http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7634810.stm
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are due to meet President George W Bush at the White House for emergency talks on the economy.
Mr Bush has warned that the entire economy is in danger, and that failure to act now would cost more later.
He has been pushing for Congress to pass a $700bn (£378bn) rescue package to bail-out the financial markets.
Mr McCain has suspended his campaign over the crisis, but Mr Obama says voters need to hear from candidates.
WORLD ECONOMY ON THE BRINK?
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World economy on the brink?
The two men will attend a meeting with administration officials and congressional representatives on Thursday at 1400 GMT in an attempt to broker a mutually acceptable bail-out deal.
Later, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson - architect of the existing bail-out plan - will appear before a Congressional committee for a third successive day.
Debate concern
In a joint statement, the two presidential candidates described the Bush administration's planned bail-out plan as "flawed", but said efforts to protect the economy must not fail.
"This is a time to rise above politics for the good of the country. We cannot risk an economic catastrophe," they said.
JUSTIN WEBB'S AMERICA
For McCain to go on television with his dramatic statement but not mention that Obama had called him earlier in the day was simply bizarre
Meanwhile, the two rivals have disagreed on delaying a TV debate over the economic turmoil.
Mr McCain said he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington to help agree a deal, saying he feared the rescue package would not pass "as it currently stands".
He also called for his first presidential debate with Mr Obama on Friday to be suspended - something Mr Obama did not support.
Americans needed to "hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess", Mr Obama told journalists.
'Excesses on Wall Street'
Mr Bush made a televised address to the nation on the economy on Wednesday evening.
Major sectors of America's financial system were at risk of shutting down, he said, and without action a "distressing scenario" would unfold.
His administration is calling on Congress to approve the proposed bail-out - under which the Treasury would use public money to buy bad debt from troubled financial institutions - as soon as possible.
The fund would aim to sell off these mortgage-related debts in the future when, the Treasury says, their value might have risen.
But lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties have voiced doubts about the plan and the speed at which they are being asked to approve it.
Many have been overwhelmed by the volume of e-mail correspondence from voters concerned about the potential use of public funding to fix problems caused by bad corporate practice on Wall Street
Lawmakers want assurances that it will benefit home-owners as well as Wall Street, and be subject to adequate oversight.
"This makes me angry," House minority leader John Boehner, a Republican, said on Wednesday night.
"I think it makes the American people angry that their taxpayer money has to be put at risk."
Mr Bush said he understood the frustration of "responsible Americans" who "are reluctant to pay the costs of excesses on Wall Street".
"But given the situation we're facing, not passing a bill now will cost these Americans much more later," he said, calling for a bipartisan commission to oversee the plan.
Finally, after months of hearing that bullshit from Bush that "Our economy is strong" he finally admits it's not. This guy surely has got to be the worst President in American history. But anyways, 0.7 of a Trillion dollars to bale the economy out? Wonder where that's going to come from..
And what's everyone thoughts with how the Candidates are handling things. I agree with Obama, that McCain SHOULD do the debate still. It's not about prioritising things, it's about letting the public know WHATS GOING ON and how THEY will solve it. He could be the next President for christ sakes!
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