Geithner’s Remarks at G-20 Currency Conference

Here is the official Treasury Department transcript of remarks U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was scheduled to deliver Friday at the Group of 20 nations seminar in Nanjing on the international monetary system:

Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner at the “High-level Seminar on the International Monetary System”

Germany’s Schaeuble Sees Bigger G-20 Currency Role by Year-End

Exchange-rate talks will move to the Group of 20 from the Group of 7 as the bloc’s members step up cooperation that aims to enhance the resilience of the world economy, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

“We’ll see at the end of the year that there’ll be quite some movement” in the discussion of exchange rates, he told reporters today as he traveled to a G-20 seminar in Nanjing, China. “Sure, we won’t return to Bretton Woods, but there is some movement after all.”

Treasury fights G20 move to toughen rules

THE Gillard government is planning to resist efforts by global regulators to make Australia's big four banks hold even higher levels of capital, even though any collapse could send shockwaves through the economy.

Global supervisors are hammering out a package of measures designed to make big, complex banks safer and less of a burden on taxpayers in case of future crises.

Crossbow seized near G20 fence meant to repel break-in, court told

A Haliburton man stopped by Toronto police with a loaded crossbow two days before the G20 summit told an officer he was carrying it in case a neighbour broke into his car, a court has heard.

The arrest on a charge of weapons dangerous a short distance from the G20 security fence was one of the first of hundreds linked to the upcoming summit and made international headlines.

Food prices: Leaked UN Report Urges G-20 Action on Farm Trade

A confidential draft report from leading international agencies has urged G-20 governments “immediately to strengthen” global rules on agricultural import and export restrictions as well as subsidies that distort production, discourage supply or constrain international trade, ahead of a meeting of senior officials from the G-20 group of major economies in Paris this week.

Police 'illegally' kettled peaceful G20 protesters for four hours, court hears

Police officers illegally kettled peaceful climate activists at the G20 protests in 2009 to stop their gathering being "hijacked" by violent protesters from another demonstration, the high court has heard.

Lawyers for green campaigners seeking a judicial review of the legality of the police tactics, said the Metropolitan police imposed a tight cordon on the protesters for more than four hours, despite noting at the time that they were "relatively peaceful". Officers also used their shields to strike campaigners in a way that is "not a recognised form of reasonable force at all", Michael Fordham QC said.

China Commerce Min: Willing To Discuss Trade Balance With G20

China's trade minister said he would be willing to discuss including the trade balance -- and indirectly, the exchange rate reducing current account imbalances.

At the same time, Commerce Minister Deng Deming said China may post another trade deficit in March, noting that the nation posted a trade shortfall in the first 10 days of the month.

Speaking at a forum at the weekend, Chen noted the G-20 is discussing which some indicators to use to monitor current account balances and so ensure sustainable world economic growth.