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• GLOBAL MARKETS-Equities rally as US 'cliff' deal nears; oil up Monday, 31 Dec 2012 | 4:23 PM ET

  NEW YORK, Dec 31- Wall Street rallied on Monday and global equities finished their best year in the last three as U.S. lawmakers closed in on a deal to avoid a budget crisis that many fear could cripple the world economy in 2013..

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares sag as U.S. races to avoid fiscal cliff Friday, 28 Dec 2012 | 8:44 AM ET

  *MSCI all-world index near flat, Euro shares down as uncertainty weighs. LONDON, Dec 28- World shares sagged and the dollar climbed on Friday before U.S. lawmakers resumed talks on avoiding a fiscal crisis, while expectations that Japan will inject new stimulus into its economy pushed the yen to a two-year low.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares sag as US races to avoid fiscal cliff Friday, 28 Dec 2012 | 6:37 AM ET

  *MSCI all-world index near flat, Euro shares down as U.S. uncertainty weighs. As midday approached in Europe, the MSCI all-world share index had lost the momentum of an earlier rally in Asian shares to stand almost unchanged at 338.83.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares rise before U.S. budget talks, yen at 2-yr low Friday, 28 Dec 2012 | 4:06 AM ET

  Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet congressional leaders from the Republican and Democrat parties at the White House at 2000 GMT. With London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX all just in positive territory, the regional FTSEurofirst 300 was up just over 0.1 percent and moving towards last week's 19- month high.

• Nikkei logs best annual gain in 7 years on 'Abe trade' Friday, 28 Dec 2012 | 2:34 AM ET

  TOKYO, Dec 28- Japan's Nikkei average climbed to a 21- month high on Friday, posting its best yearly gain since 2005, as rising expectations of aggressive monetary stimulus under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe weakened the yen and bolstered exporters' shares.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen hits 2-year low, Asian shares rise on US fiscal hopes Friday, 28 Dec 2012 | 1:25 AM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan, Nikkei set for best year since 2005. TOKYO, Dec 28- The yen fell to its lowest level in more than two years on Friday, lifting Japanese stocks to 21- month highs on expectations of drastic monetary easing, while shares in the rest of Asia rose as Washington races to avoid a fiscal crisis.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen extends fall, Asian shares edge higher on US fiscal hopes Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 10:33 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan, Nikkei set for best year since 2005. TOKYO, Dec 28- The yen hit its lowest level in more than two years on Friday, helping lift Japanese stocks to 21- month highs on expectations of drastic monetary easing, while shares in the rest of Asia inched higher on signs Washington is racing to avoid a fiscal crisis.

• Hong Kong shares may rise, but turnover likely weak Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 8:06 PM ET

  HONG KONG, Dec 28- Hong Kong shares could start higher on Friday, tracking an Asian climb on expectation of greater Japanese monetary easing, but gains on the Hang Seng Index are likely to be capped by chart resistance and come in holiday-thinned turnover. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.7 percent, while South Korea's KOSPI was up 0.2 percent at 0053 GMT.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen extends fall, Asian shares capped by U.S. fiscal worry Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 7:27 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan, Nikkei set for best year since 2005. TOKYO, Dec 28- The yen scaled its highest in more than two years on Friday, on strong expectations of drastic monetary easing, underpinning Japanese equities, while Asian shares were capped by worries the United States may run out of time to avoid a fiscal crunch.

• Nikkei hits 21-month high, set for best yearly rise since 2005 Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 7:10 PM ET

  TOKYO, Dec 28- Japan's Nikkei average rose to a 21- month high in early trade on Friday, on track to log its best yearly gain since 2005, buoyed by a weaker yen on expectations of aggressive monetary stimulus under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Nikkei advanced 0.9 percent to 10,409.05, rising for the fourth straight session.

• Japan's Nikkei set to post best yearly gain since 2005 Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 6:05 PM ET

  TOKYO, Dec 28- Japan's Nikkei share average is expected to open higher on Friday, on track to log its best yearly gain since 2005, buoyed by a weaker yen on expectations of aggressive monetary stimulus under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-US stocks fall 1 pct after Reid 'cliff' remarks; yen down Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 2:13 PM ET

  NEW YORK, Dec 27- U.S. stocks fell more than 1 percent on Thursday after comments from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the United States may be poised to go off the "fiscal cliff," while the yen hit a two-year low on expectations of aggressive monetary stimulus.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-World stocks, euro down after US 'cliff' comments Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 11:16 AM ET

  NEW YORK, Dec 27- World stocks and the euro turned lower on Thursday following comments from the U.S. Senate majority leader that the economy may be poised to go off the "fiscal cliff," while the yen hit a two-year low on expectations a new government in Tokyo will push for aggressive monetary stimulus.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-World stocks, euro climb as U.S. budget talks eyed Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 10:30 AM ET

  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.

• UPDATE 1-Japan finmin seeks to reassure markets on bond issuance Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 2:33 AM ET

  By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kiyoshi Takenaka. TOKYO, Dec 27- Japan's new finance minister on Thursday sought to quell concern about the country's weak finances, saying the government will not rely solely on debt to fund economic stimulus and will try to limit new debt issuance next fiscal year.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-World stocks fall after Reid 'cliff' comments; yen down Thursday, 27 Dec 2012 | 12:21 AM ET

  NEW YORK, Dec 27- World stocks slipped on Thursday after comments from the U.S. Senate majority leader that the economy may be poised to go off the "fiscal cliff," while the yen hit a two-year low on expectations of aggressive monetary stimulus.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares up with eye on "fiscal cliff"; yen slips more Wednesday, 26 Dec 2012 | 10:22 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan inches up 0.3 pct. In a sign that there may be a way to break the deadlock in Congress, Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner urged the Democrat-controlled Senate to act to pull back from the cliff, and offered to at least consider any bill the upper chamber produced.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-U.S. fiscal woes cap Asian shares, yen stays weak Wednesday, 26 Dec 2012 | 7:27 PM ET

  MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was little changed, with Australian shares inching down 0.1 percent and South Korean shares opening 0.1 percent lower.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen down on Japan's new govt; US shares slip Wednesday, 26 Dec 2012 | 11:32 AM ET

  *U.S. markets up slightly, awaiting Congress. NEW YORK/ TOKYO, Dec 26- The yen fell to a two-year low against the dollar on Wednesday after Japan swore in a new prime minister who has called for weakening the currency to stimulate inflation, while U.S. stocks slipped in thin trading.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen down as Japan gets a new government; US shares gain Wednesday, 26 Dec 2012 | 10:35 AM ET

  *U.S. markets up slightly, awaiting Congress. *MSCI Asia ex- Japan little changed on low trading volume. NEW YORK/ TOKYO, Dec 26- The yen fell to a 20- month low against the dollar on Wednesday after Japan swore in a new prime minister who has promised aggressive stimulus measures to rein in deflation, while U.S. stocks and oil rose in thin trading.