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Germany will press G8 finance ministers to start working on how to return policy to normal after months of crisis at a meeting in Italy on Friday, although hopes the world economy has turned the corner are still fragile.

The global economy will contract in 2009 by more than initially thought, given rising unemployment and underutilization of capacity, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Thursday.

The International Monetary Fund has raised its global growth estimates for 2010 to 2.4 percent from 1.9 percent in April because of stimulus measures taken in recent months, a G8 source who has seen the latest figures said.

The global economy is set to contract by close to three percent this year, worse than the previous estimates for a 1.75 percent decline, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Thursday.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released an economic outlook of Thailand in 2009 on Friday after concluding the Article IV consultation with the Country.

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted on Friday that the global economy recover early next year but said the financial system would still need to be monitored closely after that.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged European banks to be subjected to so-called stress tests to help restore confidence in the banking system.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted Monday that the severe economic downturn for the Euro Zone could end during the second half of 2010, but further policy actions especially in the financial sector will be essential to induce this recovery.

The International Monetary Fund has offered membership to Kosovo, the fund announced on Friday, giving the small country that broke away from Serbia last year access to millions of dollars in IMF-backed loans.

The International Monetary Fund has corrected an outstanding error for some eastern European countries because of wrong data.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a two-year loan valued by $17.1 billion for Romania to help the country get through the global economic crisis, the IMF's said in a statement Monday.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced Sunday it had reached a preliminary agreement for supporting Tanzania to ease the impact of the global financial crisis on its export-driven economy.

Fears that any tentative green shoots in the global economy could be trampled by a deadly outbreak of swine flu put markets on edge on Monday, after world policymakers said over the weekend that a recovery could begin later this year but plenty of downside risk remained.

The current global crisis is an obstacle in the fight against poverty and is threatening to reverse any gains on the fight against poverty.

Finance chiefs from the G7 powers said on Friday the global economy may be past the worst phase of a recession although recovery was not yet assured, and they pledged to make sure that big financial firms are sound.

Global finance chiefs pointed to glimmers of hope that a deep recession might be easing but warned ahead of Friday meetings that they must clean up bank balance sheets to pave the way for recovery.

The global economic downturn has shown signs of easing in recent weeks, although significant risks remain, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said before a meeting of G20 officials in Washington on Friday.

Finance leaders meeting on Friday see some signs that recession-fighting efforts are finally starting to work, but patience is wearing thin over the slow progress in cleansing bank balance sheets.

The World Bank will provide $45 billion over the next three years to support road building and other infrastructure projects in poor nations.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) further downgraded its projection of 2009 global economic growth this week from a negative 1.3percent to a negative nearly 2%.

The IMF said Tuesday the global economy recession is likely go deeper and will have a slow recovery to stabilization.

The United States bears substantial blame for the woes besetting the world economy but it will take a global effort to ease those strains, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday.

The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday slashed growth forecasts for every major country and urged governments to take forceful action to ensure the world economy's recovery from a severe recession.

The U.S. economy is starting to show signs of shrinking more slowly but positive growth is not expected until sometime next year, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday.

The International Monetary Fund said in a Global Financial Stability Report that quick and coordinated government action is needed to prevent a much more intense and prolonged economic recession.

Banks and other financial institutions around the world will eventually need to write down assets by $4.1 trillion in order for global financial stability to be restored, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

Banks and other financial institutions around the world will eventually need to write down assets by $4.1 trillion in order for global financial stability to be restored, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

Global write-downs of toxic debt among banks and other financial institutions in the United States, Europe and Japan could reach $4.1 trillion, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a $100 billion U.S. loan to the International Monetary Fund to boost the IMF's resources and urged a bigger stake in the IMF for emerging powers.