Across the World: Thailand

Year of protests ends

Thailand's year of almost relentless protests ended on New Year's Eve, bringing hopes of calmer political waters in 2009 as seemingly weakened demonstrators suspended their siege of Parliament.

Thousands of loyalists of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra walked away from protest sites late Tuesday after the new government outwitted them and succeeded in delivering a vital policy speech which the demonstrators had tried to prevent by surrounding the Parliament building.