EGYPT

U.S. crude futures edged above $89.05 a barrel on Monday, recovering from a near 2 percent drop in the previous session, supported by the political crisis in Egypt and a drop in the U.S. unemployment rate to a 21-month low.

The rupee steadied on Monday after rising early, tracking the domestic sharemarket and some dollar inflows, but traders expected it to remain range bound during the day.

Tunisia suspended activities of the former ruling party Sunday, saying it acted to prevent a breakdown in security after some of the worst unrest since the president was ousted in a revolt last month.

President Hosni Mubarak held onto power Monday, defying a popular uprising against his autocratic rule, after the government opened talks with opposition groups to resolve Egypt's deepest crisis in 30 years.

An Algerian man doused himself with fuel and tried to set himself on fire on Sunday during a small protest outside a government ministry in the capital to demand more jobs.

Astonished by the uprising in Egypt, Western countries anxious to be on the right side of history have started to reassess ties to army-backed Arab strongmen stubbornly opposed to democracy.

Gas supplies from Egypt to Israel could resume within a week after a fire at a gas metering station, an Israeli partner in the pipeline said on Sunday, without referring to sabotage as reported in Egypt.

The Egyptian pound fell on Sunday when trade resumed after a week-long suspension due to political unrest, but the drop was less sharp than many traders had feared as the central bank appeared to support the currency.

Egypt's Banks opened for the first time in a week to queues of customers seeking to access their accounts on Sunday, but the Egyptian pound weakened only modestly after violent protests gave way to calmer political talks.

The United Nations on Sunday drove home the warning from Western nations that a transition to democracy in Egypt should not be rushed to avoid worsening the crisis and destabilising the entire Middle East.

Egypt's new vice president, Omar Suleiman, has long sought to demonize the opposition Muslim Brotherhood in his contacts with skeptical U.S. officials, leaked diplomatic cables show, raising questions whether he can act as an honest broker in the country's political crisis.

Egypt tried to get the nation back to work on Sunday with banks reopening, and the vice president held unprecedented talks with a banned Islamist group and other opponents about their demand that President Hosni Mubarak quit.

Asian stocks pushed toward a near three-year peak on Monday as the U.S. job market showed further signs of recovery, highlighting a brighter economic outlook, while the dollar eased against a basket of currencies.

Asian stocks clung to early gains on Monday as the U.S. job market showed further signs of recovery, highlighting a brighter outlook for its economy, while the dollar firmed against a basket of other major currencies.

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman met with representatives of about 50 opposition groups on Sunday, including the Muslim Brotherhood as well as liberal parties Wafd and Ahrar, however results of the meeting inconclusive, with a wide divide on whether President Hosni Mubarak should step down immediately.

Global oil prices could exceed $110 a barrel if political unrest in Egypt continues, a member of Kuwait's Supreme Petroleum Council said on Sunday.

Turmoil on the streets of North Africa could lead to a tourism boost for Spain as tour operators rush to offer alternatives for customers seeking winter sun.

US Republican Sarah Palin, known for her fiery speeches, has once again invoked controversy with her criticism of the Obama administration regarding its handling of the current situation in Egypt.

The dissolution of Egypt's ruling party on Saturday was a strong attempt by the country's National Democratic Party to placate the thousands of protestors demanding an end to the current Mubarak regime.

The political unrest in the Arab countries may have even touched the most dangerous country in the Muslim world, war-ravaged Iraq. According to state media, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has said he will not seek a third term in office after his current one expires in 2014.

The civil unrest roiling the Middle East may have spilled over into Europe as tens of thousands of Serbian nationalists staged a massive anti-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.