Greece

Greece has proposed measures worth 8 billion euros ($9 billion), including increases to company and consumer taxes, to persuade the country's bailout creditors to release new loans it needs to avoid defaulting on its debts next week.

A decision is expected this week: eurozone finance ministers are to meet Wednesday evening, followed by a European Union summit Thursday and Friday.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 57 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,176 as of 10:12 a.m. Eastern.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose three points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,126 and the Nasdaq composite rose three points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,157.

GREEK TALKS: Greece's proposals appear to have won the initial backing from its international creditors.

At a meeting Monday, leaders of the 19 nations that use the euro currency said the offer by the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras might form a basis to break a four-month deadlock. 

French President Francois Hollande has warned that "everything must be done" to keep Greece in the eurozone.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras set out new proposals in a bid to prevent a default on a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) IMF loan.

Greece must repay the loan by the end of June or risk crashing out of the single currency and possibly the EU.