World View: Assad Regime Dropping 'Barrel Bombs' on Civilians

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

• Syria’s Assad regime turns to ‘barrel bombs’ for more thorough extermination
• Australia sending illegal migrants to Nauru and Manus islands
• China’s Xi Jinping disappears, spurring rumors of accident or assassination
• Iran’s rial currency crashes as sanctions hit oil revenues

Syria’s Assad regime turns to ‘barrel bombs’ for more thorough extermination

Dissatisfied with the rate at which he can massacre innocent women andchildren in their homes, the regime of Syria’s president Basharal-Assad is turning to a more cataclysmic weapon. A “barrel bomb” isan ordinary barrel packed with TNT, oil and chunks of steel. Assad’sregime is sending helicopters out to used these bombs to flattenentire residential civilian neighborhoods, spraying as much blood aspossible. Telegraph (London) and Irish Independent

Australia sending illegal migrants to Nauru and Manus islands

Over 100 illegal migrants from countries including Malaysia,Afghanistan and Pakistan arrive by boat or plane in Australia everyday. On August 13, Australia announced that new migrants would besent offshore to live in tents on Nauru and Manus islands, but thathasn’t deterred the flow. The two islands together only have acapacity of 2100, and so the Australian government will be selectiveabout whom they send there, hoping to deter others from coming toAustralia. National Times (Australia) and Herald Sun (Australia)

China’s Xi Jinping disappears, spurring rumors of accident or assassination

Xi Jinping is the man who is expected to be chosen the new presidentof China in April of next year, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)makes its decennial generational change. However, Xi has not beenseen in a week, and he’s canceled scheduled meetings, leading tointernet and media speculation that Xi is badly hurt, because ofeither a traffic accident or an assassination attempt. Xi haspromised to reform China’s economy and deal with “corruption andill-discipline in the party” as a top priority, creating a number ofenemies. China Post (Taiwan) and AP

Iran’s rial currency crashes as sanctions hit oil revenues

Iran’s rial currence slid to a record low against the dollar onMonday, about half its value a year ago, after a slump of 17% sinceThursday. At the end of last year Iran had $106 billion of officialforeign reserves, enough to cover an ample 13 months of imports ofgoods and services in normal times. However, the reserves may havestarted falling as the sanctions have cut oil exports. Iran’s monthlysales of crude oil, its major source of hard currency, may havedropped by nearly half in the course of this year. The crash in therial is pushing up domestic consumer prices for food and other goods,adding to inflation that is already at double-digit levels. Reuters

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