Canada

2010 countdown overshadowed by financial worries and muted enthusiasm

Olympics logoVancouver - With just a year to go until the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the winter resort of Whistler, organizers are battling to stay within budget and maintain enthusiasm for the project.

Thursday sees the countdown for the 2010 Games reach the one-year milestone and the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) has called on all Canadians to forget the negative headlines that have surrounded the event, at least for one day.

Chilly Canada's colourful northern lights

Chilly Canada's colourful northern lightsYellowknife, Canada  - Miyu, a petite lady from Tokyo, could not get over her astonishment. Darkness had fallen many hours earlier in Canada's Northwest Territories, and the temperature stood at minus 40 degrees centigrade. But something gradually appeared in the night sky that more than compensated Miyu for braving the cold: the northern lights.

Rae asks Canadian government to re-engage in Sri Lanka

Bob RaeToronto, Feb.

US troops kill Afghan tribal chief, Canadian soldier dies in blast

Kabul  - A Canadian soldier was killed in a roadside attack and US soldiers killed an Afghan tribal chief and wounded another civilian who approached their convoy in a south-eastern province, officials said Sunday.

The soldier was killed when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province on Saturday, the Canadian defence ministry said in a statement.

Sapper Sean Greenfield from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment was the second soldier to die in Afghanistan this year, bringing the Canadian military's death toll to 108 since their deployment to the country in 2002.

Obama heading to Canada for first trip abroad

Barack ObamaWashington  - US President Barack Obama's will make his

Canada's Liberals throw support to Harper - with conditions

Montreal - Canada's Liberals showed a change of heart Wednesday that avoids another governance crisis as they threw their support behind Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's budget and economic stimulus plan.

The change of heart came as Parliament reconvened this week after a recess that was forced by Harper in December over a budget stalemate.

To sweeten the deal, Harper has added a 40-billion-dollar economic stimulus package for Canada's slumping economy. His refusal to add such a measure in December provoked formation of a centre-left coalition led by the Liberal Party that threatened a vote of no- confidence.

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