WASHINGTON (MNI) - The following are events and news reported Monday ET related to the financial crisis and other top news in the global financial system:

* The Conference Board Employment Trends Index rose in January for the fifth consecutive month. The index now stands at 93.2, up 1 percent from December's 92.3, but still down 0.7 percent compared to January 2009. "The continued rise in the ETI makes us more optimistic that job growth will resume in the first quarter of 2010," said Gad Levanon, Associate Director, Macroeconomic Research at The Conference Board. "The improvement is widespread across all eight components. In particular, Friday's large decline in the number of involuntary part-time workers was the first time this component showed a strong signal of improvement." [10:00 ET]

* The U.S. Treasury auctions of $24 billion three- and $27 billion six-month bills will be held as scheduled at 11:30 a.m. ET despite the closing of the Federal government's non-emergency functions on Monday because of the snow-covered highways and often impassable residential streets. [07:15 ET]

* Japan's current account balance showed a surplus of Y900.8 billion in December, up 452.8% from a year earlier, as the trade balance posted a surplus compared with a deficit in December 2008, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. [Repeated 07:12 ET]

* The Economy Watchers' Survey index for current conditions in Japan jumped to 38.8 in January from 35.4 in December, marking the second straight monthly rise on continued solid demand for cars and flat-screen TVs, the Cabinet Office said on Monday. [Repeated 07:12 ET]

* Japan's money stock growth, measured by the key M2 aggregate, rose 2.9% from a year earlier in January, slowing from +3.1% in December 2009 and a record high of +3.4% hit in October 2009, the Bank of Japan said on Monday. Japan's new M3 money stock aggregate rose 2.1% from a year earlier in January, following +2.2% in December 2009 and a record high of +2.4% marked in October and November 2009. [Repeated 07:12 ET]

* France's economic upswing is likely to stabilize at the start of this year after a pickup in 4Q, the Bank of France said Monday, forecasting a 0.5% rise in 1Q GDP. The national statistics institute, Insee, also expects steady GDP growth but at a slightly lower pace of 0.4% in 4Q and 1Q. A smaller drop in investment in 1Q would offset a slowdown in private consumption. [02:30 ET]

* Argentina will press ahead with efforts to drum up support for using reserves to service foreign debt this year as it moves ahead with a shift in monetary and economic policymaking. [07:10 ET]

* It would be wise to reform the eurozone's Stability and Growth Pact to punish countries that cook their books, Finland's Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen said Monday. Speaking to German daily Die Welt, Katainen directly attacked Greece, saying he was "disappointed and angered" over what the country had done to the rest of Europe. [04:01 ET]

* European Central Bank Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny in a newspaper interview published over the weekend rejected the idea of issuing a joint eurobond to ease financing conditions for ailing eurozone member states. [03:34 ET]

* Continuing write-downs at German banks will make it difficult for them to supply the economy with enough credit this year, according to the head of Association of German Banks (BdB). In an interview pre-released by the magazine Euro am Sonntag, BdB President Andreas Schmitz warned that banks will be unable to finance under-capitalized firms in the automobile or machinery sectors this year. [Repeated 01:36 ET]

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