Tag: Open Thread

Six countries — Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Norway and the United States — said they would set up a fund to fight the loss of forests, a leading source of the rising temperatures feared to threaten the planet.

In a joint statement, the six governments said they would collectively dedicate 3.5 billion dollars from 2010 to 2012 in what they hoped would be just the starting point for a deforestation fund by wealthy nations.

With just over three days left to broker one of the most ambitious, yet also fiendishly complex, deals in human history, conference chair Denmark appealed for all sides to embrace the spirit of compromise.

But China and the United States — the world’s two biggest carbon polluters — brushed aside European calls for concessions on emissions reductions, the thorniest issue of all.

While campaigners warned negotiators had five days to avert climate chaos, ministers acknowledged they had to start making giant strides before 120 heads of state arrived for the Copenhagen summit’s climax on Friday.

But their hopes were hit when Africa led a boycott by developing nations of working groups, only returning after securing guarantees the summit would not sideline talks about the future of the Kyoto Protocol.

Woods announced Friday he was taking a hiatus from professional golf and admitted he had cheated on wife Elin after reports that 10 women had claimed to have had sexual relationships with the 14-time major champion.

“It’s a shock. It was most definitely a shock to everybody to hear what has been going on,” third-ranked US golfer Steve Stricker said. “Hopefully he gets it straight. Staying away is a great thing to get his family life in order.”

Woods stunned the golf world Friday by announcing a hiatus in professional play and admitting, for the first time, to being unfaithful to his wife.

The admission prompted a slew of statements of support from colleagues, but more tepid backing from some of his sponsors, which include Nike, Gillette, Accenture, AT&T and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer.

State television interrupted normal programming throughout the day to broadcast live reports and reaction to the desecration.

A member of Papadopoulos’s personal guard found the grave open when he went to light a vigil candle at around 8 am (0600 GMT) as he does every morning, state radio reported.

Europe has sought to establish itself at the forefront of the climate campaign and a summit of European Union leaders was expected to produce a promise of six billion euros (nine billion dollars) to help poorer nations between 2010-2012.

Britain has offered 800 million pounds (885 million euros) while Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has pledged 765 million euros and Denmark, Belgium and Finland each promised between 100 and 160 million euros on Thursday.

“The Nigeria Police Force is responsible for hundreds of extrajudicial executions, other unlawful killings and enforced disappearances every year,” the London-based rights group said in a damning report.

“The majority of cases go uninvestigated and unpunished,” it said.

The “draft political agreement” circulated informally by the host government exposed the deep faultlines besetting a 192-nation conference aimed at averting the potential planetary catastrophe of global warming.

The cost of failure in Copenhagen was underlined by the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation, which said the current decade was shaping up to be the hottest since accurate records began in 1850.

The attacks undermined the government’s claims of improved security and came hours before the war-torn country said its general election, the second since the US-led ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein, would be on March 6.

A security spokesman said the attacks — four by suicide attackers driving cars or minibuses and targeting key government buildings — bore “the touch of Al-Qaeda.”

The impact on humanity of man-made drought, flood, storms and rising seas were spelt out at the start of the 12-day meeting, which will climax with a summit attended by more than 110 heads of state or government.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen warned the world was looking to Copenhagen to safeguard the generations of tomorrow.