With two days remaining until the Extemp TOC gets underway at Northwestern University, Extemp Central provides this long R&D with articles for extempers going to the tournament.  Check in late tomorrow evening for initial coverage of the Extemp TOC.  After registration, we should be able to provide numbers, names, etc. of those competing.

Rogue Thai general who aided ‘red shirts’ is shot in the head from the Los Angeles Times

Will David Cameron hit it off with Obama more than Brown did? from the Christian Science Monitor

BP’s Hayward Says Company Could Have Done More Disaster Preparation from the Wall Street Journal

Does Deep Sea Drilling Have a Future? from Der Spiegel

Afghans’ Distrust Threatens U.S. War Strategy from the New York Times

There are more articles after the jump.


Experts See Europe Crisis Delaying Fed Rate Boost from the Wall Street Journal

Sudan: Regional Perspectives on the Prospect of Southern Independence from the International Crisis Group

Leaked Russian document: Could Medvedev era tilt more pro-West? from the Christian Science Monitor

Specter’s Crowded Bed Loses Loving Feeling from Bloomberg

North Korea arms plane ‘bound for Hezbollah’ from the London Times

Tokyo Wary of China’s New Might from the Wall Street Journal

The Climate Change Bill:  Once more unto the breach from the Economist

The Last Opportunity for a Strong Currency from Der Spiegel

Gay marriage and abortion are ‘insidious challenge to society’ says Pope from the London Times

Signals of Foreign Policy Vigor in London from the Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. posts 19th straight monthly budget deficit from Reuters

Election offer in Thailand may end Red Shirt deadlock from the London Times

The Euro:  Emergency Repairs from the Economist

Protesters in Kyrgyzstan Try for Control of South from the New York Times

Galbraith: The danger posed by the deficit ‘is zero’ from the Washington Post

Summer Thaw in India-Pakistan Freeze? from the Council on Foreign Relations

Supreme Court confirmations, as Elena Kagan saw them from the Christian Science Monitor

Israel & Palestine:  An inevitably edgy start from the Economist

Nigeria ex-governor James Ibori arrested in Dubai from the BBC

How Badly Will the Democrats Do? from the Wall Street Journal

Turkey’s Pact With Russia Will Give It Nuclear Plant from the New York Times

Venezuelan natural gas platform sinks in Caribbean from the BBC

Merkel’s Chancellorship:  Now What?  from the Economist

Transgender, gay workers’ civil rights promoted in Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill from the Washington Post

Spain PM gets serious on debt… finally from the BBC