HUGE RALLIES SPARK THAI SHUTDOWN!

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has declared a public holiday to help security forces deal with mass anti-government protests in Bangkok.
Tens of thousands of supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have brought the streets of the capital to a near standstill.
The protesters say Mr Abhisit came into office illegally and must stand down.
They have threatened to disrupt a regional summit in the resort of Pattaya on Friday if he does not go.
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) say they will block access to the hotel where Thailand will be hosting the Asean meeting of 16 Asian leaders.
"We apologise to partners of Thailand, but we need to show them that the Thai people do not accept this government," said UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan.
Mr Abhisit declared the public holiday on Friday to enable the authorities to control the protesters and to avoid a repeat of Thursday's traffic chaos that has left thousands of commuters stranded.
In a televised address, he said he would not give in to the protesters' demands for fresh elections.
"I believe dissolving parliament under current circumstances is highly inappropriate as it is unlikely to lead to an election that helps promote a democratic image," Reuters quoted him as saying.
He has insisted that the Asean meeting will go ahead, saying that the government would "do everything to restrain" protesters.
"If there's rioting, we will have to do something. I can affirm there will be no violence starting from the government's side," he told local television on Wednesday.

The red-shirted demonstrators from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) accuse Mr Abhisit's government of being a puppet of the military.
On Wednesday, they surrounded the home of an influential royal adviser in the capital.
They have accused Gen Prem Tinsulanonda of engineering the 2006 coup that removed Mr Thaksin from power.
They have now been joined by thousands of taxi drivers, who have blocked major roads and helped paralyse traffic in parts of the city, including the busy Victory Monument junction.
Mr Jatuporn said that if the government attempted to disperse the rally by forces "red shirts will be all over every city hall".
"The country's administrative arms will be paralysed," he said.
The taxi drivers, who have supported Mr Thaksin in the past, said they could yet call more protesters onto the streets,
"We have asked more taxi drivers to do the same if Abhisit does not resign. There are thousands more of us," said spokesman Kongkiat Janpeum.
British-born Mr Abhisit came to power in December after a court ruling removed Mr Thaksin's allies from government.

Painting the protest red
Profile: Abhisit Vejjajiva

At the time, yellow-shirted anti-Thaksin protesters had closed the country's airports for a week. But the long political crisis has yet to end despite a court's removal of Mr Thaksin's allies from government.
Thailand remains deeply divided between Mr Thaksin's followers among the urban and rural poor and his foes in the traditional power cliques of the military and bureaucracy.
Mr Thaksin, who is living in an undisclosed foreign country and faces jail if he returns to Thailand, has said the protests show that the people "will not tolerate these politics any more".
The months of protests have had a significant effect on Thailand's economy and badly affected its vital tourist industry.
The Bank of Thailand has cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, the fourth reduction in four months as the country struggles with a weak economy.
BBC NEWS REPORT.