Brown Defends Deficit Reduction Plan

Wall Street JournalLONDON — The U.K.’s deficit reduction plan is more “detailed” than those of most other countries, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday.Speaking at a press conference at the end of a European Council meeting in Brussels, Mr. Brown said he believes the markets understand that the U.K. must get the economy back to growth, as well as drive down its deficit over time.”I… Read more

State officials unveil Health Improvement Plan

ForbesOKLAHOMA CITY — Improving children’s health and reducing obesity and tobacco use are the focus of a plan released Thursday for improving the health outcomes of Oklahoma residents, who officials said have higher rates of disease and mortality than almost every other state.Oklahoma ranks 49th in the nation in the health outcomes of its citizens – ahead of only Mississippi – and 5,320 lives… Read more

EU vows climate aid to poor nations

Al Jazeera EnglishEuropean leaders have agreed to give $10.6bn to developing countries over the next three years in a bid to help them tackle climate change.The funding, agreed by all 27 member states at a meeting in Brussels on Friday, is also an attempt to encourage poorer nations to sign up to a deal at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, said the offer… Read more

Ed Miliband: climate change deniers are ‘profoundly irresponsible’

guardian.co.ukEd Miliband, the climate change secretary, today said critics who argue that climate change is not the result of human actions are “profoundly irresponsible”.As negotiating teams from 192 countries gather in Copenhagen for the climate change summit, Miliband admitted there was “further to go” on persuading climate change sceptics here and abroad. But he defended Gordon Brown’s… Read more