G-20 preparations

The G-20 (more formally, the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) is a group of finance ministersand central bank governors from 20 economies: 19 of the world's largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU). It also met twice at heads-of-government level, in November 2008 and again in April 2009. Collectively, the G-20 economies comprise 85% of global gross national product, 80% of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.

^]One the region's most vocal advocates for civil liberties yesterday praised the Pittsburgh administration's efforts to accommodate the protesters who plan to demonstrate against the upcoming G-20 conference.

Officials overseeing security during this month's G-20 summit appear likely to tap the Pennsylvania National Guard as a major source of personnel -- perhaps the biggest.

Finance ministers of the largest industrial countries vowed on Saturday to keep their multitrillion-dollar stimulus efforts in place, but at a meeting here they failed to agree on any firm limits on bankers’ bonuses, a sign of the deep rifts that remain between American and European leaders.