AFP - British mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley, which has been hit by a housing downturn and weakness in the wider economy, may be nationalised, according to newspaper reports.

Reuters - Shares of Wachovia Corp and National City Corp tumbled on worries about heavy mortgage losses, as talks on a $700 billion financial sector bailout bogged down and regulators seized Washington Mutual Inc in the largest bank failure in U.S. history.

AP - As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation's largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc. — has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market.

Reuters - Struggling savings and loan Washington Mutual Inc is still talking to buyers about selling itself, but first needs to hammer out whether it or the buyer would get government support.

AP - Rates on 30-year mortgages, which had been falling for five weeks, jumped sharply this week, reflecting the turbulence in global credit markets.

AP - As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation's largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc. — has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market.

Reuters - U.S. regulators are trying to quickly broker a deal for Washington Mutual Inc , a large U.S. savings and loan crippled by mortgage losses, the New York Times reported on Thursday.