Tens of thousands of supporters of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra began to mass Friday in their trademark red shirts ahead of weekend protests in Bangkok aimed at toppling the government.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the army to seal off the West Bank for 48 hours until midnight on Saturday, an army spokesman said.

Singapore's National Climate Change Secretariat is to be strengthened. It will now come under the Prime Minister's Office and be headed by a Permanent Secretary, said Senior Minister S Jayakumar.

China on Friday hit back at an attack from US President Barack Obama over currency policy, saying the yuan's value was not a political one and was not the key to global trade imbalances.

Premier League champions Manchester United signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with Telekom Malaysia on Thursday.

Australian tourism authorities are seeking five foreign couples to take part in what is touted as the world's longest, and most extraordinary, taxi ride.

With the star power of hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas and "Avatar" director James Cameron, South Korea's Samsung Electronics unveiled the world's first 3-D TV technology aimed at revolutionising the home viewing experience.

TVB general manager and host of popular talk show "Be My Guest", Stephen Chan, has been arrested along with four others by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption for alleged corruption.