Muhammad Al-Jasser, the governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, says that while the country's role within the wider Middle Eastern and global economies is an important one, in times of such financial anxiety, it is important to focus on domestic matters.

Gabon’s president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, tells The Banker that his reforms will help his country overcome its reliance on oil. But this is no easy task, with the country's growth set to slow this year and its economy hampered by bureaucracy and a lack of good infrastructure. Barbara Njau reports.

Slovenia was one of the worst hit by the eurozone crisis and its banks have struggled to recover with high non-performing loan ratios and low returns on equity. They are however punching above their weight in capital terms in The Banker’s rankings. Writer Nick Saywell

Mexico's banks have gone from fuelling the country's economic disasters of the mid-1990s to creating a strong financial system that has provided the economy with robust support throughout the global economic downturn.

With its acquisition of Lehman Brothers' non-US operations, Nomura made an audacious bid to join the global investment banking elite. Little did it know that its bold move would coincide with the worst economic and financial environment for the best part of a century. However, its senior management believe that if they hold their nerve, the gamble can still reap the rewards they originally expected.  

Junk bonds have suffered badly since the start of June, with investors being quick to sell off what is one of the riskiest fixed-income asset classes. But bankers point to the market’s underlying strengths and insist it will only get bigger in the long term. 

Deep uncertainty over sovereign debt exposures and new regulation has locked many banks out of the senior unsecured funding markets, leading to a frantic search for solutions.