Washington- The US Congress was moving closer to an agreement on the 700 billion-dollar financial rescue plan, lawmakers said Thursday, a day after a sombre US President George W Bush laid out the spectre of a "long and painful recession."

Republican presidential nominee John McCain, a senator from Arizona, said in broadcast remarks he was confident there would be an agreement "before markets open Monday morning."

Representative Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania told CNBC broadcaster that the package was "basically done."

New York, Sept. 25 : A new CBS News/New York Times Poll shows that US President George W Bush’s rating on handling the economy has fallen to its lowest level ever.

Now only 16 percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing on this issue, while 76 percent disapprove of his performance. That’s down from a 32 percent approval rating the president registered on the economy in September of 2007, reports CBS.

President Bush’s previous low on this question came in July when just 20 percent approved of his handling of the economy. Bush received his highest marks on the economy shortly after the attacks of September 11th, 2001.

Washington, Sept. 25 : US President Bush is under pressure to use a meeting with India''s Prime Minister today to press for urgent action to halt the anti-Christian riots that continue to sweep the subcontinent.

At least 45 Christians have been murdered by mobs of Hindu fanatics over the past month, according to church officials.

An estimated 50,000 people have been driven from their villages and 4,000 homes destroyed amid an upsurge in Hindu nationalism.

Amid evidence that the violence is spreading, a US federal commission has called on Bush, a Christian who has worn his faith on his sleeve while in office, to press the issue when he meets the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

New York, Sept 25 : After his recent meeting with his US counterpart George Bush in New York, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari appeared satisfied that there would be no more incursions by US-led forces from across the Afghan border, reported the Daily Times.

Though, he was non-committal about the assurances given by Bush to him over the issue, the paper added.

New York, Sept 25 : Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh will meet U. S. President George W. Bush in Washington this evening, even as the suspense over the passing of the Indo-U. S. civil nuclear deal in the U. S. Congress continues.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday voted 19-2 in favor of the deal. The bill has been sent to the full Congress for a vote. It has been presently tabled in the U. S. House of Representatives.

Reports suggest that some changes have been introduced into the text of the Senate Bill.

Washington - US President George W Bush plans to meet Thursday in Washington with presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain as well as congressional leaders to discuss the ongoing US financial crisis and a proposed 700-billion-dollar rescue.

Congress turned increasingly skeptical in hearings Wednesday toward the Bush administration's bailout plan. The president was scheduled to give a television address to the nation late Wednesday.