E.U. to Pay Billions to Poorer Nations

European Union leaders took the reins of the global-warming issue in Brussels on Friday by agreeing to pay poor countries $10.5 billion over the span of three years to help them reduce emissions. The push came after a six-page informal outline of a new climate agreement was issued by the United Nations, calling for wealthy nations to make sharp reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions in the next decade, and for national elimination of emissions by 2050. Boosters hope the aid will encourage an international climate agreement at a conference next week in Copenhagen.