Not to be flippant about a new stock-market plunge that’s doubtless causing heartburn in many offices and households, but is this really such a huge surprise? And just as important, is it really such a bad thing?.U.S. consumer weakness painful but needed

In the aftermath of Iceland’s financial collapse, many citizens are planning to leave the country to find work and a more secure future.Brain drain hits cash-strapped Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland

Twenty Percent of Spanish Mortgages Now Considered To Be High Risk.According to an article which appeared in the Spanish newspaper Expansion this morning, one in five Spanish mortgages is now considered as being high risk and liable to become “non performing”.

GDP in the OECD area stabilised in the second quarter of 2009.Gross domestic product (GDP) in the OECD area stabilised in the second quarter of 2009 (minus 0.002%), according to preliminary estimates, following a fall of 2.1% in the previous quarter.

The recovery has started. Sustaining it will require delicate rebalancing acts, both within and across  countries.Sustaining a Global Recovery

US President Barack Obama has lost his messianic status in the row over health care reform, say German media commentators. The debate reveals the downside of America’s ideological aversion towards government: Americans are ready to put up with an inferior health service in the name of freedom, it seems.Americans Want ‘Freedom to Pay Too Much for Inferior Health Care’

Five years ago today, Google sold shares to the public for the first time, amid lots of skepticism about how the offering was being handled and whether the Web search company was overhyped and overvalued.Google’s I.P.O., 5 Years Later

Nicholas Taleb attacked Barack Obama for increasing his tax bill as part of anti-recessionary measures.

China’s rapid growth is no accident: it has had the right policies both practically and from the viewpoint of economic theory.No secrets to China’s success

BB&T Corp. calls itself a “fast follower”—a player that doesn’t try to get there first with technology, but takes advantage of every smart play.Capitalizing on Opportunities