
A majority of Germans doubt Chancellor Angela Merkel's guarantee that their savings accounts are safe, an opinion poll published by Stern magazine and RTL TV showed, six months before the federal election.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will attend this week's BRICS summit of five emerging powers hosted by South Africa to discuss creation of their own development bank, the Planalto office announced.

Lawmakers from Argentina and the UK attending the 128th Inter-parliamentarian Union assembly held in Ecuador have been holding intense but ‘respectful’ discussions about the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute.

The main group representing supermarkets in Brazil says it will no longer sell meat from cattle raised in the rainforest. The Brazilian Association of Supermarkets, which has 2,800 members, hopes the deal will cut down on the illegal use of rainforest for pasture.

Ben Bernanke has defended the continuing low-interest-rate policies of the US Federal Reserve and central banks in Europe, saying they are helping to boost the global economy. The Fed governor's comments come after some analysts have voiced concern that such low rates are cutting the value of currencies of advanced nations.

Euro-zone finance ministers have agreed a deal on a 10bn-Euro bailout for Cyprus to prevent its banking system collapsing and keep the country in the Euro-zone. Asian financial markets rose in early trading on news of the deal.

Two of Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica closest ministers, Defence and Foreign Affairs said that the ‘British occupation’ of the Falkland Islands is ‘unacceptable’, represents a NATO base in the South Atlantic and described the recent referendum in the Islands as ‘absurd and ridiculous’.

A delegation from the Falkland Islands recently visited Jamaica as part of a tour of North America, Central American and Caribbean countries to inform about the referendum earlier this month which resulted in a resounding 'yes' with only three 'no' votes, leaving no doubt as to their wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.

Uruguay’s central bank surprised the market by keeping on hold the benchmark interest rate at 9.25% after increases at the two previous monetary policy meetings failed to slow inflation, one of the country’s main concerns.

By Jen Alic of Oilprice.com - Cyprus is preparing for total financial collapse as the European Central Bank turns its back on the island after its parliament rejected a scheme to make Cypriot citizens pay a levy on savings deposits in return for a share in potential gas futures to fund a bailout.