China says the agreement reached by the G8 countries to slow climate change is positive, but officials say the agreement was not specific enough in spelling out the responsibilities of individual countries. Although China is now one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, Beijing says the more developed countries bear the biggest responsibility for repairing damage to the climate.

Tehran has condemned a recent warning by the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized economies that Iran could face more sanctions over its controversial nuclear program.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called climate change the "defining issue of our era," and welcomed the agreement by the world's richest nations to address the threat as an "important first step."

Leaders of the G8 group of industrial nations have ended three days of meetings in the German Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm with a compromise on global warming and renewed pledges for Africa.

German police say they have arrested more than 250 protesters Thursday near a security fence outside the Baltic sea resort hosting world leaders at the Group of Eight summit.

Leaders of the Group of Eight major industrialized economies are meeting in the German resort town of Heiligendamm for a second and final day of talks. That discussion followed an announcement the G8 had approved budgeting an additional $60 billion in assistance to Africa to combat the spread of tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Tony Blair hopes that the Group of Eight would agree on a "substantial reduction" in long-term greenhouse gas emissions despite U.S.-European disagreement over binding cuts.

Amid a deepening chill in U.S.-Russian relations, the countries' presidents are to hold bilateral talks today on the sidelines of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Germany.

As police is concerned about keeping protesters from reaching the seaside resort where the meeting starts Wednesday, leader of Germany and the U.S. appeared optimistic about bridging the divide on climate change at this year's Group of Eight summit.

Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized economies are beginning a summit in Germany today amid tensions over the U.S. plan to deploy an antimissile system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Teenagers from industrial and developing countries are hoping to make the Group of Eight leaders hear their concerns about poverty, climate change, AIDS and other issues at this week's summit in Germany.

The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) most industrialized economies are gathering this week at a resort on Germany's Baltic coast for talks on climate change, development aid, and security.