G20

Leading policymakers expressed concern on Friday about the health of the world economy even as they closed ranks behind the euro zone's efforts to tackle a debt crisis that has rattled global markets.

G20 finance ministers and central bankers will endorse efforts to douse the euro zone's debt crisis but are far apart on the contentious issue of a global bank levy, a senior South Korean official said on Friday.

Disagreements over how quickly to reduce billowing budget deficits and restore balance to the global economy risk straining high-level Group of 20 talks that started on Thursday.

The world's top nations will back general principles rather than a specific tax to make banks pay for their own bailouts in future, finance ministers and diplomats said on Thursday.

The proposed introduction of a bank levy and possible ways to control cross-border capital flows will top the agenda at this week's G20 finance ministers meetings, host South Korea said on Tuesday.

There will be considerable discussion about the European economy at the G20 meeting of finance officials and central bankers in Busan, South Korea, this weekend, a senior Canadian finance official said on Monday.

The world's top countries face more wrangling over a global bank tax next week and crunch time over beefing up capital and cutting risks at big banks.

G20 finance leaders said on Friday they had secured a better-than-expected global economic recovery but were wary of overconfidence as Greece's debt crisis put the focus on worsening public finances.

G20 finance leaders said on Friday they had secured a better-than-expected global economic recovery but were wary of overconfidence as Greece's debt crisis put the focus on worsening public finances.

Proposals to hit banks around the world with new taxes to help pay for bailouts split world finance leaders on Friday.

World finance leaders will seek to assure markets on Friday that the global economy is recovering despite the cloud cast by debt-troubled Greece and its request for a huge bailout.

World finance leaders gather in Washington on Friday hoping to plot a course beyond the financial crisis, but Greece's worsening debt woes served as a stark reminder the global economy remains vulnerable.

World finance leaders gather in Washington on Friday hoping to plot a course beyond the financial crisis but Greece's worsening debt woes served as a stark reminder the global economy remains vulnerable.

The IMF sought to maintain unity within the Group of 20 economic powers on Thursday, urging countries not to go separate ways in reforming the financial sector, as frictions emerged over a controversial plan to tax banks.

Agreeing tough new bank capital rules must be top priority in global efforts to learn from the financial crisis, finance ministers from the G20 group of countries will be told later this week, sources said on Tuesday.

Crisis-forged unity among the Group of 20 rich and emerging economies may be fraying before the problems they set out to address are solved.

Greece, pressing for curbs on financial speculation that it blames for worsening the country's debt crisis, said on Tuesday the idea would be examined by the Group of 20 leading powers at their next summit.

Greece, pressing for curbs on financial speculation it blames for worsening the country's debt crisis, said on Tuesday the idea would be examined by the G20 leading powers at their next meeting.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday urged the Group of 20 nations to crack down on market speculators, warning that failing to do so could trigger another global financial crisis.

Germany will host a meeting of the Group of 20 nations in May to focus efforts on reforming financial regulation in the wake of new U.S. proposals for governing banks, a finance ministry spokesman said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, aware his chances of re-election may hinge on the economy emerging from recession, called on Monday for a global growth strategy to tackle trade and currency imbalances.