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Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz is single-handedly staging an economic revolution in Pakistan, selling yet another military government to a sceptical international investor community.

Ben Aris spoke to Yuri Ponomarev, the chairman of Vneshtorgbank (VTB), the international trade bank of the Russian Federation, which is now Russia’s largest bank ranked by shareholders’ equity.

The Wallenberg family presides over some of Sweden’s most famed industrial names such as Ericsson and Saab. Its grip over the Investor AB trust seems unassailable. But is it? Martin Ebner of BZ Bank is probing their defences and questioning the dynamism of the top management. These protagonists have crossed swords before.

The largest banks in Latin America are in its largest economies, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Consolidation has created large conglomerates through in-market mergers and acquisition of local franchises by international powerhouses. By Celina Vansetti, data from Moody’s Investors Service

Since the start of economic recovery in 1992, the UK economy has enjoyed a remarkable nine years of steady and stable growth - averaging just under 3% per year - and low inflation - averaging just under 2.5% per year - with falling unemployment. Though storm clouds are now gathering, with UK manufacturing in recession, exporters suffering from sterling's overvaluation against the euro and uncertainty about the consequences of the US slowdown, it's worth recalling that that nine year record has withstood shocks, such as the emerging market financial crisis of 1998.

Brazil is the powerhouse of Latin America: by far the region's largest economy - and largest debtor - it acts as a proxy for the rest of South America. And it's in trouble. The slowing global economy is pumping less money into the country, an energy crisis has created an internal supply shock, and uncertainty over next year's elections is increasing. At the same time, Brazil's exports are too low, its population too poorly educated, and its domestic savings woefully inadequate if it is to compete on the international stage. With all of that to contend with, the last thing Brazil needed was the tango effect: contagion from neighbouring Argentina. Felix Salmon asks whether Brazil, along with the rest of South America, is falling back into crisis

The Paris Club of official bilateral creditors is promoting the view that holders of sovereign bonds should take their share of the burdens when borrowers need rescuing from default. Jerome Booth argues that this burden-sharing dogma flies in the face of insights that can be gleaned from history and conflates what is essentially politically-motivated lending with market-driven lending. It will, he argues, inevitably damage the debtors it is ostensibly designed to help

World Bank president James Wolfensohn has spent an unprecedented amount of time and energy reaching out to civil society. The Bank's management, however, now faces a difficult, if not impossible balancing act as a result.

The only good thing about the roads in Manila is the jeepneys. The long, brightly decorated Filipino buses-cum-taxis bring a dash of colour to the tedious traffic jams on dilapidated, pock-marked roads.

Saudi Arabia has demonstrated strong growth in the midst of the falling global economy, and that growth can be attributed to more than just oil. Natural gas and tourism also have contributed to this boom, but it is unclear whether Saudi Arabia can generate enough jobs for its growing population.

Mexico has prospered through ever-closer links to the US, which has been the main market for its booming exports. Seven years on from its own crisis, Mexico now appears strong enough to shrug off any contagion from Argentina. The downside, though, is that Mexico will now suffer if the US economy goes into a deep and prolonged downturn. Faults in its economy may yet be revealed.

KBC demonstrates just what happens when deep pockets are used to address pressing commercial imperatives.