Thai Troops Prepare to Storm Airport

The Thai government has declared a state of emergency and is preparing to storm Bangkok's international airport, the Times of London reports. Officials are attempting to negotiate a peaceful solution with representatives of thousands of anti-government protesters who have occupied the city’s two airports since Tuesday—but 30 medical teams are on standby in case of a bloody confrontation.

The protesters have pledged to remain until Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns, a call he has repeatedly rejected during the People's Alliance for Democracy’s six-month protest campaign. The state of emergency covers only the two airports, and officials have vowed that the move is only temporary. “The government is not intending to hurt anybody—it’s just facilitating official works,” Somchai said last night.
(More Thailand stories.)