France
French president Francois Hollande dissolved all cabinet positions in the government on Monday amid political infighting in the Socialist party.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls offered his government’s resignation, and has been tasked by the president to form a new government, which will be announced on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The resignation came after Valls accused Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg of being overly critical and disloyal to the party after calling for “a major change in our economy policy,” ABC News reported.
France’s economy has been struggling in the wake of austerity measures, with unemployment around 10 percent and little economic growth this year. The austerity was part of a plan set forth by The European Union, and Montebourg has been highly critical of the measures, the Associated Press reported.
Iran
The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite military force, claimed it has shot down a “new-generation” Israeli drone as it flew through Iranian airspace.
The Guards said they shot down the drone with a missile as it approached a uranium enrichment facility 150 miles south of the capital city of Tehran, NBC News reported. In a statement on Sunday, the Guards said they had recovered large parts of the drone, describing it as an advanced aircraft.
Iran is currently negotiating with world leaders about its nuclear program. Israel has said it is willing to take military action if Iran continues a path toward creating atomic weapons, NBC News reported.
Syria
The U.S. military announced on Monday that it is preparing options for engaging the Islamic State in Syria, as fighting spills over the border into Iraq.
The U.S. launched airstrikes this month against Islamic State forces in Iraq, but Republicans have called for a more aggressive approach against them in both Iraq and Syria, citing a growing threat to the U.S. and her interests, Reuters reports.
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A spokesman for Gen. Martin Dempsey said Monday that “a coalition of capable regional and European partners” would be an important part of any U.S. military plans in the region. Military sources have said that a long-term solution to the problem will require more than just airstrikes, Reuters reported.
Brazil
Rioting prisoners have taken control of a prison in southern Brazil, killing four prisoners and taking two guards hostage.
The rioting started Sunday morning, as tension from extreme overcrowding boiled over. The leaders of the rebellion are demanding better living conditions in exchange for the lives of the two guards, Reuters reported. Rioters threw two prisoners off a roof and beheaded two others.
Police have been summoned in an attempt to retake the prison and protect the surrounding community. In the meantime, many prisoners who have been threatened by the leaders of the riot have been shipped to nearby prisons for their own protection, Reuters reported.
~ Compiled by Jonathan Baca
