
Cyprus bailout goes down to the wire
Mar 24, 2013, 5:32 PM EDT

REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, seeking a last-minute reprieve from financial meltdown at talks in Brussels, has a "very difficult task" ahead of him if he is to save the island's economy, a government spokesman said. Late night talks in Nicosia on Saturday to seal a bailout from the E.U. and International Monetary Fund broke up without result, leaving Cyprus facing a Monday deadline to avert a collapse of its banking system and potential exit from the euro.