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Stock index futures pointed to a sharply lower open on Wall Street on Monday, as renewed fears of a Greek debt default prompt investors to book some of last week's gains and turn to safer assets such as gold.

Greece must implement reforms agreed under an EU/IMF bailout plan and improve tax collection to qualify for further rescue payments, the IMF said on Monday.

Greece on Sunday pledged to take the tough decisions needed to avoid default but announced no new austerity measures to secure international bailout funds next month.

Pakistan will not seek a new International Monetary Fund programme, nor will it ask for an extension of the current one due to end on September 30, because it has no balance of payments crisis and has enough foreign exchange reserves, a finance ministry official told Reuters on Sunday.

Pakistan will not seek a new IMF loan program or ask for an extension when its existing loan package ends on September 30, because it has no balance of payments crisis and has enough foreign exchange reserves, a finance ministry official told Reuters on Sunday.

Brown explained that the financial woes in Europe are, at their essence, a crisis in banking, not debt.

Options for a sustainable economic recovery are narrowing, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of The International Monetary Fund, said in an opinion piece for a German newspaper.

The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for growth in Ivory Coast on Thursday, citing a faster-than-expected rebound in industrial and agricultural production since the end of a post-election conflict.

Global regulators have revised their rules so they can more easily track down commodity market abuses that cut across national borders.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Wednesday the world had entered a new economic danger zone and Europe, Japan and the United States all needed to make hard decisions to avoid dragging down the global economy.

The Italian parliament gave final approval on Wednesday to a much-altered austerity plan aimed at stemming a debt crisis engulfing the euro zone's third largest economy.

Non EU-countries like Russia or China have so far shown little interest in buying Greek debt, the Greek deputy finance minister said on Wednesday.

Brazil's proposal to support the crisis-hit euro zone garnered only lukewarm support from fellow BRICS countries on Wednesday, as doubts mounted whether the five emerging market powers have the political will or financial clout to throw a lifeline to Europe.

Italy's parliament voted in favor of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's emergency austerity budget on Wednesday afternoon. The vote was the final approval of the plan, which passed both the senate and the lower house.

The World Bank on Tuesday said it officially recognized the ruling National Transitional Council as Libya's government and had been asked to help lead efforts to restore vital services and develop jobs programs as the country tries to return to normal after a six-month war.

Guinea is launching a comprehensive review of mining contracts to root out 'unconscionable provisions' granted by previous administrations in the West African state, Mines Minister Mohamed Lamine Fofana told Reuters.

The International Monetary Fund acknowledged on Monday it had not anticipated a surge in public debt in debt-stricken countries such as Greece and called for expanded analysis of growing debt piles in advanced economies.

A new property tax may pull Greece back from the brink of default by securing desperately needed EU/IMF cash but it also exposes the government's foot-dragging in curing chronic structural ills to exit its debt crisis.

Debt-laden Greece has cash to operate until next month, the country's deputy finance minister said on Monday, highlighting the country's need to qualify for the next tranche out of its ongoing EU/IMF bailout.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on Saturday that reports of a draft IMF document showing a $273.2 billlion shortfall in European banks' capital were misleading and the lender was still finalizing its study.

Europe knows it must do more to persuade financial markets it is coming to grips with its debt problems but there is no question it has the financial firepower to do so, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

International Monetary Fund resources could prove to be sorely lacking if global financial conditions worsen and more countries turn to the global lender for financial rescues, IMF staff said in an internal document.

Policymakers in advanced economies should use all available tools to boost growth, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Friday, calling for bold action to weather a dangerous new phase of recovery.

Policymakers in advanced economies should use all available tools to boost growth, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Friday, calling for bold action to weather a dangerous new phase of recovery.

China should keep tightening monetary policy to fight inflation pressures even as the pace of global growth shows signs of faltering, the International Monetary Fund's China mission chief said on Thursday.

When politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrived in France last week, cleared of a New York sex scandal, he returned home smiling despite facing a frosty reception. Maybe he should have gone to Mexico, instead.

Germany's highest court said on Wednesday that parliament must have a bigger say in euro zone rescue packages, in a landmark ruling that may make it more difficult for Europe to respond swiftly in delivering aid to crisis-hit member states.

The euro zone's most indebted nations were scrambling on Wednesday to convince investors and the rest of Europe of their commitment to tackle their debt problems, even as the bloc's main paymaster Germany battles increasing opposition to further aid.

ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Monday he was convinced the Greek government would take the decisions required to keep its EU-IMF bailout on track, but it had very little time to do so.