Barack Obama welcomed Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House Thursday, for a pageantry and pomp-filled "official visit and state dinner" designed to rejuvenate US-Canada ties.
Obama will pull out all the stops for Canada's youthful prime minister, welcoming him with a full band on the White House's South Lawn, followed by an Oval office meeting, a Rose Garden press conference and a coveted state dinner.
The 54-year-old Obama has saluted Trudeau, 44, as political and generational kin, an ideological bedfellow who shares a belief in the importance of addressing inequality and tackling climate change.
To underscore that, the White House early Thursday announced that Canada had agreed to match an existing US target of reducing "methane emissions by 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 from the oil and gas sector."
The two countries also agreed on measures to better manage the Arctic wilderness, creating low-impact shipping corridors and managing fish stocks.
During former prime minister Stephen Harper's long tenure, the environment has was a serious point of contention with Washington.
Harper had argued forcefully for building a new trans-border pipeline to carry Canadian crude through the United States, a plan that Obama ultimately vetoed.
Obama and Trudeau met as their country's leaders for the first time at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila in November, a month after the Canadian won a general election.
The two men put aside differences over Syria and the fight against the Islamic State group to joke about greying hair and trade compliments about their spouses and kids.
Trudeau has refused to reconsider a decision to pull Canadian jets out of Iraq and Syria, a campaign promise.
Still, Obama was effusive: "I'm confident that he's going to be able to provide a great boost of energy and transform the Canadian political landscape," Obama said, inviting Trudeau to visit Washington.
"The first call I made to him, I said, 'Justin, congratulations. You and your family look great. I know Canadians are incredibly inspired by your message of hope and change,'" Obama said, echoing the messages of his own 2008 election campaign.
"I just want to point out that I had no gray hair when I was in your shoes seven years ago. So if you don't want to gray like me you have to start dying it soon. Because it's too late."
Trudeau joked that gray hair was beyond his control and said he looked forward to the trip to Washington.
"My wife Sophie is going to be very excited to hear about Michelle's garden, because she has started a vegetable garden as well in our backyard," he said, referring to the US first lady.
"But what Barack pointed out to me about how fast his daughters grew in the seven years since that first night of his electoral victory really struck home to me," Trudeau said.
"I am making sure to try and remain as attentive and present for my kids, not just because it makes me a better parent and a better person, but also because it's what keeps us focused as leaders on what actually matters."
AFP
Thu Mar 10 2016
Obama (left) and Trudeau take part in a welcome ceremony during a State Visit on the South Lawn of the White House on March 10, 2016 in Washington, DC. - AFP Photo/Jim Watson
Microsoft labur AS1.7b di Indonesia untuk teknologi awan dan AI
Microsoft bakal melabur AS$1.7 bilion dalam tempoh empat tahun akan datang bagi pembangunan infrastruktur awan dan kecerdasan buatan di Indonesia, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Satya Nadella
Nadella sebagai berkata, pelaburan itu merupakan yang terbesar dalam sejarah 29 tahun Microsoft di negara itu.
Nadella sebagai berkata, pelaburan itu merupakan yang terbesar dalam sejarah 29 tahun Microsoft di negara itu.
Haiwan turut berisiko hadapi 'strok haba'
Gelombang haba yang melanda seluruh dunia memperlihatkan kesan jelas terhadap alam serta hidupan di muka bumi ini. Di Bangladesh misalnya, pengusaha-pengusaha kedai haiwan mencuba sedaya upaya untuk memastikan haiwan peliharaan di kedai mereka tidak mati dalam cuaca ekstrem ini.
Malaysia tewas 2-3 kepada Denmark pada aksi akhir kumpulan D
Malaysia dan Denmark masing-masing sudah pun melayakkan diri ke suku akhir selepas mencatat kemenangan 5-0 ke atas Hong Kong dan Algeria.
Fungsi JAKIM, Kementerian Perpaduan Negara berbeza - mohd na'im
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar menegaskan fungsi Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) adalah berbeza dengan Kementerian Perpaduan Negara (KPN).
Sultan Nazrin dilantik pengerusi bagi tempoh dua tahun
Sultan Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah dilantik sebagai Pengerusi Majlis Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Malaysia (MKI) bagi tempoh dua tahun berkuat kuasa 9 Mac 2024 hingga 8 Mac 2026.
JKN Terengganu siasat dakwaan kes keracunan makanan
Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Terengganu sedang menyiasat dakwaan kes keracunan makanan selepas dipercayai menjamah sejenis kuih membabitkan beberapa individu termasuk kanak-kanak.
Remaja warga asing samun, menyamar pegawai polis ditahan
Polis menahan remaja lelaki pemegang kad Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) kerana disyaki terbabit dengan kegiatan samun dan menyamar sebagai anggota polis.
Pesawah mengaku tidak bersalah
Seorang pesawah mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Butterworth atas pertuduhan memuat naik mesej berbau hasutan mengaitkan Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim dengan aktiviti perjudian dalam satu kumpulan WhatsApp, lima hari lalu.
Terengganu tidak bincang cadangan hukuman sebat di khalayak - Azalina
Tiada sebarang perbincangan di antara Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu dan Kerajaan Persekutuan tentang cadangan pelaksanaan hukuman sebat bagi kesalahan syariah di khalayak atau tempat awam.
90 kes direkod di Kelantan dalam tempoh empat bulan
Polis Kelantan merekodkan 90 kes jenayah seksual di negeri itu dalam tempoh empat bulan pertama tahun ini.