormed the building. A state of emergency has been declared in Pattaya.
Japanese Premier Taro Aso (pictured) has pledged $150 billion of emergency spending, worth some three percent of GDP, aimed at easing Japan's worst recession since World War II ahead of a key election later this year.
Fiji's President Ratu Josefa Iloilo (photo) announced that he had taken over the country's government Friday following a court ruling that the interim government headed by Commodore Frank Bainimarama was illegal.
Supporters of ex-Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra clashed with troops outside the venue of a summit of Asia-Pacific nations before retreating, vowing to return on Saturday. Thai officials say the meeting will go ahead as planned.
Japan is pushing for a "strong" statement on the North Korean rocket launch at a summit of Asian leaders this weekend. China said on Wednesday it did not want to discuss North Korea's rocket launch at the meeting.
The Democrat Party of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono leads in initial legislative election results but may not win a strong mandate to pursue further institutional reform in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
Iran said it would review an offer of talks on its nuclear programme with the US and five other world powers, even as it prepared to declare new progress in its controversial nuclear project.
