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MUMBAI, India – Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, a crowded train station and a Jewish center, killing at least 101 people and holding Westerners hostage in coordinated attacks on India's commercial center that were blamed on Muslim militants. Dozens of people were still trapped or held captive Thursday.
Police and gunmen were exchanging occasional gunfire at two luxury hotels and dozens of people were believed held hostage or trapped inside the besieged buildings. Pradeep Indulkar, a senior official at the Maharashtra state Home Ministry said 101 people were killed and 314 injured.
Among the dead were at least one Australian, Japanese and British national he said. Officials said eight militants had also been killed in the coordinated attacks on at least 10 sites that began around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Gunmen also seized the Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-orthodox Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch. Indian commandos surrounded the building Thursday morning and witnesses said gunfire was heard from the building....(read the rest in below link)
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and in neighbouring thailand where a standoff between protesters and the government is leading towards more fighting and possible deaths:
Meeting with the prime minister in Chiang Mai, 350 miles (570 kilometers) north of Bangkok, the Cabinet would consider both an emergency decree or the use of a tough internal security law, government spokesman Nattawut Sai-kua said.
"We have to consider these legal options to solve the crisis," he said before the afternoon meeting.
There also was speculation in the Thai media that the prime minister might remove the powerful army chief, Anupong Paochinda, who called Wednesday for the dissolution of Parliament and new elections to resolve the deepening political crisis.
Protesters, who are demanding the resignation of the prime minister, have occupied Bangkok's international airport since Tuesday night, forcing the cancellation of all flights. On Thursday, they also forced the domestic airport to close in a bid to prevent government ministers from getting to the cabinet meeting.... (read the rest in below link)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081127/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_political_unrest
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so, in a way, we are thankful that in malaysia we have not descended into such chaos, lawlessness and madness. it is a fine line that some people choose to cross by arguing that it is ok to take violence into their hands in order to achieve their means. can this be legitimate? No. it should be 'by all means to achieve the ends' but 'not achieving the ends with whatever costs'! violence is not the road we malaysians take to achieve our ends (remember may 13). peaceful demonstrations, yes, but not violence.
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