Britain predicted on Thursday that world leaders would bridge their differences on steps to recover from the deepest global economic downturn since World War II, as President Obama and his counterparts from more than 20 industrial and developing countries began a day of talks here.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who greeted Mr. Obama and the other leaders in a seemingly endless cavalcade of motorcades, said the Group of 20 had agreed to tough language against protectionism, including a pledge to \u201cname and shame\u201d\u009d countries that erect trade barriers.<\/p>\n
Negotiators from the United States and Europe worked frantically to hash out an agreement on new regulations, a day after France and Germany signaled a rift over the level of scrutiny that regulators should have over hedge funds and global financial institutions.<\/p>\n