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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of November 23-29, 2015.
What are the presidential candidates saying about foreign policy? Find out in our guide: https://t.co/KFDZgcDL8T pic.twitter.com/eZ33N0uuWA
— CFR (@CFR_org) November 26, 2015
France appeals directly for Britain to join Syrian war against Isis https://t.co/RDFZ8AXeHj
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 26, 2015
Donald Trump’s campaign takes a dark turn https://t.co/wpUqPUmllg pic.twitter.com/QJHcoC1aCg
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) November 26, 2015
At this year’s Florida Blue Key, National Points Race leader Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) routed the competition, decisively winning both extemp categories. Graham cruised to an easy victory in International Extemp, picket fencing the final round and defeating Jacob Levenson of Nova Senior High School (FL) by eight ranks. In United States Extemp, Graham took four of the five available first place ranks in the final round and defeated Jacob Thompson of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA) by six ranks. This was the second consecutive year that Graham won the U.S. Extemp portion of the tournament.
Last month, the Bronx High School of Science in New York City hosted their annual New York City Invitational Tournament and Trinity Preparatory School (FL) continued their impressive showing on the national circuit, taking the top two places. Nathaniel Saffran won his first national circuit title over the season by five ranks over Justin Graham, who won the Wake Forest National Earlybird in September. Christopher Mayer of Montville Township High School (NJ) finished in third place, eight ranks behind Saffran.
Starting next Monday, more than one hundred heads of state, climate activists, international officials, and scientists will convene in Paris for negotiations on a new global climate accord that can replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The conference, also referred to as COP21, will aim to install oversight of carbon emission reductions by the developed (and possibly developing world) and create a framework to aid developing nations in climate mitigation efforts. Those following environmental policy are hopeful that this conference, which has been promoted for two years, will not collapse like the Copenhagen talks did in 2009. However, limitations facing U.S. President Barack Obama, who once dreamed of a farther reaching and legally binding climate accord, may constrain the talks since the Republican Party is likely to reject any agreement that obligates the United States to reduce its carbon emissions. According to climate activists, the failure of the Paris talks would set the world on a dangerous path since the world is set to have its hottest year on record this year. According to these activists the time to act on climate change has finally arrived.
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Since 1962, Myanmar has been dominated by a military junta. This junta isolated Myanmar from the rest of the world and abused the rights of its citizens, notably those of ethnic and religious minorities. In 1990, the junta flirted with holding national elections, but after the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won it the junta annulled the result and went about governing as if there was no election at all. In 2011, Myanmar’s generals finally began the process of modernizing their country, making strides toward opening the nation’s economy to foreign investment, trying to reach a ceasefire with ethnic militias, and transitioning to a quasi-democratic system that allows Myanmar’s citizens to elect 75% of the national legislature, which in turn elects the nation’s president. Last week’s elections were the first in more than five decades and once again, the NLD achieved a significant victory behind its Nobel Prize-winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Unlike 1990, the military and its political allies publicly announced that it would respect the result, thereby paving the way for Myanmar to return to civilian rule. However, winning an election and governing a country are separate tasks, and there are concerns that Suu Kyi may find it difficult to maintain her popularity and keep her diverse coalition of supporters together.
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