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Several euro zone finance ministers told ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet in a conference call last week they have doubts Greece will meet its fiscal targets and suggested Athens restructure its debt, a magazine reported on Saturday.

Oil climbed to its highest level in 2- years on Friday as supply cuts stemming from attacks on Libyan oil fields offset demand concerns spurred by a major aftershock in Japan.

The International Monetary Fund is privately pushing Greece to restructure its debt soon, a German magazine said Saturday, but the Greek government and the European Commission insisted a restructuring would not be discussed.

European authorities and the International Monetary Fund believe Ireland and Greece can sustain their debts while it is up to Portugal whether it joins them in seeking help, the head of Europe's rescue fund said. Fears Ireland will not be able to shoulder the burden of one of the world's most costliest bank bailouts have overshadowed the government's pledge to recapitalize its financial system ...

Credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Portugal on Friday saying the debt-laden country needed a bailout, while rival agency S&P cut Ireland's rating after bank stress tests revealed another black hole.

Europe may offer Ireland concessions on its bailout if weak economic growth prevents Dublin from meeting its targets under an EU-IMF bailout, central bank governor Patrick Honohan said on Thursday.

Opposing views about how to reform the global monetary system were laid bare at a meeting of the top 20 economies on Thursday, with France setting out a bold agenda, China warning that change must be gradual and the United States saying the solution was simple.

The head of the International Monetary Fund warned on Saturday that many Latin American economies showed signs of overheating and that the region was at risk of credit bubbles.

The World Bank is rethinking its role in the Middle East and North Africa to tackle economic and social problems that sparked political unrest, the bank's President Robert Zoellick said on Monday.

Kenya plans to remove tax incentives in the 2011/12 (July-June) fiscal budget and widen collection to rope in more small businesses to increase revenues, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said on Monday.

Emerging market economies that powered the global recovery may be growing too fast for their own good as inflation pressures build, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Monday.

Fast-growing emerging market economies are beginning to exhibit signs of overheating, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Monday.

Fast-growing emerging market economies are beginning to exhibit signs of overheating, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Monday.

Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has generated a fear factor that drove up oil prices, and growth forecasts could be at risk if those gains are sustained, a top IMF official said on Monday.

Ireland's new government will stick to the budget targets laid down in an 85 billion euro EU/IMF rescue package as it seeks to win European partners round to giving it easier terms on the loans.

Ireland's new government will stick to the fiscal targets laid down in an EU/IMF rescue package, a source familiar with the coalition deal agreed between the two main political parties said on Sunday.

Rich nations could tap strategic oil reserves if needed to ward off the risk that Middle East political unrest triggers an inflationary price spiral, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday.

Rich nations could tap strategic oil reserves if needed to ward off the risk that Middle East political unrest triggers an inflationary price spiral, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday.

The Nigerian naira weakened further against the U.S. dollar on the interbank market on Wednesday as strong demand for the greenback persisted in the face of static supply, traders said.

Irish voters went to the polls on Friday to punish their government for bringing the former Celtic Tiger economy to its knees and leaving it a ward of the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Higher oil prices should have a limited impact on the world economy if prices stay at current levels, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday.

Greek police clashed with protesters Wednesday as around 100,000 workers, pensioners and students marched to parliament in protest at austerity policies aimed at helping Greece cope with a huge debt crisis.

Burundi's year-on-year inflation rate dropped to 4.8 percent in January from 6.3 percent in December partly due to lower housing, water and energy costs, official data showed on Wednesday.

Violence has broken out in Greece as a nationwide general strike against the government’s austerity programs and budget cuts has led to clashes between stone-throwing protesters and police firing tear-gas.

Temasek Holdings has hired former China International Capital Corp (CICC) investment banking head Ding Wei to lead its China operations, the Singapore state investor said late on Monday.

Nigerian Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi said on Monday he did not believe that the naira was over-valued and criticised advice from the IMF, which last week recommended greater exchange rate flexibility.

While the Greek government seeks to establish closer diplomatic ties with Israel (in the wake of a cooling of relations between Israel and Turkey), incidents of anti-Semitism are rising in Greece, inflamed by the deepening economic crisis.

Full text of G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Communiqué, from the G20 France 2011 website.

President Barack Obama will pursue a broad agenda when he makes a five-day trip to three Latin American nations in March, soon after Treasury Sec. Timothy Geithner traveled to the largest economy in the region, Brazil, to lay the groundwork for the President's trip.