Monday Briefing | October 23 - Journal of Political Inquiry

Afghan security forces stand at the site of an attack at a Shiite mosque in Kabul | Photo courtesy Xinhua/Barcroft Images

Stories to Follow

Attacks on Afghan mosque: Two separate attacks on mosques in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of about 60 people so far. A gunman opened fire in a Shia mosque in Kabul and killed 39 and wounded 45 people. An attack on a Sunni mosque in Ghor resulted in the deaths of 20 people. The Islamic State has claimed the attack in Kabul, but the BBC reports no evidence to support that claim.

Federal judges block immigration ban: U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu issued a decision Tuesday blocking President Trump’s immigration ban for violation of immigration law. His decision was joined by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang’s of Maryland. Chuang wrote that the administration could not enforce the ban on any person with a “bona fide” connection to the U.S.

Mogadishu death toll continues to rise: Somali officials have reported 358 casualties as a result of last Saturday’s truck bomb in the capital. The bomb was detonated by an oil tanker which intensified the blast. The government has blamed al Shabab, the al Qaeda-allied terrorist group. 228 people are injured and 56 people are still reportedly missing. Somalia’s president is set to declare a “state of war” against the group.

This Week in JPI

Op-Ed | Unfazed by Critics, the Crown Prince Reigns
In response to Prince Mohammad’s recent achievements, Assel Aljaied discusses the Arab Prince’s potential for the future, and reasons behind criticism of his leadership today.

Happening this Week

NYU World Tour 2017 | October 23-27
Celebrate the plurality of NYU’s student body in a week-long series of events! NYU’s New York campus with host a global trivia night, a pop-up gallery, a bazaar and more! All events are free and open to all NYU students, staff, and faculty.

North Korea: Nukes, Missiles, and Human Insecurity | October 23, 5:00pm-8:30pm
Monday marks the annual observance of Disarmament Week. Appropriately, The Politics Society, International Relations Society, and NYU Freedom for North Korea are co-hosting a panel of speakers with The Roosevelt Institute to discuss how North Korea is leveraging crimes against humanity to fuel its nuclear arsenal program.

The New US Documents on Iran: A Lecture by Ervand Abrahamian | October 26, 5:00pm -7:00pm
Professor Abrahamian will be analyzing why 375 State Department FRUS documents were deemed too sensitive to publish earlier as well as explore what new they tell us about US-Iran relations and internal Iranian politics.

In Your Free Time

Catch Ronny Chieng, Senior Correspondent of The Daily Show, performing at our very own Kimmel Center this Friday, October 27th!

This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Rana Alotaibi.