What is happening to the world economy? An analogy frequently used to describe the global economy is that of a plane and whether it will enjoy a soft landing or suffer a hard one. "...the minutes released by the US Federal Reserve last week. They showed a number of policymakers fearful of overtightening monetary policy. Such concerns are even greater here." "...businesses find it harder and more expensive to raise funds, because of a credit crunch, tough lending conditions and a more risk-averse environment in capital markets. " "...the economic forecasts from the International Monetary Fund. In late July, they...