TresSugar

"O" Canada - Obama Receives Warm Welcome Up North

LibertySugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:30:44 -0800

It may be chilly in Canada, but President Obama's welcome was anything but. Chants of "Yes we can!" seem to follow the US president everywhere he goes, even on his first trip abroad!

Obama will stay north of the border for only a few hours. During his meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama likely discussed trade, Afghanistan, the financial crisis, and the environment. Harper told his American guest: "It’s a great honor to have you here on your first visit. We really appreciate it."

To see more photos of Obama, and the Canadians who appreciate him, read more.

View 15 Photos ›

Source

Bush Says "Yo Harper. . . Medvedev's a 'Smart Guy'" Well Said?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:45:09 -0700

The G-8 Summit is well under way - the dominant stories heading out of the talks settle around the speaking style of the Decider in Chief, George W. Bush. Known for his colloquial folksiness and rampant nicknamery, a few such quotes have surfaced today.

Bush sat down to meet with Dmitry Medvedev on the occasion of the Russian leader's first face-to-face meeting with Bush. At the conclusion of the hour meeting, the two had agreed on the need for Iran and North Korea to dump their nuclear ambitions - though stopped short of bridging their differences on Bush's proposal to build a missile-defense system in Europe. But the money quote circulating after the diplomatic meeting is this:

“You know, I’m not going to sit here and psychoanalyze the man, but I will tell you that he’s very comfortable, he’s confident, and that I believe that when he tells me something, he means it. . . . I found him to be a smart guy who understood the issues very well.”

And then there's the second "yo" heard 'round the world. Reporters are tittering after President Bush slung an arm around the shoulders of the Nigerian President and called out to get the attention of the Canadian Prime Minister, "Yo, Harper. The president of Nigeria." It's not the first time such casual lingo seeped into high-level talks (the first caused quite a stir) but does it make a bigger statement about the perception of the US on the world stage? Do two "yo"s make a right?

Source

The Way We Became the G-8 Bunch: The Summit Episode

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:33 -0700

The G-8 Summit gets underway in Hakkaido, Japan today; a three-day meeting of the leaders of the eight countries invited, plus a representative of the European Union.
Grown from the concept of a forum of the major industrialized democracies after the 1973 oil crisis, more have been invited until 1997 when the last member, Russia, was invited at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton.

The guest list is at the edge of controversy this year, as major climate issues are at hand, and two of the worst polluters (China and India) aren't invited. Here's who is (top to bottom, left to right):

Marcia Brady: United Kingdom, Gordon Brown
Jan Brady: United States, George W Bush
Cindy Brady: Germany, Angela Merkel
Carol Brady: Canada, Stephen Harper
Ann B. Davis as Alice: European Union, Jose Manuel Barroso
Mike Brady: Japan, Yasuo Fukada
Greg Brady (Johnny Bravo): France Nicolas Sarkozy
Peter Brady: Russia, Dmitry Medvedev
Bobby Brady: Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

What's going to happen in this very special episode of the G-8 bunch? Well, no one's going to find a Tiki idol or Vincent Price in a cave, but some other important stuff instead. To find out, read more.

Soaring food and energy costs will be at the top of the list, especially after oil prices rose to $145 a barrel last week. Global climate change is on the table too, following last year's agreement to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2050.

G-8 action on the world's food situation will be broached, probably by Germany's Angela Merkel who wrote a recent editorial in which she said, "The aggravation of the global food situation is increasing hunger in the world and threatens the political stability of many developing countries. At the summit, a comprehensive package of measures to secure global food supplies should be adopted." And aid to Africa is up there too, with seven heads of African nations invited to the opening ceremonies of the summit.

Anti-globalization, global warming, and poverty activists were on hand for the arrivals of the leaders amid heavy security. Banners reading, "Down with imperialism" among other slogans were displayed.

G-8 Summit 2008: It may be no trip to the Grand Canyon or race through a theme park, but it's worth a watch.

Source

Take Me to Your Leader: Canada

LibertySugar — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Stephen Harper, 48, leads Canada as its prime minister and head of the Conservative Party he co-founded in 2003. His election marked the end of 12 years Liberal Party rule.

Recently newsworthy for its involvement in "NAFTA-gate," Harper's administration was accused of leaking a memo that summarized private statements by an Obama adviser that the Senator's private position on NAFTA differed from his public position. Harper has denounced such meddling in the US election as unfair and most likely illegal.

Born in Toronto, Harper is the the first Canadian Prime Minister since 1968 not to attend law school. Known for policy over pizazz, Harper quickly accomplished campaign promises after being elected to run the minority government. A supporter of the unpopular Canadian effort in Afghanistan, Harper appointed a nonpartisan committee to evaluate the mission. Canada's slow growth is perhaps the greatest challenge facing the prime minister. Hopefully his bachelor and master degrees in economics will prove useful.

The opposition has been aching to push the Conservatives out of power, and recent Conservative Party scandals may give them their opportunity. Recently opposition leader Jack Layton called Prime Minister Harper a tool of the US Republican Party . . . to his face . . . on the floor of Parliament. Parliamentary democracies are great, eh? To see video read more.

Source

Front Page: US Unemployment Rate Jumps to 6.7%

CitizenSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:00:10 -0800

The US jobless rate spiked to 6.7 percent in November, marking the 11th straight month of job loss and the greatest since 1974.- New York Times
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper successfully suspended Parliament yesterday, avoiding his ousting by the opposition party. In an unprecedented move, Governor General Michaelle Jean, Queen Elizabeth's representative to Canada, agreed to shut down Parliament until Jan. 26. - Reuters

OJ Simpson faces six years to life in prison for his felony kidnapping, armed robbery, and conspiracy convictions. He will be sentenced today in Nevada, and prosecutors have recommended an 18-year sentence. - Reuters
Armed robbers dressed in drag stole $102 million worth of jewels in Paris yesterday from the Harry Winston store. - BBC News

Source

Front Page: Iran Declares Victory, US Strike Angers Pakistan, Canada Apologizes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:58 -0700

Iran Declares Victory: Meeting with leaders during his European farewell tour, President Bush won support yesterday to consider additional punitive sanctions against Iran if they reject an offer of incentives to suspend its uranium enrichment program. The European-backed punishment includes restrictions on its banks. Britain, France and Germany are at the forefront of European diplomacy on Iran, and Bush is seeking their support of stronger UN sanctions. Meanwhile in Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance against pressure to suspend the program, declaring victory in a televised speech saying, "with God's help today (the Iranian nation) have gained victory and the enemies cannot do a damned thing."

US Strike Angers Pakistan: Following a US-led operation in Pakistan against the Taliban that ended up killing 11 Pakistani troops along with 8 Taliban militants, Pakistan's military has condemned the air strike as a "cowardly attack". Details of the incident on the border with Afghanistan are still unclear but it comes amid rising tensions between the US and Pakistan militaries. The soldiers' deaths occurred overnight at a border post in one of Pakistan's tribal areas. A Pakistani spokesman said the attack "hit at the very basis of cooperation and sacrifice with which Pakistani soldiers are supporting the coalition in war against terror"
Canada Apologizes: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is delivering a public apology in Parliament today to more than 80,000 students of Canadian Natives who were taken from their parents and sent to state schools. Similar to the apology made to Australia's aboriginal population, Aboriginal Canadians will get their apology, one that Harper says, they "have been waiting a very long time to hear." The Canadian act of contrition comes with compensation as well, part of a lawsuit settlement.

Student Faints, Politician Keeps Talking

GiggleSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

I love how nonchalant the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, is about someone fainting and falling to the floor during his speech. He just glances over, takes a sip of water, and keeps talking. Oh, the compassion!

Front Page: RU-486, Kenya, Canada Threatens Withdrawal

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:59:45 -0800

A Chinese, state-owned pharmaceutical company, the sole supplier of RU-486 (the abortion pill) to the US, is being accused of selling tainted leukemia drugs that left almost 200 Chinese paralyzed. Though the leukemia drug and the abortion pill are made at different plants, the quality-control issue has many worried. Pfizer has historically not purchased drug ingredients from the Chinese company for that very reason. The Shanghai FDA has accused the plant of “producing substandard medicine that poses major risks of causing serious harm to human health.”
Another opposition leader has been killed in Kenya. David Kimutai Too was shot by a policeman in the troubled Rift Valley. The government says the killing, the second of an opposition lawmaker in two days, was due to Too's part in a love triangle. The opposition calls it an assassination. The killing has stalled Kofi Annan's peace talks with the parties, and UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon will be in Nairobi tomorrow. A protester, Willis Omondi, said, "We know the government is involved. Kibaki’s government will never work in Kenya. We will paralyze them even if they kill our leaders."
Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, told President Bush that Canada will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan unless more NATO troops are sent. Harper wants 1,000 additional troops sent to the Kandahar province where Canada's 2,500 troops are stationed. In response, Bush noted that 3,200 additional Marines are set to deploy to Afghanistan this Spring. NATO spokesman James Appathurai said, "we hope Canada will find a way to extend the mission."