Leaders of demonstrations that plunged Thailand’s capital into chaos said today they were calling off their protests after combat troops ringed their last stronghold.

The Thai prime minister rejected calls for his resignation by thousands of anti-government protesters who ringed his office for a second day in a boisterous rally.

More than 300,000 travellers were today stranded in Thailand, trapped in the siege of Bangkok’s two airports by anti-government demonstrators.

A grenade attack on anti-government protesters occupying the Thai prime minister’s office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early today.

Britain will be asked to extradite former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra after he was convicted of corruption charges today.

Thai riot police today clashed with thousands of protesters who barricaded Parliament and vowed to block the government from leaving.

Police fired tear gas canisters today at several thousand demonstrators trying to bar politicians from Thailand’s Parliament, injuring scores of them and heating up a political crisis that has gripped the country for six weeks.

A brother-in-law of deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra was elected the new prime minister of Thailand in a parliamentary vote today.

Thailand’s prime minister was forced to resign today along with his Cabinet after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had broken a conflict-of-interest law by hosting TV cooking shows while in office.

Thailand’s beleaguered prime minister defended himself today against accusations that he broke the law by hosting a television cooking show while in office, an offence that could force him to resign.

Thai police today warned students to avoid street protests after a gunman shot and wounded two students demonstrating against the country’s prime minister, raising new fears of violence in the country’s tense political crisis.

Embattled prime minister Samak Sundaravej called the political crisis in Thailand a shameful embarrassment for the country today, but vowed not to resign or dissolve parliament, saying it was his job to protect democracy.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej vowed today that he will not resign despite growing pressure for him to step down as anti-government protesters occupied his headquarters for a fifth day.

THAI police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand anti-government protesters who were besieging city police headquarters.

THOUSANDS of Thai protesters stormed a state- run TV station and the seat of government yesterday, in what Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said was an effort to provoke another coup.

About 1,000 protesters, demanding the resignation of the prime minister, have broken through a police cordon around Thailand’s seat of government which the demonstrators vow to peacefully besiege.

Thousands of protesters marched through Buenos Aires demanding Argentinian authorities solve the case of a missing man.

THE Thai army took control of Bangkok last night without a shot being fired, dismissed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, revoked the constitution and promised a swift return to democracy — after political reforms.

The Thai military launched a coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tonight, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of television stations and declaring a provisional authority loyal to the king.

Thailand’s prime minister vowed today to declare an emergency if anti-government protesters in the capital turned violent, as tens of thousands massed near his office demanding he resign over corruption allegations.

Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra marched to the Thai leader’s office today after a boisterous rally accusing him of corruption and abuse of power.

Thousands of Argentines poured into the streets after the government froze more savings accounts to protect banks from a run by panicked depositors.

Argentina teetered on the brink of economic collapse today after anti-government protests and looting prompted the president to declare a state of siege and the entire cabinet to resign.