Politics, as well as economics, are at work as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve hits a 40-year low

The Banque du Liban's reputation at home and abroad is in tatters. To restore it, the next governor should be exceptional – independently minded, able to say 'no' and perhaps even a foreigner.

In its capital, once famed as the City of Light, it is now much darker. Paris is unable to achieve social and economic equality for millions of its citizens, sparking riots and disorder.

The first set of results are out from the Kingdom's ambitious, modernised census and the numbers show a growing, young and urban population, with transparent demographics a vital part of Vision 2023.

There is a long-standing nationwide sense of helplessness, stoked by government inaction over a series of crises. It shows up in various ways, from spending patterns to a rise in homelessness.

A longstanding dispute between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on the one hand, and Iran on the other, has been rehashed after Iran states its intention to start drilling in the Durra gas field

Although the Turkish economy is in dire straits, the region's industrial giant has always bounced back from adversity

With news just in that the Bank of England has decided to raise the base interest rate by a whopping half a percentage point, there is a definite air of economic crisis hanging over the UK today.

This may require some creative marketing and certainly would not target all pilgrims, but many could be interested in staying and adding more stops during their visit

Apple has clearly succeeded in penetrating traditional banking services, forging a new future for the sector. Al Majalla explains why banks and other financial service providers should be worried.