Brazil's president is in Iran to hold talks with its leaders in what is seen as a last ditch attempt to find a compromise over the nuclear issue.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived from Moscow, where he met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

US officials have warned they are close to securing agreement on a new package of sanctions against Iran in the UN security council.

Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Diplomatic effort

President Lula's visit to Tehran has been described by both senior American and Russian officials as the last chance for a compromise before new sanctions are imposed on Iran.


I must now use everything I have learned over my long political career to convince my friend Ahmadinejad to come to an agreement with the international community
President Lula

The Brazilian president will be trying to encourage Iran to agree to a deal under which its existing stocks of enriched uranium are shipped out of the country and converted to fuel for a research reactor.

This will prevent the material from being available to make a nuclear bomb.

Iran has given mixed messages about such a deal, suggesting that it is still open to the idea, but then imposing conditions the West feels are unacceptable.

For his part, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be hoping to persuade the Brazilians to use their seat on the UN Security Council to vote against new sanctions.

Mr Ahmadinejad had been hoping to have a similar conversation with the Turkish prime minister, but Turkey is now indicating that he probably will not travel to Tehran, possibly following pressure from Washington.
Iran has been mounting a big diplomatic effort to prevent the new sanctions - the foreign minister has been travelling to all 15 members of the security council.

But President Ahmadinejad is in a weak position following the dispute over his re-election last year.

It is not clear that he could deliver a compromise deal, even if he wanted to.

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The government will impose a curfew in Bangkok, Thai officials said Sunday, as clashes between troops and anti-government protesters continue.

Officials will meet to determine the time and exact location at 2:30 p.m. (0730 GMT).

No one will be allowed in the streets during the curfew, Col. Sunsern Kaewkamnerd of the Center for Resolution of Emergency Situation said in a televised announcement Sunday afternoon.

The public will have until 3 p.m. Monday to leave the area, he said. Men will need to register before leaving, while women and children can leave without registering.

He added that soldiers have been authorized to open fire when armed people approach within a certain distance.

At least eight people were killed on Saturday as Thai security forces declared a "live firing zone" in downtown Bangkok following days of deadly clashes with anti-government protesters.

Saturday's fatality takes the total number of deaths to 25 since a government-backed clampdown on protesters exploded into violence on Thursday. More than 150 people have been wounded, according to emergency officials.

In a televised address, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said a small group of protesters among the opposition "Red Shirts" was trying to foment civil war.

The prime minister urged the citizenry to understand and embrace the government's stance. The country couldn't allow the rule of law to fail, he said, warning that the longer the protests continued, the higher the risk for the public.

"The government proposed a reconciliation plan but it was rejected," Abhisit said. "This benefits no one. It only benefits a small group which wants to harm the country and lead it to civil war. It is unbelievable that they use peoples lives for political advantage."

Abhisit also said that due to the unrest, students in Bangkok will return to school for the new semester on May 24 -- a week after the scheduled reopening on Monday.

Thousands of Red Shirts, who support ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have been occupying a central area of the city for weeks in a show of opposition to Abhisit.

The escalating unrest prompted the U.S. Embassy to issue a travel warning Saturday advising Americans to defer travel to Bangkok, spokeswoman Cynthia Brown told CNN.

Several other western embassies, including the UK, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands have also advised against travel to Bangkok.
Video: Bangkok street battle
Video: Violent clashes continue in Thailand
Video: Violence escalates in Bangkok
Video: Dead, wounded in Bangkok
Video: Battle zone in Bangkok
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Tensions remained high Saturday, with protesters yelling and screaming as they stood behind barricades of tires, spikes and bamboo poles.

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But a military spokesman said security forces planned to put the protesters under more pressure Saturday as they cordoned off an area of several square kilometers, CNN's Sara Sidner reported.

"In the next few days, they will be stepping up their security measures," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, the acting Thai government spokesman.

Security forces rolled out razor wire and erected warning signs as they surrounded the area where the protesters have been clustered, CNN's Dan Rivers reported. He said Thai troops had also come under fire although it was unclear who was shooting at them.

"There's been quite a fierce gunfight where we are in the northwest corner of this zone that they have tried to surround a Ratchaprarop Road which has been declared a live fire zone by the army," said Rivers.

"There are signs up all along it warning residents to stay indoors, that there is live ammunition being used. We've been effectively pinned down while the army tries to deal with incoming fire. We're not sure who's firing on them but it's certainly been a very volatile situation with lots of explosions and gunfire going on."

Sidner, a few kilometers away inside the security force's cordon reported witnessing two people shot. Both appeared to be unarmed she said. Those present at the scene claimed rooftop snipers were responsible for the shootings, she said.

"The protesters clearly blame the army for the deadly force," said Sidner. "There is no way to know for sure who exactly is doing the shooting but neither of the people we saw injured were armed."

On the scene: Bangkok at boiling point

The Thai capital has been in chaos since Thursday, beset by gunfire, tear gas and stone-throwing that boiled over after Thai authorities set a new deadline to seal off the Bangkok intersection where protesters have gathered by the thousands for the past month.

What are protests about?

A government official said Thai forces were slowly getting control of the downtown area, with video footage showing soldiers shooting rounds toward the area with protesters. Among those wounded on Friday was a journalist from a French television station who was shot in the leg.

The government said it was forced to take action after demonstrators disregarded an ultimatum by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to vacate the intersection by Wednesday.

Wattanayagorn said Friday that security forces who have been the objects of attacks have no choice but to respond.

He told reporters that forces have been dutifully following the rules of engagement, which allow them to use live ammunition to protect themselves and their comrades. He assured Bangkok residents and foreigners that the forces have no intention of harming anyone.

The government, he said, is "very confident" it will be able to "stabilize the situation" and get it "under control very soon." Also, he said the prime minister is looking forward to working with others in hammering out reforms.

The United Front for Democracy, the formal name of the Red Shirt opposition, has been demanding that Abhisit dissolve the lower house of Parliament and call new elections. The Red Shirts support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup.
Tensions ramped up when Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol -- a renegade general better known as Seh Daeng, which means Red Commander -- was shot and wounded by a sniper's bullet Thursday, leaving him in critical condition.

Brown, of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, said that family members of embassy personnel had been offered voluntary departure. She said the embassy would remain closed on Monday and that staff were assessing the situation "day to day."