12/12/2015 BBC Weekend News

A final draft agreement on tackling global climate change has been

presented to delegates, after two weeks of talks

The proposed deal includes a target to limit global temperature rises

The French Foreign Minister said the pact could represent a 'historic

turning point' - but a deal isn't yet completely sealed.

Our Science Editor David Shukman is in Paris.

I join you at a really critical moment in a marathon process towards

what's meant to be the landing of an enormously important agreement. The

first the world has ever seen where every country around the globe is

taking part in some way in the effort to tackle climate change.

Delegates have gathered for what may be the last final session in this

process, we're still waiting to see the outcome of this. It's been a

long and difficult day, as I've been finding out.

Years of talks and haggling that's gone on for three nights running

have led delegates up to this crucial moment.

And the man chairing the conference, the French Foreign Minister,

TRANSLATION: In this room you are going to be deciding

But many of those cheering are the very people who have been

Then came the French President Francois Hollande.

He reminded everyone of what Paris has just been

through with the terror attacks a month ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, France asks you, France calls

on you to adopt the first universal agreement on climate.

The first such agreement in our history.

This is all about trying to slow the rise in global temperatures,

to set a tough target to limit warming has been agreed.

A harder question is who should help the poorest countries cope

There's a promise of $100 billion a year for them. We will need to see

much more money on the table for poor people, we will have to see

much better plans to help them. And we have to be prepared for more

disaster relief because that is what's coming our way with climate

change impacts. At the root of it all, the greenhouse gases blamed for

rising temperatures. A new system will review the pledges countries

have made to their emissions. The bargaining over this agreement has

been far more cooperative than in previous negotiations I've

witnessed. Inevitably not everyone is getting what they want out of it

but the key thing is whether it does mark a shift to a clearer, low

carbon world. Ultimately what matters is the signal this event

sends to investors and businesses. Will the big financial funds now

pull out of coal? It's the mainstay of power generation in major

economies but also the dirtiest fuel. Will the giant car-makers now

make a far bigger push to go electric? Will the drive for

renewable energy see a real leap in the scale? A lot depends on exactly

what is agreed here and whether it's then delivered.

What point are they at? Is there are still talking at the moment? Yes,

there's a last-minute flurry of puddles and a rumour that the

Americans have a problem with a single word, it's the kind of thing

that can hold things up because the UN operates by consensus, everybody

has to sign up for this. The French have to decide whether to put it to

a vote or open up the floor to statements from countries that may

have different objections. We're a critical stage and no one is quite

sure how it'll pan out. Do you feel it does have the potential to be

historic? Because he was using pretty strong words? The word

historic is used a great deal and, certainly, if the document is

agreed, as the French would like it to be, it would significantly change

the course of the global economy. If all the countries that have signed

up to it actually do what they promise. It's full of holes, critics

say the key motives have been stripped out to make it less

meaningful, but it's quite a powerful statement. From 195 global

governments, sending out a message, that they do want, in the coming

decades, to see a shift away from the dominance of fossil fuels. It

remains to be seen exactly how that gets agreed. We will wait and see.

The polls have closed in Saudi Arabia - where women have

been allowed to vote for the first time.

in another first - although restrictions were imposed

on campaigning because they weren't allowed to talk to male

More than 30 bodies have been discovered on the streets

of the capital of Burundi, Bujumbura.

The bodies were found a day after attacks on a number

of military sites in which 87 people died.

Unrest has blighted the east African country since an attempted coup

in May, and continued protests against the President.

It's one week since floods brought devastation to parts of north west

In Cumbria, river levels remain high, and more rain is forecast.

But communities are showing their resilience -

as Olivia Richwald reports, from Cockermouth.

Cumbria put on a brave face today despite the rain continuing to fall.

This time a week ago Cockermouth's Main Street was under several feet

of water. Up to 700 homes and businesses flooded. Among them,

mother and daughter Sheila and Claire raiment, who run adjacent

shops in town. They lost thousands of pounds of stock and face huge

repair bills. I feel devastated and heartbroken but at the same time

we're starting to feel more positive because everyone is pulling

together, telling us they are still going to support us and be there for

us when we reopen. We want to get back in, don't we, really? They

won't be back open until February, today, at least, a chance to do a

little business. This time last week, the's Christmas Festival could

easily have been cancelled but instead the organisers doubled in

size and invited flooded businesses from across the county and invited

them to set up stalls for free. This charity from Blackburn have been

volunteering all week, today they made house calls giving food to

flood victims. Further north, in Carlisle, boxer Amir Khan was also

helping out. I didn't think it was going to be as bad as it is, coming

here and seeing it physically myself. We have to definitely show

our support and tried putting our hand out to these people and see

what we can do for them. The army have lent strength and resources,

removing ruined possessions from Carlisle's worst hit areas. To date

was about Cumbria getting back to normal, but in reality, with shops

- The Euro 2016 draw has just that'll take many months. -

- The Euro 2016 draw has just taken place in Paris -

with England, Wales and Northern Ireland finding

who they'll face in the group stage of next year's tournament.

Let's cross to our correspondent Richard Conway.

bring us up-to-date with what's happening, Richard. It's a draw that

will whet the appetite of fans. It's England and Wales drawn together in

group B for the Euro 2016 tournament next summer, which means they play

each other on June 16. Chris Coleman, Wales manager, wasn't too

keen to draw in print, he said he'd rather avoid them, I'm sure England

will feel the same way given the form of Wales coming into these

championships. And Gareth Bale has been firing the goals, contributing

as well. Northern Ireland are playing in the European

Championships for the first time, they've been drawn in group D

alongside... Group C, I should say, alongside Germany, Ukraine and

Poland, a tough group for them playing against the world champions.

The other teams in England and Wales group will beat Russia and Slovakia,

Russia struggled under Fabio Capello but turned their form around, came

back in and qualified. The hosts, France, will open their campaign

against Romania on the 10th of June. The draw still ongoing, heading

towards the final stages, we'll get the reaction from Roy Hodgson, Chris

Coleman and Michael O'Neill, respective managers from the home

nations. We'll see what they have to say. England against Wales will be

grabbing all the headlines. Thanks for the update, Richard Conway in

Paris. There's more throughout the evening

on the BBC News Channel, I'll be back with the late news here

at 10pm.