Monday Briefing | October 19

Stories to Follow

U.S. Navy Enters China Sea Dispute

The United States and Japan staged a show of naval strength in Tokyo Bay on Sunday, with 36 warships including the USS Ronald Reagan participating in a seagoing review by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense force. The review is held every three years, but it takes on new significance this year as Japan is embroiled in a dispute with China over the ownership of islands in the East China Sea. Also this week, the U.S. announced plans to send warships within the territorial limit around the new islands.

Immigration worries propel Swiss People’s Party victory

Immigration was one of the key concerns of Swiss voters in Sunday’s national parliamentary election, in which the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party was projected to win a majority. Switzerland has largely sidestepped the rush of asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa, but this week’s vote shows that many in Switzerland share the immigration fears of their EU neighbors.

Dutch report confirms MH17 was shot down by Russian-made missile

 Ukrainian rebels disputed the findings of a report on the downing last year of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which crashed over a war-torn area of Ukraine. The Dutch report says that the airliner was shot down by a Russian-made missile from inside an area on the eastern edge of Ukraine, which at the time was controlled by Russia-backed rebels. Russia claims that the Ukrainian military shot down the plane to make it look bad in the eyes of U.S. and European governments.

Upcoming Events

European Pub Trivia.<
Wednesday, October 21 at 6 pm.
Do you know the difference between Schengen and Dublin convention? Where the Manneken Pis is? Or what’s the difference between jamón and prosciutto? Come demonstrate your knowledge on European affairs and random facts!
Beer & wine will be served.
Ayten Gündoğdu: “Between the Human and the Person: A Critical Inquiry into the Subject of Rights”
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, , New School List Academic Center, 1103
6 East 16th Street
In her presentation, Barnard College Assistant Professor of Political Science Ayten Gündoğdu takes issue with contemporary assumptions about personhood and human rights frameworks by engaging with the works of Hannah Arendt and Roberto Esposito.

Book Talk: ‘Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging U.S.-China Rivalry’
Wednesday, October 21, 2015 12:15pm to 2:00pm, Columbia University Morningside Campus International Affairs Building, Room 1302.
Lyle J. Goldstein’s explicit focus in almost every chapter of this book is on laying bare both US and Chinese perceptions of where their interests clash and proposing new paths to ease bilateral tensions through compromise.

Fueling Our Future – Security And Energy: The New Middle East
Tuesday, October 20, 6.30–7.45 p.m. 15 Barclay Street, room 430.
While ISIS finances itself through black market oil sales, and Iran is poised to begin international oil exports, plummeting oil prices threaten Saudi social and political stability. How is the changing Mideast energy landscape affecting politics and security in the region? Join a panel of energy and security experts for a conversation about the implications of these changes for global energy production as well as other geopolitical concerns.

In Your Spare Time

Does your laptop spend a lot of time on bed pillows or couch cushions? If so, check out this new app that will alert you when it’s about to overheat.

This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by Thomas Brant