Right up to the last minute, the danger was that the Climate Change Conference in Durban would end in fiasco or in an agreement so vague as to be meaningless. Instead, when hopes of a global deal looked dashed, European nations – acting with a degree of unanimity over climate change that seems absent from their deliberations on the eurozone – pulled off an agreement that gives new cause for optimism.

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Independent Crossword

Climate talks in extra time after row over draft deal

UN climate talks stalled after a rebellion by developing states most at risk from global warming, forcing host South Africa to push the conference into extra time today in an effort to prevent the negotiations collapsing.

Crunch time for climate deal talks in Durban

Countries were today locked in debate over whether to press ahead with a new legal climate treaty, as the latest round of UN global warming talks entered their final hours.

Ukraine's ex-PM jailed for disrespecting court

Ukraine's former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, was locked up yesterday, after a judge accused her of systematically disrespecting the court in a case against her that supporters say is politically motivated.

A Day That Shook The World: Kyoto Protocol introduced

On 16 February 2005 the industrial nations responsible for 55 percent of the world’ emissions entered into an agreement to reduce them by 5.2 percent by 2012.



Barclays offers £98m to buy Swedish carbon specialist

Barclays is one business which is attempting to reverse the trend towards Britain selling more companies than it buys. Yesterday it made a bid of £98m for a Swedish carbon trading company, Tricorona.

Developing countries return to climate talks

Developing countries today agreed to resume climate change negotiations in Copenhagen after a half-day suspension.

'Kyoto principles' crucial in climate talks - China

China will insist the main principles of the Kyoto Protocol are retained in any new global climate change pact, even though others are seeking to abandon them, a high-ranking climate official on Saturday.

Brown vows new alliance with Obama

Prime Minister seeks global coalition for change with US president-elect

Market meltdown? Carbon trading is just warming up

First, the price of the EU's credit allowances crashed. Now shares in companies that trade in them are falling too. But getting polluters to change their ways will be a process of trial and error, says Mike Scott

Down's syndrome: Breaking the news

There's no easy way to hear that your baby has Down's syndrome. But there's a lot doctors could learn about breaking the news.

Fall Out Boy, Brixton Academy, London <!-- none onestar threestar fourstar fivestar -->

Their backdrop showed a man relaxing in his bath, about to be rudely awakened by a plugged-in toaster falling from above. If only Fall Out Boy could have shown such spark.

Oil brokers trade blows with eco-warriors

Greenpeace campaigners, not a group of people unaccustomed to flying in the face of danger, were forced into a tactical retreat yesterday after feeling the wrath of angry oil traders.

Podium: The poor need a cleaner future

From a speech by the UN development director to the Buenos Aires world climate conference

How much hot air should we allow the Americans to buy?

The temptation will be for the Russians to sell as much hot air as they possibly can
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The Cable News Nightmare: CNN (and Piers Morgan) in audience crisis

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