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Lehman Races Clock; Crisis Spreads

The crisis gripping the nation's financial system deepened, with Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. racing to sell itself over the weekend and other major U.S. institutions scrambling to show they have the financial wherewithal to ride out the crisis. Potential buyers of Lehman were heading toward a standoff with federal officials Friday. Firms weighing offers for the battered investment bank sought financial assistance, while Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has been unwilling to support a government-led bailout, people familiar with the situation say. The weekend's negotiations over Lehman's fate could define the next chapter of the government's handling of the crisis.Friday.

âQuick turnaroundâ?? increases palay yield by 50% in Santiago

CITY â A rice-planting program, dubbed "Quick Turnaround" (QTA) and launched last May in this city, has proven successful despite the unexpected weather aberrations in the region.

Santiago City Agriculture Officer Solomon Maylem said that QTA was designed to allow farmers to plant in mid-summer and harvest by early September. This enables them to plant again in early October and harvest by January for the second-cropping season."Normally, there are only two rice-cropping seasons in Isabela, but because of the irrigation water provided by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)...

Analysis: Yankee, go home: Latin American leftists boot US ambassadors as relations sour

The Bush administration is facing a new headache, this time in Latin America, as two leftist governments it can't ignore booted the U.S. ambassadors this week.Simmering ideological tensions between President Bush and the populist presidents of Bolivia and Venezuela boiled over on Wednesday and Thursday in twin diplomatic spats that threaten U.S. counternarcotics operations in the region and possibly American energy supplies.The administration

South America: Brazil, Argentina held to surprise draws

Brazil and Argentina were held to draws by lesser opponents Wednesday and Chile climbed to fourth place in the standings in the latest South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

Brazil was booed off the pitch after being held to a scoreless home draw by 10-man Bolivia, while Argentina conceded an equalizer in the final seconds to draw 1-1 at Peru. Chile crushed Colombia 4-0 while Uruguay was held 0-0 at home by Ecuador.