World stocks rally but US concerns linger
LONDON (AFP) – Global stock markets rebounded Tuesday on bargain hunting despite new record highs for oil prices, fresh all-time lows for the dollar and signs of distress in the financial sector.

Wall St set to soar after Fed action
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks headed for a sharply higher open on Tuesday, led by financial shares, after the Federal Reserve announced a new effort with other central banks to add up to $200 billion to strained credit markets.

Fed easing liquidity in funding markets
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Tuesday announced it is ramping up efforts to provide more relief in the spreading credit crisis, saying it will make up to $200 billion in cash available to cash-strapped financial institutions.

Oil prices break fresh record high near 110 dollars
LONDON (AFP) – Oil prices struck a record high of 109.72 dollars per barrel on Tuesday after the dollar hit a fresh all-time low against the euro and amid persistent energy supply concerns.

Retail retrenchment hurts malls
Around the country, mall centers are starting to feel the recoil from a rapid expansion in recent years that allowed retailers to aim stores at almost every niche, from shoppers who wanted Talbots clothes for their children to those who craved Bombay’s little wood tables. Now, consumers who are closing their wallets amid rising gasoline prices and a housing slump are forcing specialty retailers to pare back their brands. While still healthy overall, mall centers in areas hardest hit by the housing downturn … are suffering the most store shutdowns.

Kimmitt: U.S. economy to turn up in second quarter
LONDON (Reuters) – The U.S. economy is going through a rough patch but, thanks to a government fiscal package worth some $150 billion, should start recovering as soon as the second quarter, a senior Treasury official said on Tuesday.

U.S. Jan trade gap widens less than expected
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. trade deficit widened-less-than expected in January, as strong foreign demand boosted exports to a record and as oil prices averaging $84 per barrel pushed imports to an all-time high, a Commerce Department report showed on Tuesday.

Gender pay gap triples when women hit 30: report
LONDON (AFP) – A “motherhood penalty” helps explain why the gender pay gap increases sharply once women reach their 30s, the Trade Union Congress said Tuesday.
And you can be sure it’s not just in Britain that this goes on.