Alberta's premier says he's pleased, after a meeting with u-s speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi. The premier says he's aware he isn't going to change the country's mind after just one dinner. But he says the speaker of the house spoke highly of the province's carbon capture and storage research. Stelmach says it appears u-s energy business is secure. But a senior analyst with the Alberta Treasury Branch says that security has made Canada less adept at luring international partners, " We're behind where we should be but we are going to have to do business and learn the culture of business in places like China and India.”. The economist says what's really needed to encourage trade with Asia is a pipeline from Alberta to the west coast. Meanwhile, Pelosi is meeting with environmentalists and aboriginal leaders today to discuss the negative impacts of Alberta’s oilsands.

A new Angus Reid poll finds more Canadians are questioning the benefits of immigration. The online survey found 46 per cent of respondents believe immigration is having a negative effect on the country, up five per cent from a year ago. The poll also found that 50 per cent of respondents would not allow the hundreds of Tamil migrants who arrived in B.C. last month to stay in Canada, even if their refugee claims are legitimate.

U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned a Florida church’s plan to burn copies of the Qur'an on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, calling it “a recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda.” Obama’s comments on Thursday came as hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted “death to the Christians” to protest Saturday’s planned burning.

Extremely high doses of B vitamins can dramatically slow brain shrinkage in elderly people suffering from mild mental decline, and may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, new British research suggests. Researchers say about one in six people over the age of 70 has a mild cognitive impairment, nearly half of whom go on to develop dementia, mainly in the form of Alzheimer's.

Toronto police say they obtained several boxes of documents from the Toronto Blue Jays after being called in to help U.S. authorities in the perjury and steroid investigation against former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. The seven-time Cy Young award winner played for the Blue Jays in 1997 and 1998. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of perjury, making false statements, and obstruction of the U.S. Congress.

A Massachusetts-based company working on the first flying car says it expects to begin limited production as early as the end of this year. The carmaker says the Transition Roadable Aircraft has wings that fold back for highway travel, but the two-seater must use a runway to take off and land. The Transition is expected to sell for as much as US$250,000.

Canada's trade deficit with the world widened to a record $2.7 billion in July from $1.8 billion in the previous month as exports fell and imports grew. Analysts say the trade gap took about 1.2 percentage points out of economic growth in the second quarter, explaining why it came in at a disappointing two per cent.