NPR 2012-12-09

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　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

 

　　A United Nations Climate Change Conference today agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol¹. The 1997 treaty that limits the greenhouse gas emissions² of some wealthier nations. It was due to expire this year. The BBC's Peter Nettleship reports.

 

　　It only came after 12 days of tough haggling³. It only covers 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, because several more countires opted⁴ out. And it is still only a temporary fix aimed at paving the way for a much wider and more comprehensive treaty to be negotiated and adopted by 2015. But it is a legally binding⁵ pact⁶. It extends the Kyoto Protocol on climate change to the year 2020. So it must be seen as a significant step forward on what's always been a long and tortuous⁷ path towards combating global warming. The BBC's Peter Nettleship.

 

　　The U.S. never joined the Kyoto Protocol because it doesn't include fast growing developing nations, such as China.

 

　　Tens of thousands of people gathered at a rally in the Gaza Strip today to listen to the leader of Hamas. Khaled Meshaal is marking his first trip to Gaza. NPR's Philip Reeves says that he might mark the occasion with an uncompromising speech.

 

　　A vast crowd of Palestinians flourishing bright-green Hamas flags turned out to listen to Meshaal at a rally officially celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Islamist organization. Meshaal’s often portrayed⁸ as pragmatist, not least because his openly stated that Hamas would accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, though without recognizing Israel. There was no sign of that pragmatism today. Meshaal arrived on stage with a theatrical⁹ flourish, stepping out of a door cutting to a giant plastic rocket intended to symbolize¹⁰ the rockets fired from Gaza at Tel Aviv, even Jerusalem during last month's hostilities¹¹. To cheers, he delivered a speech littered with hardline rhetoric¹² vowing¹³ never to recognize Israel, nor to drop the claim to all the land of the Jewish state. Philip Reeves, NPR News, Gaza.

 

　　The Greek Finance Ministry¹⁴ says it has completed a bond buyback scheme that will help the country lighten its huge debt load. Joanna Kakissis reports this will clear the way for more bailout loans for Greece.

 

　　Eurozone leaders told the Greeks to buy back more than $ 40 billion in government bonds that reduced values. By taking the bonds off the market, at 30% to 40% of their maturities¹⁵, Greece's supposed to reduce its debt load by nearly $26 billion. It's part of a complex plan by the country's lenders who include the European Union and the International Monetary¹⁶ Fund to cut debt to less than 110% of GDP by 2022. The deadline for the buyback ended late Friday. Finance Ministry sources say that the participation¹⁷ by Greek banks and hedge funds was high enough to declare the effort a success. For NPR News, I'm Joanna Kakissis.

 

　　This is NPR News from Washington.

 

　　Egypt's military today warned of disastrous¹⁸ consequences if there is no solution to the country's political crisis. The statement did not mention President Mohamed Morsi who gave himself broad powers last month and declared his decisions are beyond judicial¹⁹ review. This has prompted large street demonstrations²⁰.

 

　　College football's most prestigious²¹ individual award, the Heisman Trophy²² will go to one of three candidates tonight. The finalists are two seniors Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and Notre Dame²³ linebacker Manti Te'o and a freshman²⁴ Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. NPR's Tom Bowman reports the winner could represent a Heisman first.

 

　　The Heisman Trophy has never gone to a freshman, nor to a true defensive²⁵ player. That changes tonight according to the near unanimous predictions that this is a two-player race between Manti Te'o, the leader of undefeated Notre Dame's dominant²⁶ defense²⁷ and the brash young freshman Johnny Manziel, nickname Johnny Football. ESPN ranked Manziel only the 78th best quarterback in his senior high school class but numerologists like his chances to win this 78th Heisman Trophy. College football experts point to different numbers to make the case that Manziel is the nation's best player, including his record 4,600 total yards gained, rushing and passing in the nation's toughest conference, the ACC. Tom Goldman, NPR News.

 

　　There is no sign the National Hockey League labor²⁸ dispute will be settled any time soon. Representatives of both the owners and the players had expressed optimism during negotiations²⁹ this week, but the talks have ended without an agreement or even a plan when they are going to meet again.

 

　　I'm Nora Raum, NPR News, in Washington.

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