News round-up: 17 Aug 2008 – weekend edition lite

Housing
U.S. subprime collapse reaches Welsh town – LA Times (LA Times take on interconnectedness of post-bubble world)
American housing – home economics – Economist (optimism)
American housing – ticking time bomb – Economist (pessimism)
Dr. Doom [a profile of Nouriel Roubini] – NY Times (the pessimist’s pessimist; very good exposé)

Nationalism
Russia resurgent – Economist (nationalism is a topic I will have to address)
New York Law to Russian Claw – Portfolio (good piece on Georgian premier Saakashvili)
China: Humiliation & the Olympics – NY Review of Books (hattip naked capitalism)

Gold and black gold
Gold falls below to $800 an ounce – BBC News (just a pullback in my opinion)
Pickens says oil won’t go below US$100 – National Post (interesting prediction from Pickens)

I’m gonna sue
New Hampshire Sues UBS Over Student Loan Securities – Deal Book (UBS has been a lawsuit magnet)
UBS sees light through the gloom – Fin24 (At least they’re optimistic)
Judge Rejects Countrywide Settlement – NY Times (BofA has some trouble on its hands)

Money changers
Bradford & Bingley cash call ends – BBC News (demand was weak)
The Impact of Negative Real Interest Rates – Safe Haven (the height of irresponsibility)
Fannie, Freddie debt faces confidence crisis overseas – Reuters (maybe this accounts for spread widening!)

Odds & Ends
Pubs ditch Sky football as credit crunch bites – Guardian (no football with my pint?)