Monday Briefing | April 4

Stories to Follow

Panama Papers
It’s the new Wikileaks. But bigger. The result of a the joint effort of more than 300 journalists from 80 different countries working for over a year, the Panama Papers show how political leaders, criminals, and celebrities have been accumulating big sums of money in offshore havens. $2bn have been trailed to Putin’s inner circle in Russia. Snap elections are expected in Iceland, after the papers revealed the prime minister is among one of the leaders in this secretive network of fortunes. Follow global live reactions to the papers’ disclosure in The Guardian.

Head of Islamic Terror Group Arrested
Khalid al-Barnawi, one of three Nigerian global terrorists, was captured in the Nigerian city of Lokoja. Barnawi belonged to Ansaru, a splinter group of the much larger terror organization, Boko Haram. Boko Haram is known for it’s alignment to al-Qaeda and for its most common form of attack: the kidnapping of foreigners.

Ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Azerbaijan has announced a unilateral ceasefire in the conflict with Armenia. Tensions have been building for years over a territorial dispute regarding the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. This area is inhabited by Armenian forces, but surrounded and claimed by Azerbaijan. Tensions turned into action when when dozens of soldiers were killed on Sunday that neither side expected.

Happening This Week

Thank God for Jokes with Mike Birbiglia
Wednesday, April 6-13^th at 7:30 PM | Lynn Redgrave Theater
Stand up comedian Mike Birbiglia brings to New York City his latest Off-Broadway show, in collaboration with Seth Barrish. It tells the story of a main character, a comic faced with various challenges leading up to a life-changing moment, taking the audience along on a journey of seemingly unrelated side stories that slowly tie together as the narrative progresses.

White Elephant Burlesque
April 6 to May 25 | Rockbar, 185 Christopher Street, West Village.
The White Elephant Burlesque show at Rockbar in the West Village promises to celebrate reedom, sexuality, bawdy humor, geeks, salacious dancing, and art – all for a $5 ticket.

In Your Free Time

Need something to make your morning commute more interesting? Struggling with the challenges of being a student, working and balancing a social life? Millennial the Podcast is ear-candy for your soul, with quirky everyday talks about how to maneuver your 20s.

For all the Harry Potter enthusiasts out there, a newer novel on a boy making his way through a magical world is our pick for books to read this month. Lev Grossman’s The Magicians is a coming of age story with a modern spin. Give it a shot for your first summer read.