International Headlines

Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 05:02:07 -0400

>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 21 May, 2010

> THAILAND WORKS TO RESTORE ORDER AFTER CLASHES
Police "rapid-response" teams comb the streets of Bangkok to
prevent further disruption following clashes between
anti-government protesters and troops.

> BA ANNOUNCES RECORD $765M LOSSES
British Airways on Friday announced a record annual pre-tax loss
of $765 million.

> NORTH KOREA THREATENS TO EXIT PACT
North Korea warns it will exit a non-aggression pact with South
Korea if Seoul attempts to punish it for the sinking of a
warship in March, Yonhap news agency reports.

> BP: OIL LEAK MAY BE STOPPED WITHIN DAYS
A BP official says a gusher of oil pouring from its damaged Gulf
of Mexico well could be shut off as early as next week.

> CLINTON IN JAPAN FOR OKINAWA BASE TALKS
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to land in
Japan Friday for a daylong trip that will include talks about
the controversial U.S. military base in Okinawa.

> WALL ST. REFORMS CLEAR HURDLE
The U.S. Senate passed a bill that aims to stop bailouts and
strengthen consumer protection, reports. It now must be
reconciled with the House version.

> ASIA MARKETS DROP SHARPLY OVER EURO
Markets in Japan, Australia and New Zealand opened sharply
lower, continuing a global sell-off on European fears that
escalated throughout the trading day on Wall Street.

> MUSHARRAF VOWS RETURN TO POLITICS
In a wide-ranging interview, former Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf tells CNN he plans a return to politics, and supports
the Pakistani government's decision to block access to Facebook.

BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~
> BA PROFITS, REPUTATION IN TAILSPIN
British Airway's bitter battle with the nation's largest union
is bruising the balance sheet of the UK's flagship carrier,
leaving the airline -- once the envy of the industry -- with a
tarnished reputation amid record losses.

> SARKOZY: GERMANY, FRANCE UNITED ON EURO PLAN
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday that he and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel agree on how to handle Europe's
financial woes.

> TAKING ON THE 'REPUBLIC OF SAMSUNG'
A one-time insider at Samsung has launched a scathing attack on
his former employer, saying Korean politicians and media turn a
blind-eye to the company's misdeeds.