Meanwhile in Canada:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has extended the life of his minority Conservative government until the new year after Governor General Michaelle Jean today granted his request to suspend Parliament.

Jean made the unprecedented decision after a lengthy meeting with Harper this morning at Rideau Hall. Her consent to prorogue Parliament means the work of the Commons has been discontinued, allowing Harper's Conservatives to escape a confidence vote next week that would have meant the defeat of his government.

It's a dramatic turn in a political crisis that has gripped the nation's capital.