United States

Palesitnian Authority President Abbas to visit Bush next week

Washington - Palesitnian Authority President Abbas to visit Bush next weekPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is to visit US President George W Bush next Thursday, the White House said Friday.

The two men are to discuss progress toward building Palestinian institutions and "toward realizing the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," the White House said in a statement.

Stocks surge in US, world, on promise of US mortgage bailout

Stocks surge in US, world, on promise of US mortgage bailout New York - Stocks finished their week-long roller coaster ride on the US financial crisis just about where they started, with the three major US indices Friday making a second day of huge rebounds.

Stock indices careened up and down through the week by as much as 4 per cent a day over a major bankruptcy and bank merger and as the US government bailed out the insurance giant American International Group Inc.

The interconnected world's markets rode along for the wild ride.

Bush promises "unprecedented" action on financial crisis

US President George W BushWashington - US President George W Bush Fridady pledged that the US government will tackle the root of the financial turmoil through a massive intervention that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Bush said a comprehensive plan was crucial to keeping the financial sector from total collapse and freezing the availability of credit to US consumers.

"The American economy is facing unprecedented challenges. We are responding with unprecedented action," Bush said in remarks broadcast from the White House.

Countries move to curb short-selling amid financial crisis

George W. BushWashington - Australia, Britain and the US have moved to curb a stock-trading practice called short-selling to help put a brake on the down-slide of world stock markets.

For the US, the move is "intended to prevent investors from driving down the price of particular stocks for their own personal gain," warned US President George W Bush Friday morning.

He said that "anyone engaging in illegal transactions will be caught and prosecuted."

Paulson urges massive US intervention in mortgage market

Henry PaulsonWashington  - US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Friday said it would take a massive government intervention of "hundreds of billions" of dollars to prevent a total collapse of the financial sector in the United States.

Paulson said he would be working with Congress over the weekend on legislation that would allow the government to buy up banks' mortgage-related assets, which have plummeted in value and are at the centre of the current financial turmoil.

US launches major rescue package for financial sector

US launches major rescue package for financial sectorWashington - The United States on Friday unveiled part of a massive, comprehensive plan to help resolve the ongoing US financial crisis and prevent a rush of new bank failures in the coming weeks.

The US Treasury announced a 50-billion-dollar guarantee programme for the money-market mutual fund industry, the first in a series of moves that could come Friday after overnight talks with congressional leaders. US media reported the entire rescue package could cost as much as 500 billion dollars.

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