Canada's leader impressed with Obama

CANADA: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper came away impressed with President Barack Obama's confidence in the face of the worst economic crisis in decades, following Obama's first foreign trip as president.

Harper noted Obama's cool demeanor in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp after Obama departed Ottawa Thursday.

"I look at the challenges in front of me, and when I look at the challenges in front of him, they are just overwhelming," Harper said. "But he seems to have a good perspective on it all, he seems to able to understand the complexity and the difficulties of these challenges, but it doesn't seem in any way to be overwhelming him or stressing him. That's something that's impressive at this point, but obviously we both have a long way to go through this economic time."

The prime minister wasn't the only Canadian impressed by Obama, who caused something of a sensation when he took an unscheduled detour into Ottawa's Byward Market before departing for Washington. OTTAWA, Friday, AP