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Emerging-market and convergence investors have long since stopped buying hard-currency debt from the new European countries after their spreads converged with EU government levels, but the region's local-currency debt is attracting ever more inflows. Kathryn Wells reports on where the best opportunities lie

Once a small real estate bank, Landsbanki is now trying to build business in new areas such as corporate finance. But concerns about the size of its equity holdings persist

A reveiw of 13 years of country risk, region by region. Emerging markets are now established as part of the fabric of international investment. But don't be fooled into thinking that the increased flow of investment follows a decline in risk. Research and analysis by Chloe Hayward.

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It's difficult to make money in Russian private equity. Consequently, many of the world's biggest funds have steered clear. For those that have taken the plunge, the results are mixed. Some report returns far higher than those on equities. Others have had no luck and have packed up and left.

David Knott, the current chief executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, argues that Ian Hay Davison's account does not represent the status of the regulator, which is well placed to play an important future role in finance in the Middle East. Here he sets out the DFSA'S position

The imminent liberalization of Gazprom share ownership rules will introduce the world's biggest energy company to the world's biggest investors. But is Gazprom ready for the world, or the world for Gazprom?

The woman who has run the central bank since 2000 has overseen reform of the exchange rate, the capital markets and the banking industry. With her encouragement the country has also become a hub for Islamic finance.

There's a lot of money to be made from the beautiful game. Deloitte's football money league shows that the top 20 football clubs in the world are set to break the £2 billion ($3.6 billion) income mark in 2005, for example. Germany's GNP is set to grow by €8 billion as a result of hosting the 2006 World Cup, and about 500 advertisers are set to spend €7 billion to enhance the branding of their products. According to VAT reclaims company Lowendal UK, an estimated €15 million will be spent on sponsorship events during the World Cup.