Lima  - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a staunch, unqualified defence of free trace Saturday in Lima, as he adressed business leaders ahead of the annual Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

"Now is a time to open doors, not to erect walls," Harper said.

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, congratulated Barack Obama on telephone.

The two leaders "emphasized that there could be no closer friends and allies and vowed to maintain and further build upon this strong relationship."
The leaders also discussed about the global financial crisis as well as the strong friendship between Canada and the U.S. Obama and Harper also touched on the upcoming G-20 leaders' summit in Washington on Nov. 15.

Montreal - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, buoyed by gains in Tuesday's parliamentary elections, promptly announced an ambitious plan to tackle the financial crisis that has ravaged the neighbouring United States and now threatens Canada.

Harper, among the first world leaders to face voters since the ongoing economic panic started last month, said Wednesday that he intends to make the financial crisis a priority this week during talks with European Union leaders.

Montreal – Prime Minister Stephen Harper came within a stone's throw of a majority government Tuesday as Canadians re-elected a minority Conservative government.

Early returns showed Conservatives elected or leading in 143 ridings, which would be a gain of 16 seats. The opposition Liberals were elected or leading in 75 ridings.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which runs candidates only in the French-speaking province of Quebec, was leading in 49 ridings, and the socialist New Democratic Party was leading in 38 ridings.

Montreal - Canadian voters headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new Parliament in the third nationwide vote in just four years.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party was favoured to remain in power with a minority government, with one poll showing them leading with 34 per cent of the vote to 29 per cent for the opposition Liberals.

Harper had called for elections in hopes of securing a stable majority government, but support for the party has slipped in the intervening weeks.

Montreal - Prime Minister Stephen