business - "announced"

SAN FRANCISCO----Wells Fargo & Company said today that, as a result of the filing by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, it will record other-than-temporary impairment and take a non-cash charge to earnings in third quarter 2008 for its investments in senior unsecured notes and perpetual preferred securities issued by Lehman Brothers.

The recently announced partnership between Pets Best Insurance and the American Veterinary Medical Association's Group Health & Life Insurance Trust has some competitors crying foul.

TORONTO, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) Brompton Funds Management Limited (the 'Manager') announces that it is proposing a merger of its investment-grade fixed income funds managed by Flaherty and Crumrine Incorporated. Both Flaherty & Crumrine Investment Grade Preferred Fund ('FAC') (TSX: FAC.UN) and Flaherty & Crumrine Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund ('FFI') (TSX: FFI.UN) have similar investment objectives, strategies and portfolios and pay out the same monthly distribution at an annual rate of $1.50 per unit.

NEW YORK, NY (MARKET WIRE) MultiPlan, Inc., the nation's oldest and largest independent PPO network, today announced that voting is now open for its annual Holiday Card Program. Voting is open to the public on the MultiPlan website at: http://www.multiplan.com/holiday through Friday, September 26, 2008. Winners will be posted on the site the week of October 6th, 2008.

NEW YORK, NY (MARKET WIRE) BrightLine iTV Marketing Specialists announced today the appointment of Audrey Marco to the role of Vice President of Business Development in BrightLine's L.A. office. As a veteran of digital marketing and emerging media, Marco will utilize her experience and relationships with consumer and entertainment brand marketers to provide them with the unique and innovative interactive TV ad experiences that are BrightLine's specialty.

PARSIPPANY, NJ (MARKET WIRE) Avis Budget Group today announced the puraDYN(R) Oil Filtration System will become standard equipment on Avis Budget Group's North American fleet of nearly 300 heavy duty buses; this equipment upgrade is expected to reduce motor oil use and oil-related bus engine maintenance by as much as 90 percent, and makes Avis Budget Group the first in the car rental industry to add an oil filtration system to its fleet of buses.

FRiENDi mobile, the leading Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in the SAMEA (South Asia, Middle East & Africa) region, and Millennium Private Equity (MPE) today announced an investment by MPE in FRiENDi mobile.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL (MARKET WIRE) TRI-STAR HOLDINGS, INC. (PINKSHEETS: TSHL), a publicly traded company currently on the Over the Counter, announced its subsidiary, ERHU, Inc. has begun production of its prototype emergency response hospital unit (ERHU) and is on schedule for its target completion. The company has purchased a Coachman Sport Catalina RV and is being outfitted in the company-owned warehouse in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Designer Victor Adams has been overseeing the cutting of materials according to the design patterns for the patient wings, with assembly on the inflatable units to commence assembly next week.

Pioneer Investments has announced that it will lower the expense limits for two share classes of Pioneer Bond Fund. The new expense limits are in place for a minimum period of five years.

A GROUP of global banks and securities firms have announced a $US70 billion ($86 billion) loan program that financial companies can tap to help ease a credit shortage that threatens financial markets. The 10 banks, which include JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, said they were committing $US7 billion each for the pool.