APEC leaders will call on countries to do what they can to prop up economic growth, rallying around the common threat from Europe's debt crisis.

Hastily convened climate-change talks among key leaders including the US and Chinese presidents on Sunday failed to yield a breakthrough.

Leaders from Asia and the Americas promised on Saturday to push for a global free trade deal and reform international lenders.

US President George W Bush may be a lame duck, but protesters and aspiring US rivals are still dogging him with a passion on his last foreign trip.

United States President George Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard cemented a strong alliance on Wednesday as Asia-Pacific ministers began talks ranging from human security and climate change to trade and economic reform. Howard promised Australian soldiers would stay alongside US troops in Iraq following a meeting between the close friends.

United States President George Bush hopes to spur momentum for a world trade pact and a global target on climate change at this week's Asia-Pacific summit but the Iraq debate at home looms as a distraction. Bush will meet in Sydney with the leaders of Australia, China, Japan, Russia and other members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum.