The Evening: Middle East, Afghanistan, Lively Up Yourself and More
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** Good Evening,
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It's Thursday, January 23rd.


** Middle East Peace Plan
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President Trump on Thursday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger in upcoming elections, Benny Gantz, to Washington next week for what is expected to be a discussion of Trump’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan, as the
Washington Post’s Ashley Parker, Anne Gearan, Ruth Eglash, and Steve Hendrix report ([link removed]) .


** U.S. and France Agree on Digital Tax
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The United States and France have formally declared a truce in their fight over digital taxation after the United States dropped its insistence that any international taxation agreement should be optional, making the prospects for a global deal in 2020 significantly brighter, as the
FT’s Chris Giles reports ([link removed]) .


** Europe to Avoid Triggering Iran Sanctions
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European powers won’t move to reimpose international sanctions on Iran and kill the 2015 nuclear deal as long as Tehran restrains expansion of its nuclear work, as the
WSJ’s Laurence Norman reports ([link removed]) .


** Afghanistan Is Ready for Major U.S. Troop Reduction
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Afghanistan is prepared for a major reduction in United States forces there, President Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday, as the
NYT’s Rebecca Blumenstein and Mujib Mashal report ([link removed]) .


** Climate Check
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CSIS energy and climate expert Sarah Ladislaw explains in a new commentary ([link removed]) that with the scale and pace of today’s changes, society may have all it needs from an economic, political, and technological standpoint to deal with climate change.


** Video Shorts
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Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel ([link removed]) !


** In That Number
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** 80%
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Carbon-emitting fuels account for 80 percent of global energy consumption.

Source: CSIS, “Hope for the Climate ([link removed]) ,” by Sarah Ladislaw


** Critical Quote
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** “Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to human societies, and our community of central banks and supervisors cannot consider itself immune to the risks ahead of us.”
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— François Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Banque de France


** iDeas Lab
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[link removed]
In the latest episode of High Resolution ([link removed]) , CSIS's Whitley Saumweber, director of the Stephenson Ocean Security Project, explores how China has made fishing fleets a critical component of its Belt and Road Initiative and the impact of this strategy on developing coastal states.

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


** Optics
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CSIS
(Photo credit: Don Arnold/Getty Images). Passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport from Wuhan today. The flight departed the Chinese city prior to officials temporarily closing down transport from the city to help stop the outbreak of a strain of coronavirus.


** Recommended Reading
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“Afghanistan: ‘Peace’ as the Vietnamization of a U.S. Withdrawal? ([link removed]) ” by CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman.


** This Town Tomorrow
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At 9:00 a.m. ([link removed]) , CSIS will host the annual Global Security Forum featuring a keynote address from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on emerging technologies governance.

Also, at 9:00 a.m. ([link removed]) , the Center for Global Development and the World Bank will host a half-day conference on the economics of the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting the opportunities and risks of transport corridors.

Later, at 10:00 a.m. ([link removed]) , The Brookings Institution will host former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and former Irish president Mary Robinson to discuss the climate crisis and its implications.


** Video
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CSIS today convened a diverse panel of experts to evaluate leading smart city models and discuss how their technologies, including in the areas of public safety and surveillance, are impacting the power of citizens, governments, and corporations. Watch the event ([link removed]) here ([link removed]) .


** Podcasts
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Die Welt
Stephanie Segal, senior fellow with the Simon Chair in Political Economy, forecasts the global economy in 2020 in the latest episode of "The Truth of the Matter."

Listen on Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) or Spotify ([link removed]) .


** Smiles
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Bob Marley died in 1981, a few years before I was old enough to attend concerts. If I could pick any Marley era to see him perform live it would be his June 1978 shows in Boston on the tour supporting his 10th album “Kaya.” Guitarist Junior Marvin had joined the Wailers in ’77, and his bluesy playing thickened the band’s sound—a feat that previously didn’t seem possible. Marley, in his prime, was in peak form. Of course, there was no one like him and never will be. Watch ([link removed]) .
I invite you to email me at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz ([link removed])

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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: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.

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