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`Unprecedented' Biotech Bankruptcies Erupt as Global Crisis Curbs Funding The global economic crisis has cut funding for biotechnology companies to the lowest level in a decade, triggering bankruptcies and threatening development of drugs based on biomedical breakthroughs.

FDIC May Exclude Short-Term Loans From $1.5 Trillion Debt Insurance Plan U.S. bank regulators may exclude the shortest-term loans from a $1.4 trillion debt-insurance program, helping the Federal Reserve avoid further unpredictable swings in the country's main interest rate.

Lockheed's Stevens Doubles Margins in Four Years, Targets More Widening Lockheed Martin Corp. Chief Executive Officer Robert Stevens, who almost doubled profit margins in four years of running the world’s largest defense company, said rising international sales will provide more room for growth.

Salarymen Told to Save Japan by Raising More Children, Working Fewer Hours Keidanren, Japan's biggest business organization, is worried the nation's workers aren't having enough sex.

Putin Sparks Parlor Game on Whether He'll Oust Medvedev, Retake Presidency Russians are back to playing their favorite parlor game: speculating on whether or when Vladimir Putin will reclaim the presidency.

Alwaleed Exceeds Buffett's Loss Rate as Citigroup, News Corp. Values Slump The Warren Buffett of the Gulf is taking a bigger hit from the credit crunch than the original.

Bernanke May Find Deflation `Back on the Table' as Threat to U.S. Economy Five years after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke helped stamp out the risk of deflation, the threat is returning as the financial crisis and a worsening economic slump pull inflation lower.

Wachovia, Golden West Investigated for Lending, Disclosures to Investors U.S. prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Wachovia Corp.'s mortgage lending and disclosures to investors, U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello said.

Wal-Mart Shoppers Hold Key to Holiday Success for Dell, Hewlett-Packard Move over Best Buy. Wal-Mart will determine the fortunes of Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. this holiday season.

Arctic-Seabed Oil Claims May Rise as Senate Democrats Seen Pushing Treaty Democratic party gains in the U.S. Senate may speed approval of a maritime treaty that allows signatories to stake claims to Arctic seabed containing oil and gas deposits.

Stock P/E Ratios May Set Stage for `Twilight Zone': Chart of the Day Share prices have dropped far enough worldwide to tempt investors even if an earnings recovery is some way off, according to Robert Buckland, a strategist at Citigroup Inc.

Sweden's Biggest Banks Shun State Rescue Plan, Riling Ministers, Companies Nordea AB, Svenska Handelsbanken AB and SEB AB, Sweden's biggest banks, are drawing fire from government officials for shunning the state's plan to bolster the financial system by guaranteeing their debt.

Oil Supertankers May Avoid Suez on Somalia Piracy, Raising Shipping Costs Shippers controlling almost a quarter the global fleet of crude-oil supertankers may avoid Egypt’s Suez Canal after an increase in piracy off east Africa, potentially raising the cost of delivering the commodity.

Legal Boutiques Take On UBS, Citigroup as `Magic Circle' Law Firms Beg Off When Michael McNicholas, legal counsel at HSH Nordbank AG in London, needed help suing UBS AG to recover $275 million in subprime mortgage losses, he didn't bother turning to the big London law firms for help.

Yahoo Investors Want Outside CEO to Burnish Firm for Sale After Yang Exit Yahoo! Inc. investors say the search to replace Chief Executive Officer Jerry Yang should focus on a turnaround expert from outside the Internet company who can draw Microsoft Corp. back into takeover talks.

Fernandez May Elude Ban on Using Argentine Pension Cash for Debt, Spending When Argentina's Senate votes this week on nationalizing $24 billion in pension funds, it will try to bar the government from using the money to pay off mounting debt or fund ongoing expenses.

India's New Rural Roads Keep Growth `Kicking Along' During World Recession The 100 kilometers (62 miles) of rural roads India is adding each day may save Asia's third- largest economy from the worst of a global recession.

Malta Absorbs Record Refugee Influx, Becoming EU's Back Door `By Accident' Tesfay Bekurezion Gebredngle paid $1,300 to make the clandestine boat trip from North Africa to Sicily. Instead, the Eritrean refugee was taken to Malta, an island a thousandth of Italy's size.

Indiabulls Is Anything But as Profit Erodes With Hedge Funds Taking Losses Indiabulls Group, the Mumbai-based finance firm funded by billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, is shifting from increasing profitability to ``survival'' after the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. froze credit markets.

Bhattacharya Sees Buffett Example in Hindalco Rebound From 75% Stock Slump Hindalco Industries Ltd. Managing Director Debu Bhattacharya said investors should follow Warren Buffett, named America's richest man by Forbes magazine , rather than rebuff stocks, after India's largest aluminum producer lost almost three-quarters of its market value this year.