More Than 5,000 Dead in Libya as Dam Collapses Worsen Flood Disaster

More than 5,000 people were killed in Libya after torrential rains caused two dams to burst near the coastal city of Derna, destroying much of the city and carrying entire neighborhoods into the sea, as the NYT reports.

KJU Rolls Into Russia

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un rolled through Russia on an armored train Tuesday toward a meeting with Vladimir Putin, a rare encounter between isolated leaders driven together by their need for support in escalating standoffs with the West, as Reuters reports.

Chinese Warships Gather in Sign of Major Naval Exercises

A Chinese aircraft carrier and around two dozen other Chinese warships were gathering in the western Pacific, according to authorities in Taiwan and Japan, an unusually large group suggesting Beijing may be planning major naval exercises, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Beyond the Battlefield: Global Implications of Russia's War in Ukraine breaks down how the February 2022 invasion and concomitant sanctions have been altering national and regional security in Russia, on the European continent, and the United States.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.

Listen here: "European Gas Storage Is Nearly Full. Now What?" with CSIS's Ben Cahill.

In That Number

10,000

The Libyan Red Crescent has reported that 10,000 people are missing amid devastating flooding caused by heavy rains this weekend, a disaster exacerbated by the collapse of two dams in the coastal city of Derna, eastern Libya.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“The post-1945 international economic order was built on the idea that interdependence among nations through increased trade and economic ties would foster peace and shared prosperity. Today this vision is under threat, as is the future of an open and predictable global economy.”

—Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO director-general

iDeas Lab

New satellite imagery analysis from CSIS expert Natasha Hall and biologist Husam Sobhi shows drastic depletion of freshwater resources in Iraq. Explore the interactive feature here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo by Primorsky Krai APS/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.) North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is welcomed by Russian Minister Alexander Kozlov after arriving at Vladivostok, Russia by armored train to attend a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 12, 2023.

This Town Tomorrow

At 8:00 a.m., the CSIS Japan Chair holds a discussion on coalition building and current dynamics in Japanese politics.

Later, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development unpacks how digital public infrastructure promotes innovation.

And, at 2:30 p.m., CSIS hosts Nomura Research Institute Chief Economist Richard Koo to discuss his new book, Pursued Economy: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenging New Realities for Advanced Economies.

Video

Yesterday, the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security held a conversation on the successive climate shocks that occurred this summer and impacts on global health and food and water security. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Mariana Campero speaks with Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Evan Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Chubb. They delve into the ways North America stands to benefit from current global tensions. They also discuss the notions of globalization and regionalization, and what Mexico needs to do enhance its global competitiveness, attract greater investments, and achieve its full potential. Larry and Evan also share their optimism for the region and discuss how the negative headlines we see about Mexico do not tell the full story about what is happening in the country.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Check out the CSIS podcast posted above, “Mexico Matters,” hosted by one of my favorite podcasters, Mariana Campero, former CEO of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI). “Mexico Matters” is always a fantastic listen as it puts an acute focus on key developments in Mexico and their impact on the U.S.

The episode released today is especially cool because Mariana leads an engaging conversation about North American competitiveness with Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Evan Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Chubb. You will learn a lot if you listen, including which album is Bruce Springsteen’s greatest—I’m with Mr. Greenberg’s assessment, as evidenced by this performance.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, Ava Rose, and Lauren Adler.