Sasha obama

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is asking Republican lawmakers to approve billions of dollars in new spending to avert a scheduled 21 percent cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients.

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Monday: BRUSSELS - The surging economies of the East should be granted more power in the traditionally Western-dominated global financial institutions, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the opening of the Euro-Asian summit.