1. U.N. climate talks

    Climate negotiators agreed a pact* on Sunday that would for the first time force all the biggest polluters to take action on greenhouse gas emissions*, but critics said the action plan was not aggressive* enough to slow the pace of global warming.

    The package of accords* extended the Kyoto Protocol, the only global pact that enforces carbon cuts, agreed the format of a fund to help poor countries tackle climate change and mapped out a path to a legally binding agreement on emissions reductions.

    2. Peru’s prime minister

    Peru’s prime minister Salomon Lerner has unexpectedly resigned and will be replaced by Oscar Valdes, a former military officer.

    Lerner’s departure came amid negotiations, in which he had taken a leading role, with protesters who forced the recent suspension* of Newmont’s US$4.8 billion Conga gold project, the biggest single investment in Peruvian history.

    3. Plane crash

    A light airplane crashed into a school building in the Philippines on Saturday after its pilot requested an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. At least 13 people were killed, including two children.

    The plane burst into flames after hitting the school in Paranaque City, said the mayor, Florencio Bernabe. It is a suburb of Manila, the capital.

    4. Former governor jailed

    Rod Blagojevich, the ousted* Illinois governor whose three-year battle against criminal charges became a national spectacle, was sentenced to 14 years in prison last Wednesday, one of the stiffest penalties imposed for corruption* in a state with a history of crooked* politics.

    The charges against the disgraced governor included attempting to sell President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. Blagojevich, who turns 55 on Saturday, was ordered to begin serving his sentence on February 16.

    5. Hollywood shootout

    U.S. authorities on Saturday identified the gunman who was shot dead by police as he fired at cars on a Hollywood street — screaming he wanted to die. Friends said Tyler Brehm was stung by the breakup* of a long relationship.

    One passing motorist, a music industry executive, was shot in the face by the gunman on Friday and remained in critical condition on Saturday.

    Brehm walked down the middle of Sunset Boulevard, firing on motorists with no clear target and injuring three of them until two police officers shot and killed him, authorities said.

    6. Russian poll inquiry

    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation on Sunday into allegations of fraud* in Russia’s parliamentary* election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded it be annulled* and rerun.

    7. Pakistan airbase

    The United States on Sunday vacated* a Pakistani airbase following a deadline given by Islamabad in the wake of anger over NATO airstrikes last month that killed 24 soldiers, officials said.

    8. Architects apologize

    A Dutch architectural firm has apologized for its design of twin skyscrapers in central Seoul, which resemble* the exploding World Trade Center towers in New York and have infuriated* families of the victims of the September 11 attacks.

    9. French presidency

    Former French prime minister and conservative politician Dominique de Villepin announced on Sunday he would take on his right-wing rival President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year’s presidential vote.

 (SD-Agencies)