A surge of new offerings are coming out of central and eastern Europe, with Russia and Kazakhstan showing the new EU countries how it should be done. Michael Marray reports.

Zahid Hamid, minister for privatisation and investment, talks to Jules Stewart about his ambitious plans for a modern, industrialised Pakistan.

Shamshad Akhtar, governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, talks to Jules Stewart about the influence of the US macroeconomy on Pakistan’s economic landscape and the importance for the developing world in keeping open this window to the West.

Pakistan looks set to achieve a goal many thought impossible: economic stability. Jules Stewart reports.

Thailand seemed to be ushering in a golden age of financial security, until high-level political scandal and terrorist attacks sent its fragile economy crashing back down to earth. Simon Montlake reports.

Sharia-compliant investing and structured products are two of the largest and highest margin growth areas for investment banks. Both are born out of specialist structuring teams, rich with fiscal and regulatory experts, so it is almost inevitable that compliant structured products are fast becoming voguish. Natasha de Terán explores the market.

Capital markets to reach European levels if current low investment rates continue. Asian Development Bank’s Outlook 2007 notes that 10 years after the region’s crisis, growth rates are still not back to pre-crisis levels in the countries worst affected: Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Expect Europe to be the major arena of interest in the capital markets over the next five to 10 years. Underwriting fees are two to three times higher in the US but growth prospects are far better in Europe.

Observers see the lack of Asian participation in dollar deals as a temporary blip, due largely to current conditions. However, European bankers are still keen to cultivate investment from Asia. Michael Marray reports.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Mohammed Yunus talks to Kala Rao about the growing role of microfinance in the global economy, the challenges the sector faces moving from the informal to formal status, the need for regulation and the role that governments can play.