Calling Hurricane Katrina a man-made disaster, the actor urged action for a faster recovery in New Orleans.
Investors weighed up on Wednesday the prospects of a near-term U.S. rate cut to calm a financial storm stemming from America's faltering home loan sector, as the European Central Bank moved to soothe money markets again. Indicating liquidity problems were far from over, the ECB said it would hold a tender to add 40 billion euros in 91-day funds to the euro money market on Thursday -- a technical measure aimed at supporting the normalisation of the market.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which insures bank deposits, said on Wednesday it is closely monitoring credit markets and the biggest U.S. banks' balance sheets as troubled real estate loans rose 36 percent in the quarter ended June 30.
The Federal Reserve's attempts to provide liquidity in the past few days are not reaching the players who need it since they cannot borrow directly from the central bank, leaving the $7.2 trillion U.S. mortgage bond market struggling to clear the volumes being offered.
Tightening global credit markets have taken a toll on U.S. mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and it will take more than recent Federal Reserve measures to boost liquidity.
Surging growth in international travel is driving revenue increases at the foreign units of U.S. online travel agencies and has spurred heated competition for a bigger slice of the lucrative and expanding market.
H&R Block Inc said on Wednesday its Block Financial Corp. unit tapped working capital credit lines twice as a skittish market cuts off its access to short-term debt financing.
Shock losses at some of the world's biggest banks have left some people asking whether new global bank risk rules have failed their first test of fire.
Google Inc. is leaning toward bidding in upcoming U.S. mobile phone airwave auctions, despite a partial setback last month from Washington regulators, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Tuesday.
Shares rose on Wednesday as hopes grew of a U.S. interest rate cut to calm turbulent markets but an increase in risk appetite sent bonds lower and put the yen under pressure.
The yen fell and high-yielding currencies rose on Wednesday as growing expectations of a U.S. rate cut to ease tight liquidity conditions instilled a sense of calm and prompted investors to reenter risky carry trades.
Stocks gained on Wednesday, boosted by optimism about renewed deal activity and ongoing speculation the Federal Reserve might cut its benchmark interest rate to calm turbulent financial markets.
Nasdaq Chief Executive Robert Greifeld said on Wednesday he was listening to OMX owners and repeated the U.S. exchange group was flexible on the terms of its offer for the Nordic firm.
China, the world's top soy importer, has accused the United States of exporting substandard soybeans even as its own exports come under growing scrutiny abroad over safety concerns.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Wednesday for a broader Asia partnership of democracies that would include India, the United States and Australia but leave out the region's superpower, China.
China will have trouble cutting its dependence on coal despite growing pressures to fight global warming, a leading Chinese official said.
The site for one of Tesco Plc's first stores in the United States is a sun-scorched intersection in the sprawling Phoenix valley, opposite two pay-day loan firms and a gas station minimarket.
Indian communists sought to forge a consensus on Wednesday over whether to end support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government over a controversial nuclear deal with the United States.
A Nicaraguan judge has embargoed assets of U.S. oil company Esso Standard Oil in a tax payment dispute between the government of leftist President Daniel Ortega and the unit of giant ExxonMobil Corp, a government aide said on Tuesday.
Investors sought to gauge on Wednesday the prospects of a near-term U.S. rate cut to calm a financial storm stemming from America's faltering home loan market, as some experts said the world economy would take a hit.
Toyota Motor Corp aims to sell around 10.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2009, up 18 percent from last year as it grabs market share in North America and taps growing demand in China and other emerging economies, business daily Nikkei reported on Wednesday.
Stocks were heading for a higher open on Wednesday on optimism about renewed deal activity and speculation the Federal Reserve might cut its benchmark interest rate to calm turbulent markets.
