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There are weeks when it can sound as if the European sovereign debt crisis is going round in circles.

The representatives of Greece's private creditors left Athens unexpectedly on Saturday without a deal on a debt-swap plan that is vital to avert a disorderly default, sources close to the negotiations told Reuters. Negotiations will continue over the phone during the weekend.

Group of 20 nations agreed to push Europe to take extra steps to resolve the debt crisis on Friday as they inch toward a deal to boost the International Monetary Fund's firepower.

Economic growth, jobs and protectionism are the top three worries at the start of 2012, according to a Call to Action published by 11 leaders of international organizations on Friday in a bid to kick-start debate at next week's Davos Forum.

The Canadian dollar touched a six-week high against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday after Canadian manufacturing data beat expectations and solid demand at a euro zone debt auction eased investor fears about Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

Greece and its bondholders have made little progress since resuming stalled talks on a debt swap, three sources close to the talks told Reuters on Thursday, with time to strike a deal and avoid a messy default running out rapidly.

World stocks rose to their highest in over two months on Thursday as risk appetite improved on hopes Greece will reach an agreement with its creditors and the International Monetary Fund will boost resources to tackle the euro zone debt crisis.

The IMF currently has a lending capacity of about $380 billion and estimates demand could be about $1 trillion in the medium-term.

The International Monetary Fund is seeking to more than double its war chest by raising $600 billion in new resources to help countries deal with the fallout of the euro zone debt crisis, but the United States and other countries are throwing up roadblocks.

The International Monetary Fund is seeking to more than double its war chest by raising $600 billion in new resources to help countries deal with the fallout of the euro zone debt crisis, but the United States and other countries are throwing up roadblocks.

The International Monetary Fund is seeking to more than double its war chest by raising $600 billion in new resources to help countries deal with the fallout of the euro zone debt crisis, but the United States and other countries are throwing up roadblocks.

Europe needs to cough up a lot more than $200 billion to the International Monetary Fund before calling on others to boost the international lender's funding capacity to deal with the fallout from the European debt crisis, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Wednesday.

Italy and Britain called on the European Union on Wednesday to promote steps to boost economic growth and not focus solely on austerity to bring down the debt levels that have thrown the single currency into crisis.

The World Bank warned Wednesday that the global economy is on the cusp of a new financial crisis, one similar in magnitude to the chaos following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Stocks opened little changed on Wednesday as initial enthusiasm over the International Monetary Fund's plan to bolster lending to struggling euro zone nations flagged, but financial shares were boosted after Goldman Sachs quarterly profits topped views.

The International Monetary Fund is estimating it needs to raise up to $600 billion in new resources to lend to countries struggling with the fallout from the growing euro zone debt crisis, IMF sources said on Wednesday.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, putting the S&P 500 on track for a second straight advance after sources said the International Monetary Fund wants to boost its lending facility as the Eurozone battles a long-running debt crisis.

The International Monetary Fund is estimating it needs to raise up to $600 billion in new resources to lend to countries struggling with the fallout from the euro zone debt crisis, IMF sources said on Wednesday.

Gold struggled Wednesday to hold recent gains as growing concerns of an imminent Greek default offset hope that Chinese authorities will act to reverse the slowdown of the world's second-biggest economy.

Germany, the only major eurozone member to retain a top-notch credit rating, refused Monday to consider boosting the bloc's rescue fund, while Greece was under pressure to urgently break a deadlock in debt swap talks if it is to avoid an unruly default.

An exit from the euro by Greece appears likelier by the day.

Greece must urgently break a deadlock in debt swap talks triggered by unreasonable demands from its partners, the head of a group of representing its private sector warned on Monday, as Athens raced against the clock to prevent an unruly default.

Greece must urgently break a deadlock in debt swap talks triggered by unreasonable demands from its partners, the head of a group of representing its private sector warned on Monday, as Athens raced against the clock to prevent an unruly default.

The government had enacted a series of cuts to salaries and benefits, while hiking taxes.

Greece must urgently break a deadlock in debt swap talks triggered by unreasonable demands from its partners, the head of a group of representing its private sector warned on Monday, as Athens raced against the clock to prevent an unruly default.

Greece debt talks are at an impasse and concerns are rising that the country will face a hard default within six weeks if a plan is not reached. Greek leaders are set to resume negotiations with private-sector creditors this week with hopes of reaching the base points of a debt deal to avoid national default by a Feb. 23 meeting of Eurozone finance ministers.

Global leaders and businessmen urged Europe on Monday to take fresh steps to resolve its deepening debt crisis, with a top executive of the IMF warning the continent will see a downward spiral of collapsing confidence if no further action is taken.

Europe will see a downward spiral of collapsing confidence if no further action is taken, said David Lipton, first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund, urging a pause in monetary tightening for countries in which inflation has eased.

Romanian riot police used tear gas against protesters who threw rocks and set fire to newspaper stands and rubbish bins in central Bucharest in a fourth day of street demonstrations against government austerity measures Sunday.