Monday, June 01, 2009

• After firing off several missiles in the last few weeks, North Korea is allegedly getting ready to launch a long-range missile that could easily hit Alaska or America’s west coast. The communist country has taken further potentially hostile measures by bolstering defenses and conducting amphibious assault exercises along its western shore.

• While preparing for his trip to traditionally Muslim nations later on in the week, President Obama made a few statements in advance. Citing how the United States should not force its values on anybody else, he still said that there are certain “universal” principles such as democracy and freedom of speech that everybody should accept. He went on to state that the U.S.’s only international purpose is to serve as a “good role model,” which is why he claims he wants to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

• Tuesday had a completely different meeting of religions than the president intended, as 23-year-old Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, a convert to Islam, citing “political and religious motives,” attacked two soldiers just out of basic training in Arkansas. According to the police report, Muhammad admitted to driving up to the recruiting center in Little Rock and shooting at the two soldiers. One of them died and the other was reportedly in stable condition on Monday.

• North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appointed his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, to take over his position upon his death. Washington welcomed the news, saying that now that the issue has been settled, the country would likely return to the six-party talks it had sworn off earlier this year.

• Bad news for the U.S., which was told on Tuesday that the highway construction fund is in desperate need of anywhere from $5 to $7 billion. And that’s just to keep current construction projects going. According to Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA - D), the fund will need an additional $8 to $10 billion in order to get through the better part of next year.

• Meanwhile, President Obama offered yet another white flag to Iran, by expressing his opinion that Iran has some right to its nuclear programs, just as long as they mean them for peaceful purposes. “Without going into specifics,” he said, “what I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations. On the other hand, the international community has a very real interest in preventing a nuclear arms race in the region.” The comments are mainly a repeat of a speech he made in Prague last month.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

• Britain got its own bout of bad news, as Hazel Blears became the fourth minister in twenty-four hours to turn in her resignation to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Like many other British politicians, she has come under serious scrutiny for her spending habits… paid for by the taxpayer pound. The timing was seen as a direct attempt to cast Mr. Brown in a further bad light, as calls for his resignation come in stronger and more swiftly.

• In a completely unrelated incident, the UK suffered another loss, this time as Al Qaeda beheaded Edwin Dyer, a British hostage kidnapped back in January.