SHANGHAI, Dec 20 (Reuters) - China cut its lending benchmark loan prime rate (LPR) for the first time in 20 months on Monday, in a bid to prop up growth in the slowing economy, although it remains wary of loosening conditions in the country's highly leveraged property market.

BEIJING, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Automobile sales in China, the world's largest car market, will likely rise 5.4% to hit 27.5 million in 2022, the country's top auto industry body said.

TOKYO, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hovered near the highest since July of last year against major peers on Monday after a Federal Reserve official signaled a first pandemic-era interest rate hike could come as early as March.

SINGAPORE, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices slumped by about 2% early on Monday as surging cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Europe and the United States stoked investor worries that new restrictions on businesses to combat its spread may hit fuel demand.

SYDNEY, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Asian share markets fell and oil prices slid on Monday as surging Omicron cases triggered tighter restrictions in Europe and threatened to drag on the global economy into the new year.

MELBOURNE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Friday, putting the market on track to end the week roughly unchanged, as surging cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant raised fears new curbs may hit fuel demand, while a weaker dollar supported commodity markets broadly.