On May 17, he declared that "no politicians, businessmen or bank executives will escape" if they are guilty of wrongdoing.

CNN: Laying the blame for the Bank of Commerce troubles

Nor did the bank's staff entirely escape his scorn: Ms Riza is only one of hundreds, he pointed out, who take home more money than America's secretary of state.

ECONOMIST: The World Bank's president will not go quietly

Observers said the bank may have hoped the announcement would escape notice because it coincided with the U.K. budget.

WSJ: Barclays's Top Brass Get Share Awards

In the small town of Ramallo, north-west of Buenos Aires, a group of criminals who had robbed a bank, apparently with police help, tried to escape with three hostages.

ECONOMIST: Argentina: Tough nut | The

Unlike in some US states, mortgage holders cannot escape debt obligations by surrendering their property to the bank.

CNN: Ireland picks through debtors' lifestyles

Poorer households tend to put their money, if they have any spare, into bank and building-society accounts, where they do not escape the taxman.

ECONOMIST: His next trick

That leading executives in both institutions could not totally escape blame only intensified concerns that money in the bank may no longer be the safest bet.

CNN: Newsmakers 1995

But he reportedly managed to escape with 45 million euros in gold bars from the Bank of Tunisia, and the rest of his assets (which he stands accused of embezzling from the state) are now frozen in French banks, and will probably remain there.

FORBES: Dust Settles in Tunisia

Along with the house went birth certificates, bank records, computers carrying vital information for the Kristoff's Steak Escape Restaurant, one of which likely went up in flames with the rest of the river walk.

NPR: A Call to Rebuild New Orleans

The Deutsche Bank estimate echoes preliminary speculation from the Insurance Information Institute that U.S. and non-Japanese insurers could escape the Japanese earthquake with limited damage.

FORBES: Japan Quake Losses For U.S. And Bermuda Reinsurers May Not Exceed $25 Billion