The objective of this year's climate summit should be to agree on the "architecture" for reducing global warming and restoring international trust, the United Nations top climate official said today.

This is the clearest signal that the US will refuse to negotiate on separate elements of the controversial accord, but intends to push it through the UN process as a single "take it or leave it" text.

Delegates from 175 countries begin a three-day meeting in Bonn, Germany, on Friday with an open session meant to be a stocktaking. But it could turn bitter over blame for the failure to deliver a firm agreement in the Danish capital...

What’s changed about the climate for cultural relations between the peoples of the world? Pretty obvious, the global economic crisis. On the eve of the G20 summit, cultural relations might seem marginal, irrelevant or a luxury we can’t afford. All the answers surely lie with international institutions, diplomats and politicians, not international education and cultural links. And as for international consensus on climate change, can we afford to care any more?