Antarctic renegotiations

November 30: Treaty signers in 1959 didn't expect jostling for oil and mineral rights to become such a hotly contested issue. So when negotiators of 11 nations meet to observe the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, they will likely fight over offshore drilling rights as well as discuss the environmental health of the frozen continent.

New Big Fish in small pond

December 1: The new world's largest passenger vessel will sail out of her home port for the first time near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., en route to Haiti for an official maiden voyage set for Dec. 5. Royal Caribbean designed the behemoth Oasis of the Seas as a 16-deck, 220,000-ton vessel that can cruise with 5,400 passengers. The luxury liner will feature 2,700 staterooms on its first Caribbean cruise.

World AIDS Day

December 1: According to UN estimates, more than 33 million people globally have AIDS. Of that number, 7.5 percent are children. In 1991, some 10 million people had the deadly disease.

Copenhagen summit

December 7: World leaders will gather in Denmark to discuss policies aimed at curbing climate change. President Obama and other world leaders announced ahead of the gathering that a legally binding pact would not be signed during the summit.

Peace Prize ceremony

December 10: President Barack Obama will be able to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize during the awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The announcement of Obama as the winner of the 2009 prize in October raised eyebrows, especially in the United States, from those who criticized the pick for lacking merit. But panelists who settled on Obama described his pick as more of a preemptive award than a response to what the new U.S. president has actually done.