Asia in the news

Asia has been making headlines this week with Thailand's airport closure leading to a few thousand passengers stranded in Thailand and Mumbai's terrorist attacks. For those who are still blissfully unaware of the dramatic events, here's a quick sum-up...

On Tuesday night (25 November), anti-government protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) besieged Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in their bid to force the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Somchai. The protesters shut down Bangkok's 2nd airport on Thursday in an attempt to stop officials from flying to meet Prime Minister Somchai. PM Somchai has declared a state of emergency at the 2 beseiged airports and rejected calls for him to step down, saying that his government was legitmately and democratically elected by the people.

In Mumbai, gunmen launched coordinated attacks on multiple targets on Wednesday. Hostages were taken in the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Oberoi-Trident Hotel, and the Nariman House. A Singaporean woman was amongst the hostages held at the Oberoi Hotel. In the on-going crisis, more than 100 people were killed and about 300 injured.