G20 pledges to implement IMF reforms, fight protectionism (Night Lead)

September 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will make a pitch for reforms of world financial institutions and concrete steps to mitigate the global crisis when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh participates in the G20 summit of major and emerging economies in Pittsburgh Friday. India will focus on the need for reforms of global financial institutions to reflect ground economic realities as it exist today, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here Saturday in a curtain-raiser briefing ahead of Manmohan Singh's two-day visit to Pittsburgh starting Thursday.

September 12th, 2009 EU warns against protectionism in GM sale of OpelBRUSSELS — The European Union's competition commissioner has warned she will take action if there is any protectionism in the sale of General Motors Co.'s European unit Opel. The Belgian government says it wants the EU Commission to investigate the Opel deal amid concern that Germany allegedly sought to protect its own plants at the cost of others.

September 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The global economic crisis has encouraged a rash of government reforms that should make it easier to start, run and close businesses around the world, according to a World Bank report released Tuesday night. The annual "Doing Business" survey recorded more regulatory business reforms in more countries than any time since the report began in 2004.

September 5th, 2009 LONDON - Major forces around the world have supported Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's view that protectionism is a real threat to the global economy. "Emerging markets need to guard against tendencies in some developed countries to extend protectionism beyond trade to financial markets and investment," Mukherjee said in a press conference here on Friday evening.

August 21st, 2009 Correction: Q&A on credit card reformsNEW YORK — In an Aug. 19 story about credit card reforms, The Associated Press erroneously reported that cardholders will face fewer surprises about credit limit changes under the new rules.

August 18th, 2009 Embassy says Mubarak undecided on new termWASHINGTON — The Egyptian embassy in Washington says President Hosni Mubarak's remarks about his plans to seek another term were mistranslated and that he has made no decision. Karim Haggag, the embassy spokesman, said Tuesday that Mubarak was referring to the 2005 Egyptian elections in which he ran on a platform of political reform.

August 18th, 2009 Embassy says Mubarak undecided on new termWASHINGTON — The Egyptian embassy in Washington says President Hosni Mubarak's remarks about his plans to seek another term were mistranslated and that he has made no decision. Karim Haggag, the embassy spokesman, said Tuesday that Mubarak was referring to the 2005 Egyptian elections in which he ran on a platform of political reform.

August 17th, 2009 In Pa., Shinseki pledges to modernize VA systemPHILADELPHIA — The nation's top veterans affairs official says medical benefits for veterans will not change under the health care reforms being considered in Washington. U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki spoke Monday at a town hall meeting with veterans in Philadelphia, where he pledged to modernize the Veterans Administration for the 21st century.

July 27th, 2009 Parliament approves Bulgaria's new governmentSOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria's parliament has formally approved the country's new center-right government. Lawmakers voted 162-77, with one abstention, to ratify Prime Minister-designate Boiko Borisov's new government Monday, and approved his 16-member Cabinet in a separate vote.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said the government would go in for disinvestment of public sector undertakings, pointing out that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had expressed this commitment in his budget. In an interview to the CNN-IBN news channel after Mukherjee presented his budget in parliament, Manmohan Singh said: "The finance minister has committed our government to increase disinvestment while maintaining the public sector character of public enterprises." Without dwelling upon the details and the time frame, the prime minister said: "I haven't done any detailed calculations.

June 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - India has cautioned nations toying with protectionist measures in the wake of the global economic crisis that such a move would not only be counterproductive, but also deepen the recession and delay recovery. "Any kind of protectionism will not only be counterproductive, but deepen the recession and delay the recovery," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters Thursday at the end of his three-day visit for talks with the US officials.

April 1st, 2009 LONDON - India is very clear about priorities. In the rush for being part of the high table it has not forgotten the developing world.

March 29th, 2009 GENEVA - Many experts feel next week's Group of 20 (G20) meeting in London needs to be focused on fighting protectionism. They warn world leaders against getting distracted.

March 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Tuesday warned against the dangers of protectionism and asked developed countries not to stop the flow of funds to developing countries due to the global economic downturn. 'Developed countries should not resort to protectionism to resolve the crisis,' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also acting finance minister, told reporters here when asked about the impact of global financial meltdown on developing countries.

February 15th, 2009 BEIJING - China was 'deeply concerned' about trade protectionism, amid fears that such action would aggravate the economic downturn, an official said Monday. Ministry of Commerce (MOC) spokesman Yao Jian told a press conference that China was 'deeply concerned' over protectionism in some countries, which he didn't identify.