AP - Oil prices fell to near $36 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors eyed a slew of U.S. corporate earnings this week for signs of weakening consumer demand amid the worst recession in decades.

AP - Japan's key stock index rose slightly Monday as investors welcomed a dip in the yen, lifting electronics companies, automakers and other exporters

AP - Mail and logistics company Deutsche Post AG said Monday it met its 2008 earnings before interest and taxes target of euro2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) excluding nonrecurring effects, but expects a difficult business climate this year.

AP - Paper maker Stora Enso Oyj warned Monday its fourth-quarter earnings will be hit hard by production cuts and said it will keep cutting jobs and output in 2009 amid the economic downturn.

AP - Share prices on the London Stock Exchange were higher at midday Monday.

AP - Hong Kong shares climbed Monday amid hopes a massive stimulus plan will boost the U.S. economy, but expectations of dour fourth quarter earnings capped gains.

AFP - European stock markets rallied on Monday as Britain unveiled a scheme to kick-start lending by ailing British banks that it hopes can be spread across the globe.

AP - European stock markets rallied Monday as investors digested the details of the British government's second bailout of its banking sector in just over three months as it attempts to kick-start lending in the economy.

AP - European stock markets declined Monday with banks in free fall as investors fretted over a second British government bailout of the sector in just over three months. Royal Bank of Scotland shares fell 60 percent after it announced massive losses.

AP - Chemical company BASF SE said 2008 and 2009 earnings would be hurt by difficult market conditions, which have deteriorated more than the company anticipated amid the global economic downturn.

AP - Oil prices fell to below $36 a barrel Monday as investors eyed a slew of U.S. corporate earnings this week for signs of weakening consumer demand amid the worst recession in decades.

AP - Oil prices fell to below $35 a barrel Monday as investors eyed a slew of U.S. corporate earnings this week for signs of weakening consumer demand amid the worst recession in decades.

AFP - Shares in London ended in the red on Monday even as the government made attempts to to boost lending by banks crippled by the credit crisis.

AP - European stock markets fell Monday with banks in free fall as investors fretted over a second British government bailout of the sector in three months and some predicted that cash-strapped Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC would end up fully nationalized.

AP - Australia's stock market fell more than 4 percent Tuesday as the global financial crisis brought further bad news in the form of declining commodity prices and bank losses in Europe.