President Obama has shifted travel arrangements so he can be present at the final negotiating sessions of this month’s Copenhagen climate summit. The move, a result of international pressure, will have Obama making two trips to Scandinavia, one to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday in Oslo, then again Dec. 18 for the key Copenhagen discussions. — JCL

The Guardian:

Barack Obama has bowed to international appeals for America to demonstrate commitment to action on global warming, and said he will join other world leaders for the crunch negotiating sessions of the Copenhagen climate change summit.

The White House, in a statement from the press secretary, Robert Gibbs, last night said Obama would adjust his original travel schedule, under which he would have dropped in on the summit on 9 December, en route to receiving his Nobel peace prize in Oslo.

“The president believes that continued US leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on December 18th,” the statement said. “There are still outstanding issues that must be negotiated for an agreement to be reached, but this decision reflects the president’s commitment to doing all he can to pursue a positive outcome.”

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