A CBS/New York Times poll puts Obama's lead at 52%-39% among likely voters. Perhaps more intriguing than the 13-point headline lead, though, is Obama's strength among several groups that voted for George Bush in 2004. A Democrat hasn't won the white male vote since 1972.

[Read the rest of this article...]

The figures are likely to boost expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates by another 50 basis points next month as the economy looks like heading into its first recession since the early 1990s. So the UK will be classed as being in recession if the economy slows in the fourth quarter as well.

[Read the rest of this article...]

The index later fell even lower, closing down 1,089.02 points, or 11.4 percent, to 8,458.45, the biggest one-day percentage drop since the market crash of October 1987. “Europe showed the capacity to respond to a crisis more quickly than the U.S.,”

[Read the rest of this article...]

The Dow Jones index in New York sank nearly 8% and shares in Brazil by 10%. There were sharp falls in London and on other European markets. The FTSE 100 index of leading shares closed 7% down. Shares across the world have fallen sharply amid fears of recession.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Treasury Chief Says Banks Must Deploy New Capital, President George W Bush said the move would help to return stability to the US banking sector and ultimately help preserve free markets. US federal authorities will also temporarily insure most new debt issued by US banks.

[Read the rest of this article...]

"Intensifying solvency concerns about a number of the largest U.S.-based and European financial institutions have pushed the global financial system to the brink of systemic meltdown," IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Finance ministers from richest industrialised nations have pledged action to tackle the financial crisis. The G7 nations issued a five-point plan of "decisive action" to unfreeze credit markets, after a meeting in Washington.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Mr. Morthens is a former fish industry worker turned rock singer who is now known as the Elvis of Iceland. Like many of his compatriots, he did well when Iceland was riding high, accumulating considerable wealth. Millions of pounds invested in troubled Icelandic banks by local authorities.

[Read the rest of this article...]

European markets fell more than 10 percent at the opening, but came off their lows a bit later. In early afternoon trading in London, The FTSE 100 share index was down 8% at 3,964 points. It opened 9.8% lower at 3887 points, below the 4,000-point level for the first time in five years.

[Read the rest of this article...]

“It was a horrible session in New York and a horrible session in Tokyo,” Jim Reid, head of fundamental credit strategy at Deutsche Bank in London, said. “The momentum is negative.” Another wave of relentless selling washed over global markets.

[Read the rest of this article...]