Hawaii

WASHINGTON, Jan 1- President Barack Obama departed the White House on Tuesday to resume his Hawaii vacation shortly after Congress approved legislation that raises taxes on the wealthiest Americans and avoids the "fiscal cliff" of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts. The president left the White House shortly before midnight.

WASHINGTON, Jan 1- U.S. sales of warplanes, anti-missile systems and other costly weapons to China's and North Korea's neighbors appear set for significant growth amid regional security jitters.

*Obama to meet congressional leaders at White House. *House of Representatives convenes Sunday on fiscal crisis. "Hopefully, there is still time for an agreement of some kind that saves the taxpayers from a wholly, wholly preventable economic crisis," Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Democratic-controlled Senate, said on the Senate floor.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27- President Barack Obama will host a meeting on Friday with the four top congressional leaders, a White House aide said on Thursday, as the president and lawmakers rush to break a deadlock over the so-called fiscal cliff days before a year-end deadline.

*House of Representatives to meet Sunday on fiscal crisis. WASHINGTON, Dec 27- Lawmakers on Thursday gave themselves a last chance to prevent the United States from plunging off a "fiscal cliff" by setting up a late session in Congress a day before taxes are due to rise for most working Americans.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27- Lawmakers on Thursday gave themselves a last chance to prevent the United States from plunging off a "fiscal cliff" by setting up a late session in Congress just about a day before taxes are due to rise for most working Americans.

*Expedia leads S&P 500' s gainers, stock doubles in 2012. *Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all slip 0.1 percent.

*Dow down 0.8 pct, S&P 500 off 0.9 pct, Nasdaq down 0.9 pct. The S&P 500 has lost 2.7 percent over the past four days, its worst such run in over a month. A four-day drop would also mark the S&P 500' s longest losing streak in three months as Wall Street wakes up to the possibility that a deal may not be reached until next year.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27- The top Democrat in the Senate warned on Thursday that the United States looks to be headed over the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts that will start next week if squabbling politicians do not reach a deal.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27- U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in December, hitting a four-month low as a looming fiscal crisis sapped what had been a growing sense of optimism about the economy. Gauges of business sentiment have weakened recently on worries about $600 billion in tax hikes and government spending cuts scheduled for early January.

LONDON/ NEW YORK, Dec 27- World stocks and the euro edged higher on Thursday as U.S. lawmakers prepared to resume negotiations to avoid a fiscal crunch, while the yen hit a two-year low on expectations a new government in Tokyo will push for aggressive monetary stimulus.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27- President Barack Obama was flying back to Washington on Thursday and the top Republican in Congress planned to speak with House of Representatives lawmakers as the clock ticked toward a year-end deadline for action to avert the looming "fiscal cliff" tax hikes and spending cuts.

President Barack Obama returned to Washington to restart negotiations over the "fiscal cliff." In a sign of a possible way to break the deadlock in Congress, Republican House Speaker John Boehner said if the Democrat-controlled Senate were to pass a bill, the House would at least consider it.

NEW YORK, Dec 27- U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Thursday, putting the S&P 500 on track to snap a three-day skid, as U.S. President Barack Obama returned to Washington to restart negotiations over the "fiscal cliff."

President Barack Obama will try to revive budget crisis talks which stalled last week when he returns to Washington on Thursday after cutting short his Christmas holiday in Hawaii.

NEW YORK, Dec 27- U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Thursday with legislators due to return to Washington to restart negotiations over the "fiscal cliff".

Returning from the Christmas holiday break, European shares opened little changed at 1137 points, with London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX between 0.1 percent lower and 0.4 percent higher.

SINGAPORE, Dec 27- Brent crude held near $111 a barrel on Thursday as jittery investors stayed on the sidelines with a deadline to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis approaching, while hopes the new Japanese government's policies will spur demand supported prices.

*Dow down 0.8 pct, S&P 500 off 1 pct, Nasdaq down 1 pct. The S&P 500 is now down 2.7 percent over the last four days, its worst such run in over a month. A four-day drop would also mark the S&P 500' s longest losing streak in three months as Wall Street wakes up to the possibility that a "fiscal cliff" deal may not be reached until next year.