Wealthy Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker is the top candidate to be commerce secretary under incoming president Barck Obama, CNN reported late Wednesday.

Pritzker, 49, raised record amounts of money as national finance chairperson for Obama`s presidential campaign.

South Korean activists Thursday launched tens of thousands of leaflets attacking North Korea`s regime towards the border, ignoring threats from Pyongyang and pleas from Seoul.

`Return the abductees!` shouted Choi Sung-Young as he released a towering gas-filled balloon carrying leaflets into the wind blowing towards the heavily fortified frontier.

Democratic Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is the lead candidate to head of the Department of Homeland Security under incoming president Barack Obama, CNN reported late Wednesday.

Napolitano, 50, was elected governor of the conservative southwestern US state in 2002, and easily re-elected in 2006.

One Thai protester was killed and 22 wounded Thursday in a blast at a Bangkok demonstration site, police said, raising fears that political violence is resuming after a brief lull for a royal funeral.

Barack Obama picked former Senate leader Tom Daschle to lead his high-risk drive to end the US healthcare crisis and Wednesday stocked his White House staff with loyal campaign aides.

Democrats in the US Congress proposing an additional 25-billion-dollar bailout for ailing automakers stalled Wednesday as Republican lawmakers maintained the sector should use funds from a previous bill.

Powerful Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is to give the keynote address to his party`s congress on Thursday amid intense speculation he is planning a presidential comeback.

Putin is due to speak to the United Russia party that he leads from 0900 GMT in a speech that will be closely watched for hints of his future intentions and comments on the current financial crisis.

At least one Thai anti-government protester was killed and 21 were wounded in a pre-dawn bomb blast Thursday inside a demonstration site in Bangkok, emergency services said.

The bomb went off at 3:28 am (2028 GMT) in front of a stage at the Government House compound, which protesters from the so-called People`s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occupied in late August.

US president-elect Barack Obama Wednesday telephoned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plus the presidents of Colombia, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, his office said.

Obama returned their calls `and expressed his appreciation for their congratulations on his election,` the Democrat`s transition office said in a statement, offering no further details.

At least one Thai anti-government protester was killed and 21 were wounded in a pre-dawn bomb blast Thursday inside a demonstration site in Bangkok, emergency services said.

The bomb went off at 3:28 am (2028 GMT) in front of a stage at the Government House compound, which protesters from the so-called People`s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occupied in late August.