Malta has done well out of EU and eurozone membership, with clear benefits accruing not only to the financial services sector, but also to tourism and other sectors, as its prime minister, Lawrence Gonzi, explains.

As political and social unrest spreads across many countries in the Middle East and north Africa, Kuwait – the Gulf region's only democracy – is making progress across many fields in a quiet and efficient manner.

China's quest to meet its natural resources needs has been largely concentrated on Africa, but its presence in Latin America has been creeping up over the past decade. Latam governments, however, are proving to be less co-operative than their African counterparts. 

International comparison indices rate Malta’s financial sector highly, proof that the banks, funds, fund managers, insurance companies and other firms that have set up business in the EU’s smallest country have made a good choice. 

Lloyds Banking Group's new CEO, António Horta-Osório, had an easy option: to stay at the helm of Santander UK and await inevitable promotion. Instead, he left to front the bailed-out UK bank.

China’s dominance in Asian finance continues to grow, but banks from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are combining good returns with high capital levels.

In the space of a few months, Russia’s second largest bank has engineered ground-breaking bond issues, a kick-start to the government’s privatisation programme, and two acquisitions.

Funding retirement presents a challenge for governments in the Middle East and north Africa because of the vast numbers of people who will reach retirement age in the next 40 years – but it also offers opportunities for financial services providers.