Egypt's reliance on central bank funding may add to inflationary pressures

EGYPT. The Egyptian government is facing an increasingly difficult set of economic circumstances that could raise inflationary pressures and lead to further social unrest, says a report by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services

• Continued strong public spending expected to support non-oil growth in many oil producing countries
• Barclays bullish on equities, expectations of recovery on gold are mixed
• Louis Vuitton loses ground as world's most valuable luxury brand

Iran bars Rafsanjani from standing for president

IRAN. A heavyweight until eight years ago when Ahmadinejad beat him in the 2005 presidential election, Rafsanjani has lost much of his political stock in recent years.

• Russia slams Eurovision 'nul points' vote scandal
• Syria, Israel exchange fire on Golan Heights
• Analysis: Syria - Outside patronage and a new offensive for the regime

CSR increasingly more important in the Middle East

UAE. "We found 41% of participants indicated that CSR is reported directly to the CEO, which demonstrates the importance of CSR as an emerging business issue."

• AHAB responds to Sonecon's report and teleconference on managing defaults in Islamic Finance
• Dubai Digital Media Forum kicks off with Twitter executive
• JPMorgan shareholders keep Dimon chairman, CEO