Archive - Dec 18, 2009

• Delegates scramble to reach agreement on final day of climate talks
• Connection between climate change and gender explored in Copenhagen
• Residents in Oaxaca meet water crisis with innovative solutions
• US and Russia near deal on nuclear weapons
• Pressure mounts on Pakistan President Zardari after court ends immunity to corruption charges

• Western Sahara hunger striker allowed to return home
• UK court blocks British Airway crew strike
• Gazans defy an Egyptian underground wall construction
• Capital Punishment sentences lowest since 1970s
• 30th anniversary of Convention to End Discrimination against Women

Determined not to go home empty-handed, world leaders have reportedly agreed to stay overnight in Copenhagen to continue the climate change negotiation.

A central part of that final negotiation is President Obama's demand that developing countries agree to participate in an emissions reporting and verification mechanism. Obama spoke earlier today, in a much-anticipated speech.

"We know the fault lines because we've been imprisoned by them for years.  These international discussions have essentially taken place now for almost two decades, and we have very little to show for it other than an increased acceleration of the climate change phenomenon.  The time for talk is over.  This is the bottom line:  We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, continue to refine it and build upon its foundation.  We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be part of a historic endeavor -- one that makes life better for our children and our grandchildren."

Obama reiterated the US bottom line on cuts - which he has described as a "realistic" reduction, cutting emissions by 17 percent by 2020, and by more than 80 percent by 2050. After the speech, many environmentalists criticized Obama's hard line.  FSRN'S Jenny Johnson has more from the Bella Center, in Copenhagen.

And this breaking news from Jenny Johnson inside the Bella Center: negotiators say they've reached an agreement and details are forthcoming. FSRN will continue to watch this story and bring you more developments next week.

One of the topics being discussed in Copenhagen is the connection between gender and climate change. Experts are hoping to develop programs and policies that recognize the distinct impact climate change has on women, as well as solutions women can bring to the table. FSRN’s Diletta Varlese has more.

One important environmental issue that has received scant attention at Copenhagen is that of access to  - and use of - clean water resources. Water-borne illnesses are a leading cause of death - killing over 2 million people worldwide each year. Continued population growth has also strained the capacity of fresh water reserves to replenish themselves...but water conservationists say shrinking water supplies have more to do with how we use and distribute the vital liquid. Shannon Young takes a look at how some individuals are using household-level solutions to deal with the water crisis in Oaxaca, Mexico.

There’s another high-stakes negotiation happening on the sidelines in Copenhagen: Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev are getting close to a deal on nuclear weapons. It’s been two weeks since the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) expired, which has guided bilateral disarmament since 1991. FSRN'S Tanya Snyder reports.

Earlier today in northwestern Pakistan a car bomb exploded near a mosque inside a police compound killing 10 people and injuring an estimated 25. Most of the victims were police leaving the mosque after prayers. It's the second bombing against a mosque used by security forces in the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, this week, Pakistan's supreme court struck down an amnesty deal that would have kept thousands of politicians, including President Asif Ali Zardari, immune from corruption charges. The decision has ramped up pressure on Zardari  - and opposition leaders have called for him to step down.

Joining us to discuss the events is Arif Rafiq. He's the editor of The Pakistan Policy Blog. His November article, “Zardari in the Crosshairs” on ForeignPolicy.com can be read here.