GEORGE W. BUSH

Leaders at an Asia-Pacific summit appeared deadlocked on Thursday over what their Sydney Declaration on climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions should say.

U.S. President George W. Bush says nuclear power is a key to tackling climate change, along with new energy technologies, but green groups want Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Sydney to commit to greenhouse gas reduction targets.

U.S. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday China could help reduce trade imbalances by floating its currency, and a White House aide said Bush may discuss the thorny issue in a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

After a lightning visit to Iraq where he hinted at possible U.S. troop cuts, President George W. Bush arrived in Australia on Tuesday for an Asia-Pacific leaders' meeting amid heavy security and anti-war protests.

President George W. Bush hopes to spur momentum for a world trade pact and a global target on climate change at this week's APEC summit in Sydney, but host Australia has warned not to expect binding greenhouse targets. The Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit will draw 21 leaders including Bush.

Britain's leading shares rose on Monday in thin volumes as comments by Barclays eased concerns over its financial health, helping to underpin financial stocks.

World stocks made small gains and currency markets traded in a narrow range on Monday as many investors avoided taking strong positions during the U.S. Labor Day holiday with its accompanying lack of key economic news.

A proposal to test a radical change in the U.S. student loan industry by putting it on the auction block is set to pit Democratic lawmakers against the Bush administration and the banking industry.

Japanese stocks slid on Monday as investors wary of credit woes sold some financial stocks following Friday's rises, while an unexpected drop in capital spending data put a lid on the overall market.

The dollar steadied versus the euro and yen on Monday at the start of a busy week for U.S. data which should shed light on the extent to which the credit markets turmoil is taking a toll on growth.

Asian stock markets took a breather on Monday with Tokyo's Nikkei slipping on fresh concerns about the economy, and the yen traded in a small range in a session likely to be dulled by the U.S. Labor Day holiday.

Gold rose on Friday, aided by firm stocks and a strike at a gold mine, as speeches by U.S. President George W. Bush and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke calmed financial markets ahead of the three-day U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend.

The Federal Reserve on Friday reassured investors it would take any steps needed to shelter the U.S. economy from a global credit squeeze, while President George W. Bush promised to help struggling homeowners refinance their mortgages. Chairman Ben Bernanke also said the central bank would not bail out investors who had made mistakes.

President George W. Bush's plan designed to limit the number of Americans who default on subprime mortgages might be a small positive for the commercial and investment banks exposed to them but does little to alleviate broader concerns about credit losses, analysts said.

President George W. Bush on Friday tried to calm financial market turmoil from the credit crisis by announcing proposals intended to prevent homeowners from defaulting on risky mortgages. In trying to soothe those worries, Bush said the U.S. economy was healthy enough to weather the credit crisis and that the subprime market problems represented only a modest part of the economy.

The shorter Sept. visit to the Asia-Pacific economic summit is seen as neglecting Asia's concerns. An Iraq military report and 9/11 commemorations loom.

The Nikkei rose 2.6 percent on Friday as news that President George W. Bush will outline reforms to help homeowners with subprime mortgages sparked broad-based buying, and Dell Inc's earnings lifted high-tech stocks.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a firmer opening on Friday, with all eyes on speeches by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and President George W. Bush, both expected by analysts to touch on the U.S. subprime crisis.

World stocks surged on Friday on hopes the U.S. government and central bank will act to alleviate a crisis in subprime, or poor credit quality, U.S. mortgages and ease a global bank lending squeeze the problem has triggered.

U.S. President George W. Bush will outline reforms on Friday to help struggling subprime mortgage borrowers and his central bank chief will deliver a speech which will be pored over for hints of a looming rate cut.

President George W. Bush will propose reforms on Friday intended to help homeowners with subprime mortgages avoid default, his first public step to address a crisis that has created turmoil in financial markets around the world.