BBC - The Senate has approved a new version of a $700bn (£380bn) rescue plan for the troubled US financial system .

Senators voted 74 to 25 in favour of the emergency legislation, which is designed to buy up bad debts and stabilise financial markets.

It includes tax breaks for families and businesses, among other measures designed to win over sceptics.

The plan will now go before the House of Representatives, which narrowly rejected a similar bill on Monday.

President George W Bush praised Senate leaders for making "vital improvements to the rescue package" and urged the House to approve the measures.

News of the Senate vote failed to lift Asian markets. Japan's main Nikkei index ended down 1.9% and Australian stocks lost 0.6%, on wider fears about economic growth. But shares in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened up.