BANGKOK - SEVERAL thousand supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra launched three days of protests on Sunday, sparking fears of a replay of the mass demonstrations that paralysed the government for months and culminated in an eight-day seizure of the capital's airports.

This time, it was Thaksin loyalists instead of his opponents who took to the streets.

HANOI - VIETNAM scored a last gasp second-leg equaliser to finish 1-1 with Thailand and clinch the Southeast Asian championship for the first time on Sunday.

With the match tied 2-2 on aggregate and seconds away from extra time, the dangerous Le Cong Vinh leapt high above the Thai defence to head home Nguyen Minh Phuong's free kick and spark wild celebrations at the My Dinh stadium.

THE grounded Singapore Flyer can only resume operations after public safety is fully assured but Law Minister K. Shanmugam does not rule out an early restart.

Speaking to reporters at a bursary awards ceremony on Sunday, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, did not say when the world's largest observation wheel would resume business.

KUALA LUMPUR - A SENIOR opposition politician withdrew his statement that people with HIV should be banned from marriage, after he was criticised by Aids activists, a report said on Sunday.

Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, of the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and chief minister of the northern state of Perak, said people with HIV should be allowed to marry and have children.