He also said Thursday afternoon that he would declare the area a catastrophe zone.

CNN: Three strong earthquakes strike Chile in quick succession

He has asked Thailand to withdraw troops from the south, to give an amnesty for insurgents and to declare the area a special administrative zone.

BBC: Thailand begins peace talks with southern rebel group

Ireland this week became the first euro-area member to declare that it would bust the stability-pact ceiling on budget deficits of 3% of GDP next year: it expects a deficit closer to 6%.

ECONOMIST: Europe and the financial crisis