NEWS

- Summit of Asian leaders in Thailand canceled after
anti-government protesters swarm into the meeting's venue

- China economy in a better shape than expected with March
industrial output growth exceeding forecasts, premier says

- China's new lending, money supply growth surge to record
highs in March, as banks continued explosive credit expansion

- U.S. posts record $956.80 bln budget deficit for the first
half of fiscal 2009, more than tripling the year-ago deficit

- Obama says he is seeing "glimmers of hope" across the
recession-hit U.S. economy but it remains under severe strain

MARKETS

- Asian shares rise, with South Korean stocks hitting a
6-month high; Japan's Nikkei .N225 touches three-month high

- U.S. stocks .N end holiday-shortened week sharply higher
as Wells Fargo forecasts a record quarterly profit. Dow up 3.14

- Europe shares close higher on Thursday, buoyed by positive
U.S. news including Wells Fargo statement

- Oil prices rise nearly 5.8 pct on Thursday, fueled by stocks
rally, US data on workers filing new claims for jobless benefits

- Euro EUR= at lowest in almost a month against dollar
USD=, hurt by holiday trade and view ECB edging toward easing

QUOTES

"We have to restore law and order." - Thailand Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva.

"The economy is already bad and after such an event, it's
pretty obvious business sectors like tourism will really fall off
the cliff." - Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus
Securities in Bangkok.

"China's economy has shown some positive signs, but we can all
see that our economy still faces some very big difficulties." -
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"The March lending is strong, but whether the strong growth in
bank credit can revive the real economy sector is still unclear."
- Zhang Xiaojing, an economist with the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences in Beijing.

"We've still got a lot of work to do." But "we're starting to
see progress." - U.S. President Barack Obama.

DIARY

(all times GMT)

TUESDAY, April 14

WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department issues retail sales for
March at 1230; the Labor Department issues producer price index
for March at 1230.
(Compiled by World Desk, Americas, +65 6870 3815)