AP, NEW YORK  -- Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old investment bank choked by the credit crisis and falling real estate values, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors on Monday and said it was trying to sell off key business units.

AP, FRANKFURT, Germany -- Europe's major central banks moved quickly to calm markets Monday, pumping billions of euros and pounds into the financial system to shore up confidence in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s bankruptcy filing in the United States.

AFP, WASHINGTON - Bank of America announced plans Monday to buy investment bank Merrill Lynch for 50 billion dollars in stock, scooping up the Wall Street icon battered by the housing and credit crisis.

AP, PARIS  -- The World Association of Newspapers says it opposes a pending deal on advertising between Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. The Paris-based group wants European and U.S. regulators to block the deal on antitrust grounds.

AP, NEW YORK -- A group of global banks and securities firms announced late Sunday a $70 billion loan program that financial companies can tap to help ease a credit shortage that threatens global financial markets.

The ten banks, which include JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., said they were committing $7 billion each for the pool.

The Guardian Online

Thailand's ruling party today agreed to choose the brother-in-law of the ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for the country's top job.

AFP, LONDON - Europe's leading stock markets dived more than five percent on Monday on concerns over the battered world economy as Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.

At least 23 dead

AFP, TBILISI - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer arrived here on Monday to show support after last month's conflict with Russia and discuss the country's NATO membership bid.

AFP, PESHAWAR, Pakistan - US-led coalition troops based in Afghanistan tried to cross into a Pakistani tribal area in helicopters but were repelled after warning shots were fired, local officials said Monday.

AFP, HARARE- Zimbabwe's leaders signed a historic deal Monday that will see President Robert Mugabe share power with his arch-rival in a bid to resolve a ruinous political crisis in a country in economic meltdown.

AFP, BEIJING  - Australia's Libby Kosmala has competed in an astonishing ten Paralympic Games -- but the sharp shooter has no intention just yet of locking up her guns, with London 2012 firmly in her sights.

Sports Correspondent

Six cricketers, including former captain Habibul Bashar, turned in on Sunday letters of retirement from international as well as domestic cricket to the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

The governor of Shanxi resigned as the death toll from a mudslide triggered by the collapse of an illegal mining dump in the northern Chinese province rose to 254, official media have reported, reports The Guardian.

Monthly total exceeds previous record of $55m in February

Agencies

The campaign of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today announced it had raised a record $66m in August with the help of more than half a million new donors.

Says Hasina

Staff Correspondent

Repeated military rule has played havoc with people's fate in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has said and called for elections right away to replace the incumbent administration.

Commerce adviser says

Staff Reporter

The government wants to restore political faith and democratic norms by trying to get Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to sit together, an adviser said on Monday.

A three day exhibition of the Holy Quran from Sep 18-20 will be held at Engr. Abdul Khaleque Auditorium of Chittagong Press Club, says  a press release.

Cultural Center of Iranina Embassy in collaboration with Iran-Bangladesh Friendship Society will organize the exhibition.

First Income Tax Day

Desk Report

Over 300 taxpayers were awarded Monday when the interim government observed the first National Income Tax Day in an effort to sensitise the public to tax issues.

Dhaka-Delhi maritime talks

Staff Correspondent