International News Week of November 3

Eight Syrian Civilians Killed In U.S. Attack 

Eight Syrian citizens were killed by an American helicopter in an attack on a building in the nation’s al- Boukamal region, Bloomberg News reports. The attack was launched from the nearby Iraqi city of Qaim, which is considered a hotspot for insurgent fighters entering Iraq. Syrian officials have blamed the U.S. for the attack and hold Iraq responsible for allowing the U.S. to take off from Iraqi territory. 

Iranian-American Student Jailed In Tehran
An Iranian-American student in Iran researching her thesis on women’s rights has been arrested for an alleged traffic offence and detained in Tehran’s Evin prison, AFP reports. Esha Momeni is of both an Iranian and American nationality, however, Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and has in the past referred to matters concerning Iranian-Americans an “internal matter.” The U.S. has asked Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to investigate the case further.

 EU Preps Aid For Congo 
The European Union is prepared to send humanitarian aid and supplies to the Congolese people fleeing civil strife, but the EU is as yet undecided on sending military troops, The New York Times reports. A Foreign Office minister has said that the EU will send troops only as a last resort if the United Nations needs reinforcement. An offensive by Tutsi rebels and subsequent killings and looting by Congolese Army troops have driven tens of thousands of civilians from their homes in North Kivu Province.

 

Japan Feels Burn, Cuts Rates
The global financial crisis is being felt in Japan, as the Bank of Japan cut interest rates for the first time in seven years, the BBC reports. Along with the rare move by the central bank, Japan has also announced the second stimulus package of US$51 billion in a few months to boost a flagging economy.

 

U.K.’s Brown Asks Saudis For Bailout Money

Visiting the Middle East on a four-day tour, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has asked the oil rich states in the region, specifically Saudi Arabia, to contribute to the International Monetary Fund, which has so far distributed $30 billion in bailouts to countries around the world, CBC reports. The IMF has a $250 billion emergency fund to prop up severely ailing economies. The Prime Minister has already called on China and Russia to help double the emergency fund.