global economics

    By Vishesh Kumar

    | 10:00AM 1/12/2011
    World markets got a boost this week from Japan's pledge to help overly indebted EU nations. What's behind Japan's move? Sure, the spirit of global cooperation is part of it. But much more significant is Tokyo's need to keep pace with Beijing in the influence game.

    By Peter Cohan

    | 9:30AM 9/30/2009
    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) thinks the global banking system is getting better. How so? Its latest report cuts the amount of toxic waste it thinks global banks will need to write off by $600 billion -- 15 percent less than its previous estimate of $4 trillion. Nevertheless, the IMF still...