Round-up: 21 Aug 2008 – lite version

Oil surges above $120 as tensions rise – Fin 24 (A bit of a delayed reaction, if you asked me. Oil gapped way up $5 today. Huge move. Last I saw it was at $121)

Lone Star Funds to take over IKB – BBC News (So I guess American buyout shops are fine but no Asians or Middle Easterners? Lucky IKB.)

Canadian Banks in U.S. Hiring Spree – Deal Book (Take off, you hosers)

Obama’s Geek Economist – Technology Review (Profile of Austan Goolsbee – HT Yves Smith)

Singapore Fund Would Consider Bigger Merrill Stake – Deal Book (Why not double down, we’ve already lost billions)

Insurance gap leads some elderly to forgo medicine – LA Times (You’ve got to get coverage for more people in the States)

Bank borrowing from ECB is out of control – Telegraph (Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is on a tear)