"Pope Benedict XVI called for urgent action to protect the environment, saying Tuesday that climate change and natural catastrophes threaten the rights to life, food, health -- and ultimately peace."

"Negotiators have all but completed a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests, and in some cases, other natural landscapes like peat soils, swamps and fields that play a crucial role in curbing climate change."

"China and the United States were at an impasse on Monday at the United Nations climate change conference here over how compliance with any treaty could be monitored and verified."

"Negotiations at the UN climate summit have been suspended after developing countries withdrew their co-operation."

"TORONTO - A Mexican man who strongly opposed the presence of a Canadian company in his hometown felt sure his activism would lead to his murder but was willing to pay that price to protest what he regarded to be human rights abuses, friends said Thursday."

"OSLO -- President Barack Obama accepted the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace at a ceremony today at Oslo City Hall. Delivering a Nobel lecture focused on the uses and limits of military force in creating a worldwide just and lasting peace, President Obama underlined the importance of environmental protection."

"BRUSSELS – EU leaders agreed Friday to commit euro2.4 billion ($3.6 billion) a year until 2012 to help poorer countries combat global warming, as they sought to rescue their image as climate change innovators and bolster talks in Copenhagen."

"The first official draft blueprint for a deal at the UN climate talks sees targets of limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2.0 degrees Celsius (2.7 or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), according to a document seen by AFP on Friday."

"Here's what the historic meeting in Denmark can—and should—accomplish."