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• WRAPUP 2-Russia rebuffs Cyprus, EU awaits bailout "Plan B" Friday, 22 Mar 2013 | 4:54 AM ET

  NICOSIA/ MOSCOW, March 22- Cyprus's finance minister left Moscow empty-handed on Friday after Russia turned down appeals for aid, leaving the island to strike a bailout deal with the European Union before Tuesday or face the collapse of its financial system.

• WRAPUP 7-EU gives Cyprus bailout ultimatum, risks euro exit Thursday, 21 Mar 2013 | 11:29 AM ET

  *Eurogroup chairman says Russia won't lend Cyprus more. NICOSIA/ FRANKFURT, March 21- The European Union gave Cyprus till Monday to raise the billions of euros it needs to clinch an international bailout or face the collapse of its financial system and likely exit from the euro currency zone.

• UPDATE 1-White House gives Congress 90-day notice on EU trade talks Wednesday, 20 Mar 2013 | 4:10 PM ET

  WASHINGTON, March 20- The White House on Wednesday formally notified Congress of its plans to begin free trade talks with the 27- nation European Union, an effort to build on the world's largest trade and investment relationship to spur new economic growth.

• IMF tells El Salvador to fix fragile economy ahead of elections Tuesday, 19 Mar 2013 | 10:23 PM ET

  MEXICO CITY, March 19- El Salvador should seek political agreements to reduce government expenses in a bid to stabilize the Central American nation's weak economy before presidential elections in 2014, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

• FACTBOX-Outlines of Cyprus' bailout by the euro zone Saturday, 16 Mar 2013 | 12:07 AM ET

  BRUSSELS, March 16- Euro zone ministers struck a deal on Saturday to hand Cyprus a bailout worth 10 billion euros to stave off bankruptcy. -Cyprus has agreed to increase its nominal corporate tax rate by 2.5 percentage points to 12.5 percent, which could bring in up to 200 million euros a year.

• UPDATE 4-EU, IMF agree 10 bln euros bailout for Cyprus Friday, 15 Mar 2013 | 10:18 PM ET

  BRUSSELS, March 16- International lenders struck a deal on Saturday to hand Cyprus a bailout worth 10 billion euros to stave off bankruptcy, a senior euro zone official said.

• "Abolish austerity" Brussels protesters tell EU leaders Thursday, 14 Mar 2013 | 3:25 PM ET

  BRUSSELS, March 14- Thousands of protesters, some dressed as ghouls and firing flares, demanded on Thursday that EU leaders meeting in Brussels put an end to government spending cuts blamed for mass joblessness and a growing social crisis in parts of Europe.

• UPDATE 1-Belarus cuts interest rates, flags more easing despite IMF warning Tuesday, 12 Mar 2013 | 8:58 AM ET

  *Belarus relies on Russia for funding, seeks fresh loan. MINSK, March 12- Belarus' central bank cut its main interest rate to below 30 percent on Tuesday and promised further easing this year, despite a warning from the IMF that such moves would destabilise the fragile economy.

• Egypt will not sign "emergency" IMF loan - cabinet Tuesday, 12 Mar 2013 | 7:31 AM ET

  CAIRO, March 12- Egypt will not sign any "emergency" loan with the International Monetary Fund and any loan agreement will be within the context of the country's economic programme, cabinet spokesman Alaa el-Hadidi said on Tuesday.

• UPDATE 2-U.S. Senate rebuffs Obama request to shift funds for IMF Tuesday, 12 Mar 2013 | 12:55 AM ET

  By Lesley Wroughton and David Lawder. WASHINGTON, March 12- U.S. lawmakers late on Monday rebuffed a request by the Obama administration to approve a permanent increase in U.S. funding to the International Monetary Fund in a setback for IMF reforms to boost the voting power of emerging economies.

• Senate committee rebuffs Obama funding request for IMF vote reform Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 11:01 PM ET

  WASHINGTON, March 11- The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday rebuffed a request by the Obama administration to approve a permanent increase in U.S. funding to the International Monetary Fund, part of a broader deal that would increase the voting power of emerging market economies in the global lender.

• UPDATE 1-Egypt studying IMF bridging loan offer - source Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 11:59 AM ET

  CAIRO, March 11- Egypt is studying an offer of a bridging loan from the International Monetary Fund, a source at the finance ministry told Reuters on Monday, as it struggles through an economic and currency crisis. Asked whether Egypt has received an offer from the IMF for use of the RFI, the source said: "Yes.

• UPDATE 1-Egypt must take bold economic measures without delay - IMF Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 11:19 AM ET

  WASHINGTON, March 11- Egypt needs to take bold and ambitious policy actions to address its economic problems without further delay and could tap temporary IMF funding while it negotiates a full loan program, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

• UPDATE 1-OECD says growth outlook improving, led by U.S. Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 7:57 AM ET

  PARIS, March 11- The economic outlook in major industrialised economies is improving with the United States and Japan leading the way, the OECD said on Monday, adding that activity in the euro zone was also picking up.

• UPDATE 1-EU, IMF to give Lisbon to 2015 to cut deficit -sources Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 7:01 AM ET

  LISBON, March 11- Portugal international lenders will give the bailed-out country an extra year, until 2015, to cut its budget deficit below 3 percent of gross domestic product, sources close to the latest lenders' review said.

• OECD says growth outlook improving led by United States, Japan Monday, 11 Mar 2013 | 7:00 AM ET

  PARIS, March 11- The economic outlook in major industrialised economies is improving with the United States and Japan leading the way and activity in the euro zone also picking up, the OECD said on Monday. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said its latest monthly leading indicator for the OECD as a whole pointed to firming growth.

• UPDATE 3-Egypt rejects any suggestion of stop-gap IMF funding Saturday, 9 Mar 2013 | 11:07 PM ET

  *Egypt doesn't want IMF quick fixes- minister. CAIRO, March 10- Egypt on Sunday rejected any suggestion of stop-gap IMF funding to help it through a political and economic crisis, saying only broad structural measures as part of a package agreed with the Fund can tackle the country's soaring budget deficit.

• MIDEAST MONEY-Shale oil may shift economic policies in nervous Gulf Wednesday, 6 Mar 2013 | 9:00 AM ET

  DUBAI, March 6- At an OPEC conference in Vienna in December, the oil minister of the United Arab Emirates was outspoken- unusually so for a top Gulf Arab official- about the threat to the cartel from rising U.S. oil and gas production. OPEC, he said, should protect itself by making its oil more attractive to the world's consumers.

• RPT-ANALYSIS-Stop-gap IMF loan could prove lifeline for Egypt Wednesday, 6 Mar 2013 | 12:59 AM ET

  *Egypt election complicates IMF bailout. WASHINGTON, March 6- Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi is unlikely to find the political support needed to win a full-fledged International Monetary Fund bailout before elections begin in April, but he might be able to secure temporary IMF aid.

• UPDATE 1-Obama seeks authority for IMF voting reforms Tuesday, 5 Mar 2013 | 9:25 PM ET

  *House Republicans reject plan but Senate still considering it. WASHINGTON, March 5- The Obama administration has asked Congress for authority to implement historic voting reforms in the International Monetary Fund that boost the influence of emerging economies like China in the global financial institution, sources said on Tuesday.