Roundup: Protesters agree to end Thai airport occupation; Venice still under water; SoCal Christmas tree battle

Here for you this morning are quick updates on the Thailand airport situation and the floodwaters in Venice, Italy. Plus, see the latest multimedia coverage of Mexico’s drug war, and, more locally, an L.A. Times blogger offers some seasonal sites — merry and green — to keep an eye out for.

[Click on the photo above to see a gallery of the Venice flooding]

Thailand | Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ordered Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his government to step down. Read more about the current situation in “Thailand court dissolves governing party, sanctions premier.” The People’s Alliance for Democracy protesters, who seized Suvarnabhumi International Airport last week, have reportedly agreed to end their occupation. Though the airport has opened to cargo traffic, it is not expected to open to passengers again until Dec. 15 or after.

Venice | Northern Italy’s “City of Bridges,” which Monday suffered its worst flooding in over two decades, causing 3,000 to evacuate, found itself inundated by waters for a second day due to a new tide, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP). But, the agency reported, city officials expect a return to normal before the end of the day. Buildings damaged in the flood thus far include first-floor shops and the Basilica di San Marco crypt, as reported by the Irish Times.

Mexico | Nearly 6,300 people have died since 2007 as a result of the drug-related violence in Mexico. See Los Angeles Times’ extensive coverage of the ongoing crisis, and be sure not to miss the Questions and Answers section, where LAT reporters appear on video to discuss the issues.

Los Angeles | Which one do you fancy? There’s the Los Angeles City Hall beauty, which hails from Mt. Shasta. And then there’s the Newport Beach mall’s white fir, looming over us from a whopping 115-foot height. And contenders stand at The Grove, South Coast Plaza, and the Beverly Hills Hotel, among other locations. See “Battle of the Los Angeles area Christmas trees” in the Los Angeles Times L.A. Now blog.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: A flooded St. Mark's Square. Credit: Sebastiano Casellati AFP / Getty Images]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 8:44 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Asia, California, Europe, Good Morning, Italy, Los Angeles, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.