The G-20 (Group of 20)&nbsp;is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial&nbsp;issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance.

G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than&nbsp;80 per cent of the global economic&nbsp;output.&nbsp;

Around two-third&nbsp;of the global population lives in G-20 member countries.&nbsp;

The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community.

In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders&rsquo; Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions.&nbsp;Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global&nbsp;economic recovery.&nbsp;

How it works 
Each year in December&nbsp;a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a &ldquo;troika&rdquo; (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat.&nbsp;

The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes &ndash; often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year &ndash; are coordinated by the respective host country.

Members of G20 
The twenty members of the forum are :

<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
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		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Argentina</li>
				<li>Australia</li>
				<li>Brazil</li>
				<li>Canada</li>
				<li>China</li>
				<li>France</li>
				<li>Germany</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>India</li>
				<li>Indonesia</li>
				<li>Italy</li>
				<li>Japan</li>
				<li>Republic of Korea</li>
				<li>Mexico</li>
				<li>Russia</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Saudi Arabia</li>
				<li>South Africa</li>
				<li>Turkey</li>
				<li>The United Kingdom</li>
				<li>The united States</li>
				<li>The European Union</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

 
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The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others)
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At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017.

Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit.&nbsp;

India and G20

India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. &nbsp;

For instance, India enacted the&nbsp;National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people.&nbsp;

India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India.

G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

G20 is an international informal forum where India has made the mark of an emerging economy which aspires to take the world along with it towards development

The G-20 (Group of 20) is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance. G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than 80 per cent of the global economic output. Around two-third of the global population lives in G-20 member countries. The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community. In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders’ Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions. Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global economic recovery. How it works Each year in December a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a “troika” (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat. The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes – often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year – are coordinated by the respective host country. Members of G20 The twenty members of the forum are : Argentina Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Italy Japan Republic of Korea Mexico Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey The United Kingdom The united States The European Union The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others) × At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017. Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit. India and G20 India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. For instance, India enacted the National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people. India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India. G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.

All you need to know about G-20

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: &quot;Absolutely&quot;.

But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump&#39;s comment.

&quot;It wasn&rsquo;t part of our conversation (with Trump),&quot; he told Mexico&rsquo;s Radio Formula.

&quot;We didn&#39;t touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that,&quot; he said.

&quot;Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn&#39;t hear it.&quot;

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump&#39;s in last year&#39;s election.

The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier.

Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence.

The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest.

Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs.

&quot;And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that&#39;s good. Right?&quot;, Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. &quot;Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!&quot;

US-Mexico relations

US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump&#39;s insistence on the issue, plunging the countries&#39; relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as &quot;criminals, drug dealers and rapists&quot; and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate.

In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the &quot;successful day&quot; at the G20 so far.

&quot;We&#39;re negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we&#39;ll see how it all turns out, but I think we&#39;ve made very good progress,&quot; Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a &quot;flowing dialogue&quot;, in particular &quot;for the security of both nations, especially for our borders.&quot;

The Mexican president noted that &quot;migration&quot; is an issue that has &quot;occupied&quot; both administrations. He added that it was a &quot;co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues.&quot;

Trump made the comments in response to a question he was asked at the start of the meeting. Nieto was sitting next to him

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state. Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: "Absolutely". But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump's comment. "It wasn’t part of our conversation (with Trump)," he told Mexico’s Radio Formula. "We didn't touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that," he said. "Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn't hear it." Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump's in last year's election. The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier. Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence. The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest. Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs. "And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good. Right?", Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. "Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!" US-Mexico relations US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January. In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades. In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists" and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour. Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension. Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate. In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" at the G20 so far. "We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said. Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders." The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."

G20: Trump says he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for border wall in meeting with President Nieto

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin shook hands as they met for the first time Friday at a G-20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

The handshake in Hamburg came hours before the brash property tycoon and the ice-cool ex-KGB agent were due to hold a blockbuster bilateral that promises to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

&quot;I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.

Asked if Putin felt the same about the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: &quot;Affirmative&quot;.

Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming.

&quot;While Trump&#39;s pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo&#39;s discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness,&quot; noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.&nbsp;

&quot;How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship.&quot;

Their meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G-20 summit in years.

Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; approach on trade and climate-sceptic stance are testing the relationship with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea&#39;s missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

End &#39;destabilising&#39; action

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia&#39;s acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

&quot;We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself,&quot; he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will be joined at the meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

&quot;Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin,&quot; said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

Storm over climate

North Korea&#39;s successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader&#39;s first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang&#39;s military sabre-rattling would bear &quot;consequences&quot;, saying he was considering a &quot;severe&quot; response to its &quot;very, very bad behaviour&quot;.

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20&#39;s sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.&nbsp;

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that &quot;many many other countries want to go on implementing&quot; it.

&quot;We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord,&quot; said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

&quot;I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen,&quot; she told the BBC.

But the timing of Trump&#39;s meeting with Putin -- expected to begin 15 minutes after G20 leaders start their afternoon session on climate change -- has been viewed as a sign of the US leader snubbing the issue.

Cars torched 
 
Outside the heavily-guarded conference hall, tensions were also high with police clashing with demonstrators again early Friday following a night of running battles that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Beginning early Friday, activists torched more cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at the police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.&nbsp;

Small groups played cat-and-mouse with the 20,000 police on duty to try and stop the leaders even getting to the summit venue.

&quot;It&#39;s a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this,&quot; local resident Munch told AFP &quot;These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out.&quot;

Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin shook hands as they met for the first time Friday at a G-20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade. The handshake in Hamburg came hours before the brash property tycoon and the ice-cool ex-KGB agent were due to hold a blockbuster bilateral that promises to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement. "I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss," Trump wrote on Twitter. Asked if Putin felt the same about the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Affirmative". Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming. "While Trump's pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo's discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund. "How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship." Their meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G-20 summit in years. Trump's "America First" approach on trade and climate-sceptic stance are testing the relationship with longstanding allies, especially in Europe. And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix. End 'destabilising' action On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama. But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone. In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically. "We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people. A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will be joined at the meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts. "Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. Storm over climate North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit. Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour". After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines. Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming. Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it. "We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel. British Prime Minister Theresa May said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal. "I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC. But the timing of Trump's meeting with Putin -- expected to begin 15 minutes after G20 leaders start their afternoon session on climate change -- has been viewed as a sign of the US leader snubbing the issue. Cars torched Outside the heavily-guarded conference hall, tensions were also high with police clashing with demonstrators again early Friday following a night of running battles that left more than 100 police officers injured. Beginning early Friday, activists torched more cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at the police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation. Small groups played cat-and-mouse with the 20,000 police on duty to try and stop the leaders even getting to the summit venue. "It's a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this," local resident Munch told AFP "These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out."

Trump, Putin in first showdown at fractious G-20

US President Donald Trump admitted that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 US election of which he was proclaimed the winner, but said that other countries may also have been involved, AFP reports.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won&#39;t be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere,&quot; Trump said while in Warsaw.

On January 10, 2017, Trump&nbsp;told reporters, &quot;as far as hacking, I think it was Russia,&quot; reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trumps-press-conference-highlights-russia.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, marking the first time he agreed with multiple&nbsp;US intelligence agencies which&nbsp;conclude&nbsp;that Russia interfered in the election&nbsp;to help him, Trump, win.

But then moments later Trump&nbsp;compared US intelligence agencies to Nazis&nbsp;and dodged questions about whether he or anyone on his team had contact with Russia during the election. &quot;They said it totally never happened,&quot; Trump said of Russia denying their involvement in the hack.&nbsp;&quot;I respected the fact that he said that,&quot; Trump said of Russia&#39;s denial,&nbsp;adding, &quot;it could have been others also&quot;.&nbsp;

About the fact that there was an&nbsp;election breach, Trump has shown little outrage, then or since.

Another major NATO&nbsp;power&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-warns-of-possible-russian-interference-in-german-elections-8547" target="_blank">Germany</a>&nbsp;has since said they fear Russian interference in their election. Emmanuel Macron&#39;s campaign team has also blamed Russia for a &quot;<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/macron-campaign-blasts-massive-hacking-attack-ahead-french-presidential/" target="_blank">massive hacking attack</a>&quot; days before the French election, that he eventually won.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Election fraud or voter suppression?

Trump has launched an investigation into alleged voter fraud, in what he called without evidence a &quot;rigged&quot; election, in order to prove that Clinton, who won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, did not really&nbsp;win the popular vote.

Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than any US president in American history.

President Trump&#39;s&nbsp;commission has sought to obtain the personal data of voters, including the &quot;name, address, date of birth, party affiliation, last four Social Security number digits and voting history back to 2006 of potentially every voter in the state&quot;, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/06/30/voting-hypocrisy-on-the-right-rebellion-from-the-states/?utm_term=.7b2da12e367b" target="_blank">Washington Post.</a>

So far 44 states have refused. Virginia&#39;s judge issued a blunt denial, along with the reasoning behind it:

&quot;I have no intention of honouring this request. Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia.

&quot;This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November. At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump&#39;s alternative election facts, and at worse is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression.&quot;

&nbsp;

In January Trump had conceded 'as far as hacking, I think it was Russia', but then compared US intelligence agencies who agreed to Nazis

US President Donald Trump admitted that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 US election of which he was proclaimed the winner, but said that other countries may also have been involved, AFP reports. "I've said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won't be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere," Trump said while in Warsaw. On January 10, 2017, Trump told reporters, "as far as hacking, I think it was Russia," reports the New York Times, marking the first time he agreed with multiple US intelligence agencies which conclude that Russia interfered in the election to help him, Trump, win. But then moments later Trump compared US intelligence agencies to Nazis and dodged questions about whether he or anyone on his team had contact with Russia during the election. "They said it totally never happened," Trump said of Russia denying their involvement in the hack. "I respected the fact that he said that," Trump said of Russia's denial, adding, "it could have been others also". About the fact that there was an election breach, Trump has shown little outrage, then or since. Another major NATO power Germany has since said they fear Russian interference in their election. Emmanuel Macron's campaign team has also blamed Russia for a "massive hacking attack" days before the French election, that he eventually won. Election fraud or voter suppression? Trump has launched an investigation into alleged voter fraud, in what he called without evidence a "rigged" election, in order to prove that Clinton, who won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, did not really win the popular vote. Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than any US president in American history. President Trump's commission has sought to obtain the personal data of voters, including the "name, address, date of birth, party affiliation, last four Social Security number digits and voting history back to 2006 of potentially every voter in the state", reports the Washington Post. So far 44 states have refused. Virginia's judge issued a blunt denial, along with the reasoning behind it: "I have no intention of honouring this request. Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia. "This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November. At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worse is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression."

Russia 'could have' interfered with 2016 US election, says US President Trump

Financial leaders of the world&#39;s biggest economies dropped a pledge to keep global trade free and open, acquiescing to an increasingly protectionist United States after a two-day meeting failed to yield a compromise.

Breaking a decade-long tradition of endorsing open trade, G20 finance ministers and central bankers made only a token reference to trade in their communique on Saturday, a clear defeat for host nation Germany, which fought the new US government&#39;s attempts to water down past commitments.

In the new US administration&#39;s biggest clash yet with the international community, G20 finance chiefs also removed from their statement a pledge to finance the fight against climate change, an anticipated outcome after US President Donald Trump called global warming a &quot;hoax&quot;.

In a meeting that some said was at times 19 against one, the US&nbsp;did not yield on key issues, essentially torpedoing earlier agreements as the G20 requires a consensus. Still, the dialogue was friendly and non-confrontational, leaving the door open to a future deal, officials who attended the meeting said.

&quot;This is my first G20, so what was in the past communiqu&eacute; is not necessarily relevant from my standpoint,&quot; US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the German resort town of Baden Baden.

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<h5>We believe in free trade, we are in one of the largest markets in the world, we are one of the largest trading partners in the world, trade has been good for us, it has been good for other people,&quot; US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said. &#39;Having said that, we want to re-examine certain agreements&#39;</h5>
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&quot;I understand what the president&#39;s desire is and his policies, and I negotiated them from here,&quot; Mnuchin said. &quot;I couldn&rsquo;t be happier with the outcome.&quot;

Seeking to put &quot;America first&quot;, Trump has already pulled out of a key trade agreement and proposed a new tax on imports, arguing that certain trade relationships need to be reworked to make them fairer for US workers.

&quot;We believe in free trade, we are in one of the largest markets in the world, we are one of the largest trading partners in the world, trade has been good for us, it has been good for other people,&quot; Mnuchin said. &quot;Having said that, we want to re-examine certain agreements.&quot;

International trade makes up almost half of global economic output and officials said the issue could be revisited at a meeting of G20 leaders in July.

While some expressed frustration, like French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, others played down the dispute.

&quot;It is not that we were not united,&quot; German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. &quot;It was totally undisputed that we are against protectionism. But it is not very clear what (protectionism) means to each (minister).&quot;

He added that some ministers did not have a full mandate to negotiate since they were not fully in charge of trade issues.

Others suggested that the G20 leaders&#39; meeting in Hamburg this July could be the real opportunity to bring the US on board.

&quot;It is not the best meeting we had, but we avoided backtracking,&quot; EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said. &quot;I hope in Hamburg the wording will be different. We need it. It is the raison d&rsquo;etre for the G20,&quot; Moscovici said.

Climate Pledge Dropped

The communique also dropped a reference, used by the G20 last year, on the readiness to finance measures against climate change as agreed in Paris in 2015, because of opposition from the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Trump has suggested global warming was a &quot;hoax&quot; concocted by China to hurt US industry and vowed to scrap the Paris climate accord aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump&#39;s administration on Thursday proposed a 31 per cent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency&#39;s budget as the White House seeks to eliminate climate change programmes and trim initiatives to protect air and water quality.

Asked about climate change funding, Mick Mulvaney, Trump&#39;s budget director, said on Thursday: &quot;We consider that to be a waste of money.&quot;

The G20 did, however, show continuity in its foreign exchange policies, using past phrases on currency markets.

&quot;We reaffirm our previous exchange rate commitments, including that we will refrain from competitive devaluations and we will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes,&quot; the G20 said.

Leaders also upheld their commitments to financial sector regulation, supporting the finalisation of bank rules known as Basel III, provided they do not significantly raise overall capital requirements.

(Reuters)

Their statement -- they were meeting in Germany -- also dropped the pledge to finance the fight against global warming

Financial leaders of the world's biggest economies dropped a pledge to keep global trade free and open, acquiescing to an increasingly protectionist United States after a two-day meeting failed to yield a compromise. Breaking a decade-long tradition of endorsing open trade, G20 finance ministers and central bankers made only a token reference to trade in their communique on Saturday, a clear defeat for host nation Germany, which fought the new US government's attempts to water down past commitments. In the new US administration's biggest clash yet with the international community, G20 finance chiefs also removed from their statement a pledge to finance the fight against climate change, an anticipated outcome after US President Donald Trump called global warming a "hoax". In a meeting that some said was at times 19 against one, the US did not yield on key issues, essentially torpedoing earlier agreements as the G20 requires a consensus. Still, the dialogue was friendly and non-confrontational, leaving the door open to a future deal, officials who attended the meeting said. "This is my first G20, so what was in the past communiqué is not necessarily relevant from my standpoint," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the German resort town of Baden Baden. We believe in free trade, we are in one of the largest markets in the world, we are one of the largest trading partners in the world, trade has been good for us, it has been good for other people," US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said. 'Having said that, we want to re-examine certain agreements' × "I understand what the president's desire is and his policies, and I negotiated them from here," Mnuchin said. "I couldn’t be happier with the outcome." Seeking to put "America first", Trump has already pulled out of a key trade agreement and proposed a new tax on imports, arguing that certain trade relationships need to be reworked to make them fairer for US workers. "We believe in free trade, we are in one of the largest markets in the world, we are one of the largest trading partners in the world, trade has been good for us, it has been good for other people," Mnuchin said. "Having said that, we want to re-examine certain agreements." International trade makes up almost half of global economic output and officials said the issue could be revisited at a meeting of G20 leaders in July. While some expressed frustration, like French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, others played down the dispute. "It is not that we were not united," German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. "It was totally undisputed that we are against protectionism. But it is not very clear what (protectionism) means to each (minister)." He added that some ministers did not have a full mandate to negotiate since they were not fully in charge of trade issues. Others suggested that the G20 leaders' meeting in Hamburg this July could be the real opportunity to bring the US on board. "It is not the best meeting we had, but we avoided backtracking," EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said. "I hope in Hamburg the wording will be different. We need it. It is the raison d’etre for the G20," Moscovici said. Climate Pledge Dropped The communique also dropped a reference, used by the G20 last year, on the readiness to finance measures against climate change as agreed in Paris in 2015, because of opposition from the United States and Saudi Arabia. Trump has suggested global warming was a "hoax" concocted by China to hurt US industry and vowed to scrap the Paris climate accord aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Trump's administration on Thursday proposed a 31 per cent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget as the White House seeks to eliminate climate change programmes and trim initiatives to protect air and water quality. Asked about climate change funding, Mick Mulvaney, Trump's budget director, said on Thursday: "We consider that to be a waste of money." The G20 did, however, show continuity in its foreign exchange policies, using past phrases on currency markets. "We reaffirm our previous exchange rate commitments, including that we will refrain from competitive devaluations and we will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes," the G20 said. Leaders also upheld their commitments to financial sector regulation, supporting the finalisation of bank rules known as Basel III, provided they do not significantly raise overall capital requirements. (Reuters)

Under US pressure, G20 finance leaders drop pledge to keep trade free & open

US President Barack Obama today praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for&nbsp;ushering &quot;bold&quot; tax reforms in India. 
 
The Indian parliament had cleared a landmark tax law named Goods and Services Tax in August. The law has been broadly lauded&nbsp;for simplifying India&#39;s taxation structure.&nbsp; 
 
Modi first met Obama briefly when they were onstage to pose for a family photograph at the G20 Summit venue in this eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. The two leaders had another opportunity to exchange views during an informal evening programme. 
 
Obama in his intervention during the G20 summit praised Modi for the recent tax reform as an example of &quot;bold policy&quot; in an otherwise &quot;difficult global economic scenario&quot;. 
 
Later, Modi said that more than just &quot;difficult conversations&quot; needed to be taken to tackle the economic downturn.&nbsp; 
 
China President Xi Jinping also sounded alarm about the current economic climate.

Rise in protectionist policies have pushed global economy to the brink, warned Xi Jinping on the first of the two-day G20 summit. 
 
Jinping stressed the need to come around to work towards righting the depressed global economy.&nbsp; 
 
The comments come a month after Australia stonewalled a Chinese bid of&nbsp;$7.7 billion&nbsp;to buy the country&#39;s biggest energy grid, a move perceived to be being protectionist in nature. 
 
&quot;Growth drivers from the previous round of technological progress are gradually fading, while a new round of technological and industrial revolution has yet to gain momentum,&quot; he said. 
 
Xi also asked the G20 nations to back the talk.&nbsp;&quot;We should turn the G20 group into an action team, instead of a talk shop,&quot; he said. 
 
Meanwhile, the security remained tight in Hangzhou to ensure the summit passed&nbsp;off&nbsp;incident-free.&nbsp;

Modi later stressed about the need to take tough decisions to tide over the current global economic crisis

US President Barack Obama today praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ushering "bold" tax reforms in India. The Indian parliament had cleared a landmark tax law named Goods and Services Tax in August. The law has been broadly lauded for simplifying India's taxation structure. Modi first met Obama briefly when they were onstage to pose for a family photograph at the G20 Summit venue in this eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. The two leaders had another opportunity to exchange views during an informal evening programme. Obama in his intervention during the G20 summit praised Modi for the recent tax reform as an example of "bold policy" in an otherwise "difficult global economic scenario". Later, Modi said that more than just "difficult conversations" needed to be taken to tackle the economic downturn. China President Xi Jinping also sounded alarm about the current economic climate. Rise in protectionist policies have pushed global economy to the brink, warned Xi Jinping on the first of the two-day G20 summit. Jinping stressed the need to come around to work towards righting the depressed global economy. The comments come a month after Australia stonewalled a Chinese bid of $7.7 billion to buy the country's biggest energy grid, a move perceived to be being protectionist in nature. "Growth drivers from the previous round of technological progress are gradually fading, while a new round of technological and industrial revolution has yet to gain momentum," he said. Xi also asked the G20 nations to back the talk. "We should turn the G20 group into an action team, instead of a talk shop," he said. Meanwhile, the security remained tight in Hangzhou to ensure the summit passed off incident-free.

Obama lauds India PM Narendra Modi for ushering 'bold' tax reforms

Britain&#39;s new finance minister Philip Hammond, under pressure from his peers from around the world, said today there could be more clarity later this year on how the country will exit the European Union. 
 
Several nations called on Britain during weekend talks on the world economy to explain how the politically fraught Brexit process will unfold in order to avoid adding a new drag on the long and slow recovery from the financial crisis. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s right at the top of the agenda here at the G20,&quot; Hammond said at the end of the two-day meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in the Chinese city of Chengdu. &quot;It&#39;s a new factor affecting the global economic outlook and it has increased the uncertainty which the world economy faces.&quot; 
 
Britain was plunged into its biggest political crisis in decades by the June 23 Brexit vote and so far it has resisted calls from some other EU countries to trigger quickly the two-year process for negotiating its exit from the bloc. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May, who has been in her job for less than two weeks, traveled to Germany and France last week to explain why she needed time to come up with an exit strategy. 
 
The EU&#39;s top economic official, Pierre Moscovici, said the bloc understood that Britain should not be rushed but &quot;at the same time let&#39;s not waste time, let&#39;s not have too much uncertainty, let&#39;s act and choose as swiftly as possible.&quot; 
 
Hammond told reporters today the two-year negotiating period, once launched, represented &quot;quite a tight timescale&quot; and Britain needed to go into it with clear objectives. &quot;We have to do that before the start of the process because when we serve that notice, we need to hit the ground running,&quot; he said. 
 
But Hammond also showed he was aware of the need for some clarity on Brexit: &quot;What will start to reduce uncertainty is when we are able to set out more clearly the kind of arrangement we envisage going forward with the European Union.&quot; 
 
&quot;If our European Union partners respond to such a vision positively - obviously it will be subject to negotiation - so that there is a sense perhaps later this year that we are all on the same page in terms of where we expect to be going, I think that will send a reassuring signal to the business community and to markets,&quot; Hammond said. 
 
May has said she does not plan to launch the formal negotiation period this year. It remains to be seen if other EU countries would enter informal talks with Britain before the formal negotiations, something they have previously ruled out. 
 
Govt, Bank of England have to be ready 
 
Financial markets have stabilised after the initial shock of the referendum result which saw the value of the pound plunge by more than 10 per cent and trillions of dollars wiped off stock markets worldwide. But economists are expecting Britain to fall into a recession, according to a Reuters poll. 
 
Hammond said he did not think that a survey of British businesses published on Friday, which showed the sharpest fall on record in a purchasing managers index, was a sign that the economy was in already in a recession. 
 
&quot;What it does is underscore the hit to confidence,&quot; he said. 
 
Hammond warned that Brexit-related volatility in markets would be a risk throughout the two-year negotiation period. 
 
&quot;We have to be ready as government, the Bank of England has to be ready as monetary authority, throughout that period to respond to any instability created by that uncertainty and to ensure that the economy continues to operate smoothly,&quot; he said. 
 
The BoE is expected to cut interest rates and possibly announce more stimulus measures on August 4. Hammond has said he could ease fiscal policy in the autumn if more help is needed. 
 
Asked about a comment he made on Friday, that he might &quot;reset&quot; fiscal policy to cope with the Brexit fallout, Hammond said Britain&#39;s still high levels of debt meant it needed a new framework on its public finances to give clarity to markets. 
 
&quot;What that framework will look like will depend on the decisions we make about whether or not any fiscal stimulus is required on the basis of the data we will by then have available,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's finance minister accepted the need for some clarity on Brexit, said it's at the top of agenda at the G20

Britain's new finance minister Philip Hammond, under pressure from his peers from around the world, said today there could be more clarity later this year on how the country will exit the European Union. Several nations called on Britain during weekend talks on the world economy to explain how the politically fraught Brexit process will unfold in order to avoid adding a new drag on the long and slow recovery from the financial crisis. "It's right at the top of the agenda here at the G20," Hammond said at the end of the two-day meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in the Chinese city of Chengdu. "It's a new factor affecting the global economic outlook and it has increased the uncertainty which the world economy faces." Britain was plunged into its biggest political crisis in decades by the June 23 Brexit vote and so far it has resisted calls from some other EU countries to trigger quickly the two-year process for negotiating its exit from the bloc. Prime Minister Theresa May, who has been in her job for less than two weeks, traveled to Germany and France last week to explain why she needed time to come up with an exit strategy. The EU's top economic official, Pierre Moscovici, said the bloc understood that Britain should not be rushed but "at the same time let's not waste time, let's not have too much uncertainty, let's act and choose as swiftly as possible." Hammond told reporters today the two-year negotiating period, once launched, represented "quite a tight timescale" and Britain needed to go into it with clear objectives. "We have to do that before the start of the process because when we serve that notice, we need to hit the ground running," he said. But Hammond also showed he was aware of the need for some clarity on Brexit: "What will start to reduce uncertainty is when we are able to set out more clearly the kind of arrangement we envisage going forward with the European Union." "If our European Union partners respond to such a vision positively - obviously it will be subject to negotiation - so that there is a sense perhaps later this year that we are all on the same page in terms of where we expect to be going, I think that will send a reassuring signal to the business community and to markets," Hammond said. May has said she does not plan to launch the formal negotiation period this year. It remains to be seen if other EU countries would enter informal talks with Britain before the formal negotiations, something they have previously ruled out. Govt, Bank of England have to be ready Financial markets have stabilised after the initial shock of the referendum result which saw the value of the pound plunge by more than 10 per cent and trillions of dollars wiped off stock markets worldwide. But economists are expecting Britain to fall into a recession, according to a Reuters poll. Hammond said he did not think that a survey of British businesses published on Friday, which showed the sharpest fall on record in a purchasing managers index, was a sign that the economy was in already in a recession. "What it does is underscore the hit to confidence," he said. Hammond warned that Brexit-related volatility in markets would be a risk throughout the two-year negotiation period. "We have to be ready as government, the Bank of England has to be ready as monetary authority, throughout that period to respond to any instability created by that uncertainty and to ensure that the economy continues to operate smoothly," he said. The BoE is expected to cut interest rates and possibly announce more stimulus measures on August 4. Hammond has said he could ease fiscal policy in the autumn if more help is needed. Asked about a comment he made on Friday, that he might "reset" fiscal policy to cope with the Brexit fallout, Hammond said Britain's still high levels of debt meant it needed a new framework on its public finances to give clarity to markets. "What that framework will look like will depend on the decisions we make about whether or not any fiscal stimulus is required on the basis of the data we will by then have available," he said. (Reuters)

UK seeks to assuage global worries over path to Brexit

Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union heightened risks for the world economy, finance chiefs from the G20 group of leading countries said on Sunday at a meeting in China. 
 
The outcome of last month&#39;s referendum &quot;adds to the uncertainty in the global economy&quot;, said China&#39;s finance minister Lou Jiwei, who hosted the meeting. 
 
But he added that EU member countries were &quot;well positioned to proactively address the potential economic and financial consequences stemming from the UK referendum&quot;.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned risks to the global economy are growing, as it called on some G20 nations to boost government spending.

Central bank chiefs and finance ministers from the world&#39;s top 20 economies gathered in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday to tackle a slowing global economy facing new uncertainties with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU).

&quot;Global growth remains weak, and downside risks have become more salient,&quot; the IMF said in a report released ahead of the G20 meeting.

&quot;Growth could be even lower if the current increases in economic and political uncertainty in the wake of the &#39;Brexit&#39; vote continue.&quot;

The IMF wants advanced economies like Germany and the United States to channel more public spending into infrastructure investment to help boost global growth, an issue that has sparked divisions among G20 members.

&quot;Reforms that facilitate the scaling up of infrastructure investment would help raise productive capacity, boost short-term demand directly, and catalyse private investment,&quot; it said.
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

The IMF has called on some advanced economies like Germany and the US to channel more public spending to help boost global growth

Britain's vote to leave the European Union heightened risks for the world economy, finance chiefs from the G20 group of leading countries said on Sunday at a meeting in China. The outcome of last month's referendum "adds to the uncertainty in the global economy", said China's finance minister Lou Jiwei, who hosted the meeting. But he added that EU member countries were "well positioned to proactively address the potential economic and financial consequences stemming from the UK referendum". The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned risks to the global economy are growing, as it called on some G20 nations to boost government spending. Central bank chiefs and finance ministers from the world's top 20 economies gathered in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday to tackle a slowing global economy facing new uncertainties with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU). "Global growth remains weak, and downside risks have become more salient," the IMF said in a report released ahead of the G20 meeting. "Growth could be even lower if the current increases in economic and political uncertainty in the wake of the 'Brexit' vote continue." The IMF wants advanced economies like Germany and the United States to channel more public spending into infrastructure investment to help boost global growth, an issue that has sparked divisions among G20 members. "Reforms that facilitate the scaling up of infrastructure investment would help raise productive capacity, boost short-term demand directly, and catalyse private investment," it said. (AFP)

G20: Brexit adding uncertainty to slowing global economy

The world`s top 20 economies will work to boost sluggish global trade despite growing protectionism, overcapacity concerns, and uncertainty over Brexit, G20 trade ministers said today at a meeting in Shanghai. 
 
&quot;The global recovery continues, but it remains uneven and falls short of our ambition for strong, sustainable and balanced growth. Downside risks and vulnerabilities persist,&quot; the trade ministers said in a joint statement, adding that trade should remain &quot;an important engine&quot; to spur global growth. 
 
Protectionism has been rising, G20 nations acknowledge&nbsp; 
 
The G20 nations, which account for 85 per cent of global trade, admitted that protectionism has been rising since the financial crisis, and said that new trade restrictions in the group had reached the highest monthly average registered since the&nbsp;World Trade Organisation (WTO) began monitoring in 2009. 
 
&quot;We note with concern that despite the G20&#39;s repeated pledge, the stock of restrictive measure affecting trade in goods and services has continued to rise,&quot; they said in the statement. 
 
Ahead of the meeting, WTO chief economist Robert Koopman warned that restrictive measures could affect industries including air freight cargo, sea based cargo, automobile sales and production, electronics trade, and agricultural raw materials. 
 
The world&#39;s leading economies over the weekend pledged to oppose trade protectionism and reiterated a promise not to add new protective measures until 2018. 
 
Global trade governance to be improve to combat slowdown 
 
Pertinent to mention that global trade is expected to grow at a tepid 2.8 per cent in 2016, the WTO had said in April. 
 
And this year is expected to be the fifth in a row where trade grew at less than three per cent, its weakest sustained level in 30 years, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday ahead of the talks. 
 
To combat the global slowdown, the ministers said they agreed to improve global trade governance and to work towards easing and liberalising trade.Concerns over China&#39;s production overcapacity in steel have led to trade disputes with the EU and US, and China`s vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said today that the G20 economies &quot;have realised the necessity to take global cooperation to handle the challenge caused by production overcapacity&quot;. 
 
But despite claims that China is dumping steel in foreign markets, he said &quot;China&#39;s effort in (handling) over capacity has been highly recognised&quot; by the group. 
 
&quot;While some other countries are talking about how to cut down production, Chinese government has already taken measures which have been effective.&quot; 
 
Meanwhile Britain&#39;s referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) has added new concerns for the recovery of global economic and trade growth. 
 
&quot;Britain leaving the European Union will definitely have some impact on global trade, especially short-term investment,&quot; China&#39;s Wang commented today. 
 
Britain&#39;s trade minister Mark Price told the Financial Times in Beijing ahead of the weekend talk that tariffs would jump to an average level of at least three per cent after its exit from the EU. 
 
He said it&#39;s time to &quot;start exploring options&quot; on trade agreements and &quot;China is making very positive noises at the moment&quot;, the report said. 
 
(AFP)

Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union has added new concerns for the recovery of global economic and trade growth

The world`s top 20 economies will work to boost sluggish global trade despite growing protectionism, overcapacity concerns, and uncertainty over Brexit, G20 trade ministers said today at a meeting in Shanghai. "The global recovery continues, but it remains uneven and falls short of our ambition for strong, sustainable and balanced growth. Downside risks and vulnerabilities persist," the trade ministers said in a joint statement, adding that trade should remain "an important engine" to spur global growth. Protectionism has been rising, G20 nations acknowledge The G20 nations, which account for 85 per cent of global trade, admitted that protectionism has been rising since the financial crisis, and said that new trade restrictions in the group had reached the highest monthly average registered since the World Trade Organisation (WTO) began monitoring in 2009. "We note with concern that despite the G20's repeated pledge, the stock of restrictive measure affecting trade in goods and services has continued to rise," they said in the statement. Ahead of the meeting, WTO chief economist Robert Koopman warned that restrictive measures could affect industries including air freight cargo, sea based cargo, automobile sales and production, electronics trade, and agricultural raw materials. The world's leading economies over the weekend pledged to oppose trade protectionism and reiterated a promise not to add new protective measures until 2018. Global trade governance to be improve to combat slowdown Pertinent to mention that global trade is expected to grow at a tepid 2.8 per cent in 2016, the WTO had said in April. And this year is expected to be the fifth in a row where trade grew at less than three per cent, its weakest sustained level in 30 years, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday ahead of the talks. To combat the global slowdown, the ministers said they agreed to improve global trade governance and to work towards easing and liberalising trade.Concerns over China's production overcapacity in steel have led to trade disputes with the EU and US, and China`s vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said today that the G20 economies "have realised the necessity to take global cooperation to handle the challenge caused by production overcapacity". But despite claims that China is dumping steel in foreign markets, he said "China's effort in (handling) over capacity has been highly recognised" by the group. "While some other countries are talking about how to cut down production, Chinese government has already taken measures which have been effective." Meanwhile Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) has added new concerns for the recovery of global economic and trade growth. "Britain leaving the European Union will definitely have some impact on global trade, especially short-term investment," China's Wang commented today. Britain's trade minister Mark Price told the Financial Times in Beijing ahead of the weekend talk that tariffs would jump to an average level of at least three per cent after its exit from the EU. He said it's time to "start exploring options" on trade agreements and "China is making very positive noises at the moment", the report said. (AFP)

G20 nations pledge to boost sluggish global trade

New issues including innovation, digitisation and investment rules will figure at the three-day meet of G20 Sherpas at Xiamen in China beginning June 23, which will be attended by National Institute of Transforming India Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya. 
 
This will be the third meeting of Sherpas under the Presidency of China and will prepare a broad agenda for discussion for the G20 Summit to held at Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province on China&#39;s southeastern coast. 
 
&quot;Among the new issues China has brought to the table under its G20 Presidency are the role of innovation, digitisation and new industrial revolution in growth and guidelines on investment rules,&quot; Panagariya told PTI. 
 
Besides, he said the regular issues such as climate change, trade and energy will also be discussed at the meet. 
 
The meet will also discuss the global economic situation and review the progress on preparation for Hangzhou Sumit to be held in September this year. 
 
The other issue which will come up for detailed deliberation are anti-corruption, counter terrorism financing, refugee crisis and AMR (Antimicrobial resistance). 
 
According to World Health Organisation, antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. 
 
It is an increasingly serious threat to public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. 
 
Earlier before Sherpas meet at Beijing in January, Panagariya had said India will push for poverty alleviation and sustainable development besides trade and investment at the G20 forum. 
 
India intends to eliminate poverty by 2030. It wants to boost trade and investment as these are instruments of eliminating poverty. 
 
G20 members include G8 countries, namely, the US, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Canada and Russia; and the 11 emerging and developing countries, namely, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey; and the EU. 
 
(PTI)

The other issues which will come up for detailed deliberation are corruption, counter-terrorism financing and refugee crisis

New issues including innovation, digitisation and investment rules will figure at the three-day meet of G20 Sherpas at Xiamen in China beginning June 23, which will be attended by National Institute of Transforming India Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya. This will be the third meeting of Sherpas under the Presidency of China and will prepare a broad agenda for discussion for the G20 Summit to held at Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province on China's southeastern coast. "Among the new issues China has brought to the table under its G20 Presidency are the role of innovation, digitisation and new industrial revolution in growth and guidelines on investment rules," Panagariya told PTI. Besides, he said the regular issues such as climate change, trade and energy will also be discussed at the meet. The meet will also discuss the global economic situation and review the progress on preparation for Hangzhou Sumit to be held in September this year. The other issue which will come up for detailed deliberation are anti-corruption, counter terrorism financing, refugee crisis and AMR (Antimicrobial resistance). According to World Health Organisation, antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. It is an increasingly serious threat to public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. Earlier before Sherpas meet at Beijing in January, Panagariya had said India will push for poverty alleviation and sustainable development besides trade and investment at the G20 forum. India intends to eliminate poverty by 2030. It wants to boost trade and investment as these are instruments of eliminating poverty. G20 members include G8 countries, namely, the US, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Canada and Russia; and the 11 emerging and developing countries, namely, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey; and the EU. (PTI)

Innovation and investment rules among others to be discussed in G20 Sherpas meet

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