The US Congress is holding its first hearing into the cause of the current financial crisis.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is focusing on Lehman Brothers, a giant investment bank which went bankrupt last month.
The failure set off a financial panic, which prompted a $700bn rescue package approved by Congress last week.
The hearing comes as US shares continued to slide amid a burgeoning liquidity crisis.
The Congressional hearings will continue over the next three weeks.
