Business news for Mon, 24 Dec 2007 & with words eve+prices. 2 news.

Britain's top share index has risen in a shortened Christmas Eve trading session as banks regained ground and as generally firmer raw materials prices lifted commodity shares.

Asian stocks started the week on an upbeat note with Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 tilting higher in a shortened pre-Christmas session as investors bought resource shares after metals prices firmed Friday. In South Korean shares also were higher, led by gains for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.