AFP - Arab shares tumbled for the fourth day running on Wednesday but the Saudi bourse, the region's largest, rebounded after an international rate cut while the Egyptian market made up some ground.

AP - Wall Street zigzagged Wednesday as an emergency interest rate cut failed to alleviate investors' fears that the paralysis in the credit markets will set off a global recession. The major indexes moved in and out of positive territory, with the Dow Jones industrials at times falling more than 200 points or rising more than 100.

AFP - Barack Obama promised Americans Wednesday "there are better days ahead" despite plummeting global stock markets, rising job losses and dark clouds of economic gloom.

AFP - Stocks plunged for a second day running on Wall Street on Tuesday, while those in Europe were mixed, on persistent anxiety over the health of the banking sector -- and despite central bank initiatives to shore up confidence.

Reuters - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Tuesday he is concerned about the sharp falls in Canadian stock markets but said there may be some good stock bargains out there now.

Reuters - This time around John Abel was ready for the stock market crash.

AP - With stock markets sinking and fear of recession rising, what's the affluent consumer to do? Neiman Marcus hopes a few of them will escape the grim headlines by splurging on diamonds, Dior and other diversions.

AFP - US stocks plunged Tuesday for a second straight day with a vicious downward spiral reinforced by fears of a deeper credit crunch leading to severe recession.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled for a fifth straight session on Tuesday, capping the Dow's biggest five-day point loss ever, as fears mounted that the rapidly spreading credit crisis would drag the economy into a deep recession.

AP - The misery worsened on Wall Street Tuesday, with stocks piling on losses late in the session and bringing the two-day decline in the Dow Jones industrials to more than 875 points amid escalating worries about credit markets and the financial sector.

AFP - Britain unveiled a 437 billion dollar bank rescue Wednesday as markets around the world bombed over fears that the worst financial crisis in decades has still not been mastered.

AP - A meltdown in confidence strangled Asian stock markets Wednesday on accelerating fears that the widening financial crisis could spawn a global recession.

Reuters - Stock markets across the world plunged on Wednesday as concerns about the worst financial crisis in nearly 80 years and fears of a global recession gripped investors despite government efforts to intervene.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of top shares briefly plunged by more than seven percent early on Wednesday after the government announced the part-nationalisation of eight banks and amid a sell-off worldwide.