Canada's Harper Pledges Cooperation After Election Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday he will reach out to all parties during the global financial meltdown after his Conservative Party won in national elections but fell short of a parliamentary majority. Harper had called Tuesday's elections early in hopes of getting his party a majority, and in doing so he became the first major world leader to face voters since the financial crisis.

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.

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.