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Topics for third debate announced

Posted at 2:27 PM, Oct 13, 2012
and last updated 2012-10-13 16:27:19-04

(CNN) — Topics for the third and final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney were announced by the moderator and debate commission on Saturday.

Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News has selected five topics, though the Commission on Presidential Debates said those topics could change depending on news developments.

Similar to the first debate between Obama and Romney, the debate will be broken into six 10-minute segments.

Two of those segments will focus on the first topic, “The Changing Middle East and the New Face of Terrorism,” the CPD statement said.

The other regional topics are “Our longest war – Afghanistan and Pakistan,” “Red Lines – Israel and Iran,” and “The Rise of China and Tomorrow’s World.”

“America’s role in the world” is the fifth topic. The CPD said the topics may be raised in any order.

This debate is designed to focus on foreign policy, and will be held October 22 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Candidates will have two minutes each to answer an initial question on each topic, and the moderator will facilitate a discussion for the remaining six minutes of each segment.

But before the candidates take to the stage in Florida, they will debate on Tuesday in Hempstead, New York, at a town hall-style debate including both domestic and foreign topics, moderated by CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley. The first presidential debate, held on October 3, was primarily focused on domestic issues.

By CNN Political Unit.
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