The people of Scotland will have the opportunity to vote on the country's independence from the rest of the UK in 2014. But while the decision will inevitably be an emotive one, the financial, business and political ramifications cannot be ignored, and it appears that there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding them.

Austria's government, driven an agenda to ensure that tax-payers do not pay for the financial crisis, which has seen it implement strict measures to fast-track compliance with Basel III rules, appears to show no sign of relenting in its dealings with the country's embattled banks.

After leading Morgan Stanley’s equities business outside the Americas, John Hyman is working to position Renaissance Capital as a focused player in a number of very different markets across emerging Europe and Africa.

A stagnant home market and declining prospects in western Europe have encouraged Swiss wealth managers to expand in emerging markets. But the strategy for success is not always straightforward, and now a number of regional players have come to the fore looking to challenge Swiss dominance in this field.

Blamed for magnifying the effects of the financial crisis, credit derivatives may be given a boost by the post-crisis regulatory changes.

Libor has come under huge scrutiny since Barclays was fined for manipulating it. While few bankers believe it can be replaced, even its staunchest supporters say it needs to be reformed. But it is not obvious how. 

Egypt's tumultuous political landscape of the past 18 months has, predictably, had an impact on it banks. However, the sector has shown impressive resilience since the Arab Spring uprisings, focusing on SME lending and commercial activities with some degree of success. But with foreign investors staying away and further political upheaval still a possibility, the country's rebuilding process still has some way to go.