Obama aides defend ambitious Afghan scale-up
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. officials said the first of 30,000 new U.S. troops would arrive in Afghanistan in two to three weeks but also made clear on Wednesday that plans to start bringing the soldiers home in 18 months could slip. Full Article
Canada sets new deadline for spending stimulus cash
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government set a new two-month deadline on Wednesday for the country's provinces to line up projects to be funded by stimulus cash, and committed to a firm schedule for winding up the emergency spending it pledged after the economy dropped into recession. Full Article
Gold at new highs; Asian shares climb
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Gold struck another peak on Thursday because of its investor appeal as a safe asset and Asian stocks looked past Wall Street's weak finish to eke out gains. Full Article
H1N1 might have peaked in Canada
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian health officials said on Wednesday that the H1N1 flu outbreak might have reached its peak in Canada, but cautioned that the fight is not yet over. Full Article
