Reuters - U.S. securities regulators plan to take action on abusive short selling of stock before the end of the week, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday.

AP - Asian and European stock markets were down sharply Monday amid growing alarm over the world's financial system after a seismic shake-up on Wall Street, with Lehman Brothers saying it would file bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch being sold to Bank of America.

AFP - Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy Monday and Merrill Lynch announced a rescue sale in a series of dramas in the US financial system which hit European stocks as soon as trading began.

Reuters - Stock index futures were down sharply early on Monday, pointing to a steep fall at the opening on Wall Street after Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, heightening fears over the embattled financial sector.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares slid 2.28 percent at the start of trading on Monday straight after falling by 0.72 percent at the open, following the collapse of US investment giant Lehman Brothers.

AFP - The ride on Wall Street has gotten bumpier over the past week as economic and credit jitters have intensified, but the stock market has managed to hold fast in the face of turbulence.

Reuters - Stocks closed little changed on Friday in day of whipsaw moves as uncertainty over the fate of troubled investment bank Lehman Brothers kept investors anxious about the health of the U.S. financial system.

AP - Stocks finished another volatile session narrowly mixed Friday, as gains in the energy, utilities and materials sectors offset some of Wall Street's angst over the fate of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets rose strongly Friday on prospects that beleaguered US investment bank Lehman Brothers might soon be saved and a report that it was in rescue talks, traders said.

AFP - London shares closed higher on Friday, after three consecutive days of losses, as banks and commodities gave the FTSE a boost.

AP - Stocks retreated Friday as steep declines by some of Wall Street's marquee firms and other financials outweighed gains in the energy, utilities and materials sectors.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Friday as fears about the survival of investment bank Lehman Brothers and the possibility of more mortgage-related losses at American International Group weighed on financial shares.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Thursday as a report that major investment bank Lehman Brothers is shopping itself to possible suitors, including Bank of America, drove a last-minute rebound in financial shares.