Thailand cancels state of emergency in bid to calm protests

Thailand’s prime minister has pleaded with his compatriots to resolve their political differences through Parliament, as student-led protests seeking to bring his government down continued for an eighth straight day (Sakchai Lalit/AP)

Thailand’s government has cancelled a state of emergency it declared last week for Bangkok in a gesture offered by the embattled prime minister to cool massive student-led protests seeking democracy reforms.

The decree had banned public gatherings of more than four people and allowed censorship of the media, among other provisions. It was challenged in court by an opposition party and a group of university students.