NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mortgage applications rose for a second straight week, fueled by demand for home loans as interest rates sank to their lowest since May, an industry group's figures showed Wednesday.

LBO uncertainty remains for Citigroup, analyst says (Market Watch)
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Citigroup Inc.'s exposure to indigestion in the leveraged market and turmoil in the subprime mortgage business remains a concern, but problems with the asset-backed commercial paper market seem to be ebbing slightly, analysts at J.P. Morgan Chase said on Tuesday.