Monday Briefing | September 28
President Barack Obama of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of Russia prepare to shake hands for the cameras following statements to the press at the 39th G8 Summit at Lough Erne, County Fermanagh in Ireland on 17 June 2013.
Stories to Follow
Obama and Putin are set to meet today
After Pope Francis and China’s President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday. Putin is expected to deliver an address during the annual general debate at the UN General Assembly that starts today in New York. It will most likely be an awkward encounter: tensions between Russia and the United States are running high over Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine and Syria.
Facebook’s free Internet plan for refugees
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has launched a project in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, aiming to deliver free Internet access to refugee camps. Zuckerberg, who has previously committed to the goal of delivering affordable Internet access around the world through its Internet.org initiative, made the announcement during a lunch hosted by the United Nations Private Sector Forum.
Iraq to share ISIS intelligence with Russia, Syria and Iran
Iraq has pledged to share “security and intelligence” information with Russia, Syria and Iran in an effort to counteract the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In the mean time, France has launched its first airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria. According to the office of French President Francois Hollande, the strikes began on Sunday in coordination with the U.S.-led coalition.
Upcoming events
Conversation with the President of Estonia
September 28th at 5:30 pm | Auditorium at SUNY College of Optometry. Toomas Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, will join Mark Galeotti, director of the Initiative for the Study of Emerging Threats at the NYU-SPS Center for Global Affairs, for a conversation on the transatlantic challenges the world faces in a changing post-Cold War order.
Journalism or propaganda? Understanding the Russian media surge abroad
September 30th at 5:30 pm | Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Join the NYU’s Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia and Global and Joint Program Studies for a panel on English-language Russian media. The event will see speakers Anna Arutunyan, Kevin Rothrock, Konstantin von Eggert and Ekaterina Zabrovskaya debate the nature and effects of state sponsorship on Russian media.
In Your Spare Time
The Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film has just opened at The Jewish Museum in New York. This collection of film and photographic works, on until next February, will take you to the discovery of the daring aspects of Soviet art.
Yes, we know, the Pope has left, but the children in the New York Times video “Pope Francis’ Little Fan Club” are adorable and deserve the spotlight. Go watch it now.
Check out the work of Italian photographer Davide Monteleone. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, Monteleone has reported from Chechnya, Ukraine, Tunisia and Egypt (among others). His latest project is “One of…,” a series of stunning portraits celebrating Rome’s ethnic diversity.
This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by our Desk Editor, Ilaria Parogni.
