The LuLac Edition #3101, December 28th, 2015

TOP TEN WORLD STORIES

 (in countdown form) 

10. CLIMATE CHANGE

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) is held in Paris, attended by leaders from 147 nations. A global climate change pact is agreed upon at the COP 21 summit, committing all countries to reduce carbon emissions for the first time.

9. GREEK DEBT CRISIS

Greece becomes the first advanced economy to miss a payment to the International Monetary Fund in the 71-year history of the IMF. At the start of the year there was supposed to some movement after an election.
The voting brought Alexis Tsipras and his leftwing Syriza party to power, added further friction between Greece and the rest of the Euro zone. Mr Tsipras vowed to undo austerity — a promise he could not deliver on his own.
In the event, after winning a referendum in July against the terms offered by the Euro zone, he agreed to a new €86billion three-year Euro zone program on terms not so different from those he had persuaded the Greek people to reject. After a split in his party, Mr Tsipras then won another election in September. Yet the capital controls imposed in June remain in force and the economy has fallen back into recession.
Is there a good chance that economic recovery will take hold in 2016? Only time will tell, but this will be a story to watch in 2016.

8. NASA---- OUT OF THIS WORLD

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft performs a close flyby of Pluto, becoming the first spacecraft in history to visit the distant world. NASA announces that liquid water has been found on Mars.

7. CUBA

Cuba and the United States reestablished full diplomatic relations, ending a 54-year stretch of hostility between the nations. Cuba becomes the first country in the world to eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

6. THE FROSTY ISRAEL AND U.S. RELATIONSHIP

This year Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by House Speaker John Boehner to address Congress. Netanyahu said yes and gave a speech to Congress outlining his opposition to the Iran arms deal. Netanyahu and the President are cordial but not the very best of allies. This relationship started to deteriorate when Obama in 2009 first proposed that Israel return to pre 1967 War borders. From then it just went downhill.
By the way, one of the top international stories last year was when Israel was bombed and invaded by terrorists using tunnels in the Gaza. Israel killed whoever came through. Case closed.
The terror invasion through tunnels in Israel was NOT a major story in 2015.

5. ATTACKS ON FRANCE

The nation of France had 5 significant attacks this year that killed residents who were just going about their business. France is a perfect example of what true terror is, mindless, calculating and deadly. Here’s the run down.
January 2015 Île-de-France attacks, series of five attacks across the Île-de-France region, 7 January – 9 January
Charlie Hebdo shooting, shooting at satirical magazine, 7 January
Porte de Vincennes siege, attack on Kosher supermarket, 9 January
Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack, suspected Islamist beheading and bombings, 26 June
2015 Thalys train attack, 21 August
November 2015 Paris attacks, a series of violent attacks on 13 November.

4. CANADIAN ELECTION SURPRISE

The election in Canada had a few issues that certainly had an impact on the final outcome. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, one of the West’s longest tenured leaders, was in a fight for his political life.
He lost. Big. It was the longest campaign in Canadian political history. 11 weeks.
Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau won an overwhelming victory along with his party. Trudeau, the son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was a school teacher a scant five years ago. Now he is Canada’s new Prime Minister.
The totals are significant because at the start of this campaign Trudeau was an underdog. Even two weeks before there was talk that Canada would have a Minority government because there was fear of a three way split. But Trudeau’s Liberal Party garnered 170 seats to incumbent Stephen Harper’s 130. The New Democratic Party which made significant gains in 2012 only wound up with about 30 seats.
The reasons for Harper’s loss can be linked to voter fatigue with his party as well as a downgrade in the economy largely driven by a collapse in oil prices.
The Conservative Harper’s campaign was faced with many hot-button obstacles ripe for liberal exploitation, including a scandal over lawmakers’ expense accounts and controversies over his government’s recent decision not to take in more Syrian refugees. Plus there was a move for a ban on the right of women to wear the face-covering niqab while taking citizenship oaths.
The campaign was marked with four spirited debates as well as an ad featuring Justin Trudeau walking backwards on an escalator to illustrate the fact that Canada was going backwards.
Nanos Research, an Ottawa pollster conducted a survey before the election and a resounding 71% said it was time for a change in government.
The Liberal victory is all the more stunning since they came into this election with only 31 seats after having a very disastrous showing in 2011.
The Trudeau victory, much like his father’s initial election in 1968, might signal a second wave of Trudeau mania in the provinces. Plus Trudeau’s victory might prove to be a lesson to Democrats running in the states. Trudeau said that there would be deficit to fix things like the infrastructure of the country as well as take care of those on pensions. Our neighbors to the North have spoken and very loudly for a change to the left. The question is are they just catching up to the U.S. in picking a liberal government or are they paving the way for more change here concerning fixing things at home and taking care of those who still struggle.

3. THE MIDEAST

Once more the United States has been in this quagmire. With our ties to Israel and with the need for oil in the 70s our future was part of theirs. 2015 was still another year when our Foreign Policy was dominated by issues in this region as well as frustration. Makes people long for the old Cold War in some cases.

2. THE CHANGING CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pope Francis has undertaken a total overhaul of the Curia. Francis, through his travels, has become a rock star in the image of Pope John Paul II. But behind the scenes he is changing the way the church does business at its vital core. The Vatican is reeling with new procedures and guidelines that did not exist before. The new watch word is accountability. There are those in the Curia that are waiting for the next Pope. Good luck with that. Francis has named new Cardinals that are more in line with his philosophy of the church and his vision.

1. ISIS

ISIS the terrorist group dominated the news this year with violence, beheadings and ignorant vandalism of very important historical landmarks to the culture of their own people and religion. The worst part about ISIS is that they have inspired hate of the Muslim religion.
The President seems to think that if he doesn’t react to ISIS, that will frustrate them more. Many disagree. What I would do is try to form a coalition of rivals and destroy everything related to the group. Even their families. Sorry, the only thing that beats a bully is force. ISIS is the most formative and evil bully. In World War II we danced with many devils to defeat Hitler. We must do that to level ISIS.
ISIS brought its ugly head to the United States where young people were being recruited. The two terrorists who attacked the health care facility in San Bernardino California were also inspired and some say aided by ISIS sympathizers.
ISIS was the top story last year, the top story this year and from an international stand point will be the top story next year too. They must be stopped.

Sources: Wikipedia, NY Times, Time Magazine, LuLac Letter editions.