AFP - A powerful Wall Street rally Tuesday helped lift global markets a day after a near-meltdown as investor hopes grew on the prospects for a new US financial rescue package to ease the crisis.

AFP - European shares rose Wednesday, after gains in Asia and overnight on Wall Street, amid renewed hope that a revised version of a US financial rescue plan would be adopted by Congress.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.22 percent in late morning deals, lifted by bargain hunting in the wake of a rout across Asia markets and on Wall Street overnight.

AP - Stocks were volatile across the world on Tuesday, a day after U.S. lawmakers rejected a $700 billion bank rescue plan.

AFP - Shares in London closed higher on Tuesday, getting a boost from a rebound on Wall Street as investors hoped another vote on the US financial bailout package will see the plan passed.

AFP - US and European markets were higher Tuesday as investors hoped another vote on the US financial bailout package would see the plan passed and a start made on reining in the global turmoil.

AP - Shares in troubled bank Fortis NV plummeted Monday despite a 1.2 billion euro ($16.4 billion) government bailout, amid growing signs European banks have been hit harder by the U.S. financial crisis than they have been willing to admit.

AP - As retail stocks plunged on Monday, Paris designers came up with antidotes to the economic blues plaguing the luxury industry.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares tumbled 2.32 percent to 4,707.02 points shortly after the start of trading on Tuesday in the wake of a rout across Asia markets and on Wall Street overnight.

Reuters - Shares in Europe's second-biggest travel firm, Thomas Cook, were the biggest FTSE-100 riser on Monday after its 53 percent shareholder Arcandor said it would not need to sell any of its stake in the group.

AP - Fortis NV said Monday it will become a smaller but financially stable bank after three European governments agreed on an 11.2 billion euro ($16.4 billion) bailout package.