MLC FLASH NEWS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is leading his Republican rival John McCain 53 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, according to a Washington Post-ABC News opinion poll released on Monday.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The world readied on Monday for a slew of bank bailouts worth hundreds of billions of dollars in an effort to staunch the credit rout that threatens to tip the global economy into recession.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finance leaders from the International Monetary Fund's 185 member countries on Saturday endorsed a plan by major economies to chart a course out of the credit crisis, hoping the broader support will calm markets.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 6-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Sunday.

PARIS (Reuters) - European leaders raced against the clock on Sunday to clinch a rescue strategy for banks battered by the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, under intense pressure to throw them a lifeline before world markets reopen.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund warned on Saturday that debt-ridden banks were pushing the global financial system to the brink of meltdown and rich nations had so far failed to restore confidence.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in a tight race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama praised his rival John McCain for trying to tone down the vitriol of the U.S. presidential race but pressed ahead on Saturday with an effort to cast the Republican as out of touch on the economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is developing plans to buy equity stakes in financial institutions, providing another weapon in its war against financial market turmoil, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Friday.

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world’s economic powers faced huge pressure on Friday to devise remedies to revive the global banking system and end panic selling in financial markets.