Important Events in the World Yesterday … Nero Fiddles
Here are a few of the major events that happened in our world yesterday.
Gunmen in police uniforms staged a brazen daylight raid on bus stations in central Baghdad on Monday, kidnapping at least 50 people, including travelers, merchants and vendors selling tea and sandwiches.
The operation was a direct challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s efforts to restore security in the capital, which has been hard hit by suicide attacks, roadside bombs and sectarian death squads.
At least 17 killings were reported across the country Monday, including a Shiite school guard and two Sunni brothers who were shot to death as they were driving to college in the capital. Iraqi police found the blindfolded and bound body of a man who had been shot in the head and chest and another body that had been shot in the head in separate locations in Baghdad.
The Dow dropped almost 200 points on inflation fears:
On Wall Street, Bernanke’s fresh inflation warning sent the Dow Jones industrials sliding 199.15 points to close at 11,048.72. It had dropped even more, 214 points, two weeks ago on May 17.
Islamic militants prevail against our allies in Somalia:
After months of fierce fighting, Islamic militias declared Monday that they had taken control of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, defeating the warlords widely believed to be backed by the United States and raising questions about whether the country would head down an extremist path.
Katrina residents still can’t come home:
Hundreds of displaced residents of public housing have for several days been returning here for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
Displaced residents in the tents are trying to force the city to reopen their storm-damaged apartments. They are armed with little more than cleaning supplies and frustration, in an effort to force the city to reopen their storm-damaged apartments.
The city, saying the projects are not ready, has refused.
As Chris posted yesterday morning, oil prices rose again: $73.23.
And oh, let’s don’t forget the President and Congress spent yesterday talking about inserting themselves into the private lives of citizens, by working to enshrine discrimination into the Constitution. That’s what our leaders were focused on yesterday.
…while Rome burns.
