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(Continued from page 24)
• "We see light at the end of the tunnel," Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin told reporters.
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Thai anti-government protesters block major roads in bid to shut down capital, unseat leader
• BANGKOK (AP) -- Anti-government protesters aiming to shut down central Bangkok took over key intersections Monday, halting much of the traffic into the Thai capital's main business district as part of a campaign to thwart elections and overthrow the democratically elected prime minister.
• The intensified protests, which could last weeks or more, were peaceful and even festive, as people sporting "Shutdown Bangkok" T-shirts blew whistles, waved Thai flags of various sizes and spread out picnic mats to eat on the pavement. Otherwise, life continued normally in much of the capital, with most businesses and shops open.
• Still, the protests raise the stakes in a long-running crisis that has killed at least eight people in the last two months and fueled fears of more bloodshed to come and a possible army coup. The army commander has said he doesn't want to be drawn into the conflict, which broadly pits the urban middle and upper class opponents of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra against her supporters in the poorer countryside.
• The protesters are demanding that Yingluck's administration be replaced by a non-elected "people's council" which would implement reforms they say are needed to end corruption and money politics. The main opposition party has boycotted Feb. 2 elections that Yingluck has called in a bid to ease tension -- and which she would almost certainly win.
• Critics have lashed out at the moves as a power struggle aimed at bringing the Southeast Asian nation's fragile democracy to a halt. Candlelight vigils have been held to counter the shutdown and urge the election be held.
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Ahead of funeral, Israel holds state memorial for former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
• JERUSALEM (AP) -- Hundreds of Israeli VIPs and international dignitaries attended a state memorial ceremony for the late Ariel Sharon on Monday, remembering the controversial former prime minister as a fearless warrior and bold leader who devoted his life to protecting his country's security.
• U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Continued on page 26)
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