Global temperatures last February were above average, but not simply above average: they were distinctively above average. According to reports: “NOAA said Earth averaged 56.08 degrees Fahrenheit (13.38 degrees Celsius) in February, 2.18 degrees (1.21 degrees Celsius) above average, beating the old record for February set in 2015 by nearly six-tenths of a degree (one-third of a degree Celsius).” It is the biggest departure from normal since records started being kept in 1880 and it was warmer in every region of the earth except for Antarctica.
The US and the Philippines have announced agreement on the access of US military forces to five military bases in the Philippines. The agreement signals a major increase in the commitment of the two countries to each other, and, even though both sides deny the objective, it clearly is aimed at Chinese military activity in the South China Sea. The US had a major military presence in the Philippines until it was asked to leave in 1992 after nationalist sentiment in the Philippines turned against the US. The new commitment does not reach the same historical level of commitment, but it is substantial.
US President Obama is now in Cuba, ending years of a failed embargo policy against the island nation. The US cut off relations with Cuba after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro raised fears of a “communist takeover” in 1961. While the embargo placed incredible burdens on Cuban people, it is safe to say that the US lost more in terms of prestige and intelligence by adhering to such a failed policy for so long. Obama’s visit indicates how much the US has changed, not how much Cuba has changed.
World Politics News 
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