Monday Briefing | April 6
Photo: Chris Wright
Stories to Follow
Iran and the P5+1 countries (Germany, Russia, the U.S., France, and Britain) have signed an agreement that would begin lifting “nuclear-related” economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for limits on the country’s nuclear program. The deal has not yet been confirmed, but the Obama Administration is hopeful that it can be finalized by June. The P5+1 powers bill this as a strong step forward against nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, while Israel and a number of other Arab states contend that the deal rewards Iran for sacrificing very little.
Read more: Reuters, The New York Times, Bloomberg
Look Who’s Coming to Town! Former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just leased out a few stories of office space in Brooklyn Heights, an upscale neighborhood across the East River near NYU’s Brooklyn Polytechnic School of Engineering campus. Staff will set up shop at 1 Pierrepoint Plaza. Political analysts predict that an official announcement for a presidential run in 2016 (her second) will soon follow.
American dockworker unions have gotten one step closer to reaching a contractual agreement. Bitter negotiations have resulted in slowdowns for an industry that handles US$1 trillion of imports and exports per annum. The tentative agreement seeks to resolve the debate of arbitration system changes between unions and companies.
Read more: Al Jazeera, The Maritime Executive
Gunmen claiming to be affiliated with the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab attacked Garissa University College in Kenya, taking dozens of hostages and killing over 140 people. The death toll exceeds all of Al-Shabaab’s previous attacks within Kenya, and ranks alongside the 1998 embassy bombings carried out by al Qaeda as the worst terrorist attack in the country’s recent history.
Upcoming Events
A Conversation on the Situation in Burundi and the Forthcoming Elections
The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi will speak at SIPA on Monday night about the country’s impending presidential election, which may controversially return incumbent President Nkurunziza for another term in office.
Tonight 6-8pm | Columbia University, International Affairs Building, Room 802 | Event Link
Lecture – In Print: Steve A. Yetiv, Myths of the Oil Boom
Come hear the Louis I. Jaffe Professor of International Relations at Old Dominion University discuss his book on American energy futures and global market trends with a panel of experts and journalists Tuesday night at the Woolworth Building.
Tuesday, April 7 6:30-8pm | Woolworth Building, 15 Barclay St. | Event Link
Senator Elizabeth Warren Speaks at Strand
Come hear the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts speak at the landmark bookstore Thursday afternoon! The financial reform advocate will be debuting a new edition of her autobiography, A Fighting Chance.
Thursday, April 9 2-3pm | Strand Bookstore 828 Broadway | Event Link
In Your Spare Time
Want to get wrapped up in some good political talk? Check out: New Yorker: The Political Scene
Want to laugh and forget about politics for a while? Check out: Comedy Bang! Bang!
