Economics and Policy A leading company has said that international oil firms were not willing to explore for gas in the disputed territorial waters with Israel until the demarcation of this area was completed and voiced support for auctioning off all of Lebanon’s 10 blocks to the bidding companies. More from The Daily Star Turkey has lifted a ban on women wearing the Islamic head scarf in state institutions, ending a decades-old restriction as part of a package of reforms meant to bolster democracy. More from Reuters Companies and Business Samba Financial Group, Saudi Arabia's second-largest listed bank, posted a flat third-quarter net profit on Tuesday, coming in slightly below the average forecast of analysts. More from Reuters Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest listed lender in the Gulf Arab region, posted an 14.3 per cent jump in third-quarter net profit on Tuesday. More from Reuters
