The Isle of Man and Jersey have hit back at accusations that they facilitate tax evasion and avoidance ahead of next week's G8 summit. The offshore jurisdictions, frequently described as tax havens, suggest recent pressure from world leaders is politically motivated.
The administration of President Dilma Rousseff will hand out 17 billion Reais (8 bn dollars) in cheap loans for home appliance purchases it was announced this week, a further attempt bolster Brazilians' buying power as an anemic economy and high inflation erode its approval rating.
Brazilian police accused eight firefighters of dereliction of duty for their alleged failure to enforce fire codes at a nightclub where a January 27 blaze resulted in the deaths of 242 people, the Record TV network reported this week.
The most important date in the recent history of the Falkland Islands was commemorated on Friday, June 14 by Falkland Islanders and veterans of the 1982 war.
The European Commission is seeking to up the fight against tax evasion within the European Union. The Commission wants governments to automatically exchange information on a wide range of financial income earned in their countries by non-residents.
The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries.
The Nicaraguan Congress has approved a proposal to have a canal built linking the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. A Hong Kong-based company has been granted a 50-year concession to build the waterway, which will rival the Panama Canal.
The countdown to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil officially began this Wednesday 12 June. Simultaneous events in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia celebrated the unveiling of a clock marking the time remaining to the opening game of Brazil 2014.
Food commodity markets, in particular for cereals, are set to be more balanced in 2013/14, according to FAO Food Outlook report published on Thursday. World food imports in 2013 are tentatively forecast at 1.09 trillion dollars, close to last year's level, but 13% below the record of 2011, the biannual report on global food markets said.
Argentina will demand that banks grant a new round of low-cost business loans from July through December, totalling about 3.8 billion dollars, the central bank said on Thursday. The decision comes four months ahead of mid-term elections next October.