Despite its isolationist circumstances, North Korea has been developing an informal market economy on the back of its highly educated labour force. But the state's ambivalence about foreign investment and its geopolitical intransigence make it difficult to know how far the inroads made by outside investment can reach.

Singapore's big three lenders may still be dominating the top positions in the Association of South-east Asian Nations ranking by Tier 1 capital by a considerable margin, but Thai and Malaysian banks now occupy six of the top 10 spots, while Indonesia's institutions are recording the region's strongest profitability ratios.

Senior figures at the Asian Development Bank explain why their priority is to ensure that the continent's growth benefits all of its population, countering the rising levels of inequality in the region over the past 20 years.

India stands at a crossroads. The country's potential remains huge, but its growth of late has been hampered by political infighting and weak governance, leading some to question if it is still worthy of its 'BRIC' status.

A new prime minister and Bank of Japan governor, both apparently working in concert, could signal sustained weakness for the yen. But there are some tough psychological barriers to breach.