Yunus is creating another new financial model to include the poor in global capitalism – and still more models are needed.

Bankers fear that the US’s proposed regulation to prohibit banks from handling transactions related to illegal internet gambling would damage the payments system, writes Michael Imeson.

Indonesia’s finance minister Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati tells Neil Sen that she is aiming for sustainable growth that will ensure equality.

Jan Cienski reports from Warsaw on the complex, drawn-out merger of Pekao SA and BPH – an alliance that has created the largest bank in Poland.

Basel II does not need to be overhauled – it is adaptable to rapid financial innovation and moreover, is designed to help steer banks through extreme market conditions, says Nout Wellink.

Retail banking is predicted to remain a driving force, though it will have to adapt as customer needs change. But how a bank utilises the technology at its disposal could be crucial to its survival, says Michael Imeson.

It is high time that retail banks stopped thinking of electronic channels as extensions of the branch and started thinking about the electronic structure as the foundation upon which all the channels, including the branch, are built. By Chris Skinner.

With a thriving economy that appears to be on the up, Panama is seeing a wave of takeovers by foreign banks. John Rumsey reports.

Xiao Gang, chairman of Bank of China, talks to Stephen Timewell about the bank’s domestic and international strategy for the coming year.

Banks’ overall downturn in performance, despite Japan’s economic growth, signals a rough road ahead.