VIA Clowdea

One judge noted with surprise that President Barack Obama “didn’t look particularly happy” at being named the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Another marvelled at how critics could be so patronizing.

In a rare public defence of a process normally shrouded in secrecy, four of the Nobel jury’s five judges spoke out this week about a selection they said was both merited and unanimous.

To those who say a Nobel is too much too soon in Obama’s young presidency, “We simply disagree … He got the prize for what he has done,” committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland told The Associated Press by telephone from Strasbourg, France, where he was attending meetings of the Council of Europe.

Jagland singled out Obama’s efforts to heal the divide between the West and the Muslim world and scale down a Bush-era proposal for an anti-missile shield in Europe.

“All these things have contributed to – I wouldn’t say a safer world – but a world with less tension,” he said.

For nine-year Nobel committee veteran Inger-Marie Ytterhorn, Obama’s demeanour spoke volumes when he first acknowledged the award during a news conference Friday on the lawn of the White House Rose Garden.

“I looked at his face when he was on TV and confirmed that he would receive the prize and would come to Norway, and he didn’t look particularly happy,” she told the AP by telephone.

The Bank of Canada is declaring the recession essentially over in Canada and projecting the economy will bounce back at least twice as strongly as in the United States.

The bank’s quarterly monetary policy report released Thursday contains many cautions about how the world and Canada is coming out of the deepest and most painful downturn since the Second World War.

The bank remains concerned the fragile financial systems in the United States and Europe may contain more unpleasant surprises that will sideswipe the global economy once more, and it believes the strengthening loonie is not helpful given the Canada’s dependence on exports.

As well, it warns the recovery is at best nascent and dependent on massive government stimulus and historic low interest rates to support domestic activity and consumer spending.

But overall, the new outlook represents a clearly more optimistic view of the Canadian economy than governor Mark Carney presented in April, when he saw the contraction that began last October lasting at least until the fourth quarter of 2009, and the dip in the first month of this year breaking all records.

However, with the economy supported by better financial conditions and higher levels of business and consumer confidence than anticipated, the downturn in activity in the first half of the year has been less severe, and growth is now projected to turn positive in the third quarter (of 2009),” the bank now says.

More.

Three Greenpeace climbers have hung a banner on the face of Mount Rushmore to issue a challenge to President Obama: “America honors leaders, not politicians: Stop Global Warming.” The action is part of a global day of action staged by Greenpeace to urge world leaders, who are currently attending a G8 meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, to take the actions necessary to avert runaway climate change.

“We are at a key moment in history when we must challenge our president to take real leadership. The steps taken so far have been frankly inadequate. If President Obama wants to take his place among the great leaders of history, he must take aggressive measures to combat climate change and prioritize a strong deal in Copenhagen,” said Carroll Muffet, Deputy Campaign Director for Greenpeace. “We’re here at Mount Rushmore to inspire Americans to take action, and remind the world that heroism and leadership are part of our nation’s history — and must be a part of our future.”

Ontario residents can now apply for an enhanced driver’s licence to use instead of a passport when crossing into the United States, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley announced today, even though the new documents won’t be ready for weeks.

The U.S. will require passports or other secure identification documents for anyone crossing into the country by land or sea starting June 1, while a passport will still be required to enter the U.S. by air.

What is it?

A new high tech licence designed to prevent identity theft and possibly serve as an alternate to your passport when travelling to the U.S. But a Ministry spokesman admits that could be ‘years away.’

What’s special about it?

It has a second photo on the front, raised lettering of the licence’s number, signature and date of birth, a fine-line background, a 2D barcode, micro and rainbow printing, and ultraviolet features among others.

When can you get it?

They’ll be issued the next time you renew your licence, starting this month.

What’s the cost?

It won’t be more expensive, retaining the $75 charge you pay now.

What if you’ve just renewed your licence?

You’re out of luck. The only way to get the new version is to move, change the information on your current card or wait until your next renewal five years from now.

As of May 1, 2009, if you’re caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from 0.05 to 0.08 (known as the “warn range”), the police can immediately suspend your licence up to three days for a first occurrence, seven days for a second occurrence and 30 days for a third or subsequent occurrence.

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Canada on Feb. 19.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office confirmed the date of the highly anticipated visit this afternoon.

Obama’s visit to Canada will mark his first foreign visit since taking office on Jan. 20. The prime minister’s office did not immediately release other details of the visit or even confirm where in Canada his visit with Harper would take place.

The date of the visit was also confirmed by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in Washington.

“Canada’s a vitally important ally, and the president looks forward to the opportunity to speak with Prime Minister Harper and — and visit our neighbor to the north,” he said today.

The timing rules out an address to Parliament as the House of Commons is not sitting the week of Obama’s visit, Harper aide Dimitri Soudas told reporters today.

He said the PMO will announce further details later.

He refused to comment on suggestions Obama would tour Alberta’s tar sands, the source of oil that Obama’s campaign once pegged as “dirty.”

Soudas said “we’re just pleased President Obama is coming. We look forward to his visit.”

Confirmation of the visit comes after Obama and Harper spoke by telephone on Friday to discuss dates and the early outline of an agenda for the meeting.

Harper said that the economy would likely top the agenda although he expected that the environment, climate change and energy security would also be discussed during the visit.

In an interview with the Star last week, Harper predicted that Obama’s administration would mark a “fresh start” for relations between the two countries.

“I think that we now have a new administration that Canadians are clearly very comfortable with, at least out of the gate,” Harper told the Star.

Harper said Obama’s presidency is a “real opportunity” to move forward. “I think everybody acknowledges that Canada-U.S. relations improved after our government came to office. But I actually think they probably could have improved more,” he said.

He said the chance of even better relations was hindered by the focus of the administration of former president George W. Bush on domestic U.S. problems.

Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, made his first foreign visit to Mexico.