BBC News with Michael Powles.

The Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva has said military action will continue against escalating anti-government protests, because it's the only way to restore peace. At least 22 people have been killed and many more injured since the operation began on Thursday. Thai soldiers are setting up cordons street by street around the protesters' huge fortified camp in central Bangkok. Our correspondent there is Chris Hogg.

In a statement carried live on national television here, the Prime Minister said his forces would do all they could to minimize the bloodshed during the operation to try to end the protests against his government. But his tone was defiant, he offered no new negotiations. Instead he tried to justify the action he had taken. He said a minority of protestors who were opposed to reconciliation were trying to destabilize the country.

The US government has demanded immediate clarification from the oil giant BP over its commitment to pay for costs caused by the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter to BP, the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the public had a right to know the company's true intentions. More from Madeleine Morris in Washington.

The letter from the Obama administration effectively asks BP to make clear how much it will pay for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Last week, the chair of BP's American operation said he believed the statutory 75-million-dollar cap on a company's liability for oil spills was irrelevant. He added that BP will pay for all clean-up costs and legitimate damages claims.