WASHINGTON - WITH weekly jobless claims benefits at a 16-year high, the White House said on Thursday that President George W. Bush would sign quickly legislation pending in Congress to provide further unemployment benefits.

MANILA (Philippines) - ASIAN countries led by economic powerhouses China and Japan want an expanded regional emergency fund in place next year to better shield the region from the impact of the global financial crisis, officials said on Thursday.

NEW YORK - FRESH worries about widening unemployment added to investors' long list of concerns about the fate of Detroit's three automakers and the broader economy. The concerns weighed on stock market futures a day after stocks fell more than 5 per cent.