Is the U.S. housing market truly at a turning point, as investors seem to increasingly believe? Or is this actually a false dawn, meaning that there are problems and pain ahead for those who turned bullish too soon?

Asia is poised to become the “new” Detroit.

Commodities prices are surging. World white sugar prices reached record levels on Aug. 10, largely because of booming demand in India where the government has lifted a ban on imports.

Upbeat headlines have been everywhere in recent weeks, and they all seem to point to a single conclusion: The U.S. economy is in the early stages of a very rapid recovery.

Investors who pay attention to Japan’s looming election can expect to be well-rewarded for their time.  Normally, we confess, Japanese elections don’t matter much, because the same guys always win. However, this one – set for Aug. 30 – looks different: It may actually bring about the first real change in Japan’s government in 55 years. That’s important.

A debate over the future of the U.S. Federal Reserve is taking place in the halls of Congress.

When India unveiled its annual budget on July 6, it immediately caused a sharp drop in the rupee, as well as a 5.8% decline in the benchmark BSE Sensex stock index that had soared 55% so far this year.

Markets were cheered Wednesday when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected global growth of 2.5% for 2010, a slight increase from its earlier forecast of 1.9% growth. That’s good news for investors – but consumers in the United States and investors focused on it may not see much benefit.