Welcome Back to Work?: Job losses slow! Job losses slow! Unemployment in the U.S. grew to a staggering 9.4 percent, but the number of job losses--345,000--was the smallest since last September. Could the glimmers of hope be on the horizon? Er, nope, says Felix Salmon. Another Reuters guy, Christopher Swann, sees a double-edged sword in all the pay cuts.

The Bears and the Bulls: Why do markets continue to rally? Ed Harrison at RGE Monitor has three theories, two bearish and one bullish.

Lord of the Flies: Today brings us a new development in the UK expenses scandal meltdown. Finance minister Alistair Darling has apparently fought off Gordon Brown's attempts at an ouster, further weakening the prime minister's position amid a bold cabinet reshuffling and rising calls for his resignation.

Igor of Arabia: Russia has set its sights on the Arab world, positioning itself as a key trading partner with states eager to rekindle Soviet-era alliances. Russian and Arab banks are in talks over possible joint ventures. Meanwhile, Dmitri Medvedev warned Russians that it's "too early to open up the champagne" over a supposed bottom in the economic crisis.