Afternoon World Review

June 9, 2009 by Jonathan Movroydis | Filed Under Afternoon World Review | Leave a Comment 

Photo courtesy of The Chicago Tribune. Suicide bombers hit a hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar killing 11 and wounding 55 others.

On this Tuesday, January 9, 2009 the DOW is down 1.43, the NASDAQ is up 17.73, and the S&P is up 3.23

THE STATES:

The first Guantanmo Bay detainee was transferred to the United States. Ahmed Ghailani pled not guilty before a federal judge in New York for his role in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa.

Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, the heroic pilot who successfully landed in the Hudson River earlier this year after the US Airways jet he was flying was hit with bird strikes testified before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today. According to Sullenberger it was just a matter of second before he knew the river “long enough, wide enough and smooth enough.”

The NTSB highlighted the transcript of the emergency landing as apart of a 3 day hearing on aircraft emergency and escape issues.

Meanwhile in Virginia, Democratic voters are going to the polls in a hotly contested race between former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe, State Senator Creigh Deeds, and Brian Moran, a former member of the House of Delegates. Voter turnout is expected to be very low compared to past years.

On the culture war front, murdered abortion doctor George Tiller’s clinic was shut down in Wichita, Kansas.

MIDDLE EAST:

Saad Hariri, the son of the late billion dollar mogul and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is favored to become the nation’s next Prime Minister, the Associated Press reports. Hariri’s coalition the March 8 movement won parliamentary elections that proved to be a setback against Hezbollah.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Hariri, will pursue its own track in terms of Middle East rather than initiating peace talks with Israel.

And despite differences on Israel’s settlement expansion between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. envoy George Mitchell assured Israeli President Shimon Peres that the alliance between their two countries would remain secure.

AFPAK:

In Peshawar, Pakistan a city near the country’s border with Pakistan, suicide bombers hit the Peal Continental Hotel killing 11 and wounding 55. Police estimate that the bomb contained 1,000 lbs. of explosives, and is likely part of a terror campaign by the Taliban in retaliation to the Pakistan military’s strike on militants in tribal areas along the Afpak border.

ASIA:

The Russian Foreign Ministry is indicating that the North Korean government is preparing for new missile launches and South Korean officials believe that such missile would be able to reach the United States. Defense Secretary Robert Gates assured U.S. lawmakers today that the U.S. military can shoot down any missile launched from the Korean peninsula.

EUROPE:

Based on the strong showing of center-right parties in last weekends European elections, the former Portugese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Barroso is seeking a second five year term as President of the European Commission. The European Commission is the executive branch of the E.U. responsible for the union’s day-to-day operations.

LATIN AMERICA:

On Monday in Sonora, Mexico, a day care fire claimed the lives of 44. The day care center apparently has one working door, with families having to punch holes in the complex so that the children could escape. More than 30 children remain hostpitalized.

The government will launch an impartial inquiry into the matter. The co-owner of the center is reportedly a relative to the wife of President Felipe Calderon.

AFRICA:

Omar Bongo, the President of Gabon has died today, marking the end of an African country’s longest tenure of leadership. Bongo’s son, Ali Ben Bongo, is favored to succeed him.

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