The Evening: Lebanon’s New President, China’s Weakened Currency, Take it to the Limit, and More

Newsletter - January 9, 2025

Lebanon Chooses a President

Lebanon's fractured Parliament overcame more than two years of gridlock on Thursday to select a new president. Lawmakers elected Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, by an overwhelming majority in the second round of voting, with 99 votes in the 128-seat Parliament, after he failed to achieve the necessary tally in the initial round, as the NYT reports.

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Arrested

María Corina Machado, the driving force of Venezuela's opposition movement, was arrested by government security forces Thursday as she left a rally in Caracas, opposition leaders said, a day before President Nicolás Maduro plans to take office for a third term, as The Washington Post reports.

China's Central Bank Beefs Up Support as Yuan Nears 16-Month Low

China's currency has had a rough start to 2025. Since the beginning of December, the yuan has weakened 1.3% against the dollar and is nearing a 16-month low. A dollar now buys around 7.33 yuan. Many economists predict that the Chinese currency will end the year at around 7.5 per dollar, the weakest in nearly two decades, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

From production to procurement, explore the defense acquisition process with Mapping the U.S. DOD Acquisition Ecosystem. Join us at CSIS in-person or virtually on February 11 for a deep dive into the requirements process, funding stages, and how the government acquires and maintains capabilities. Registration closes January 31.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest Critical Questions by CSIS's Christopher Hernandez-Roy, "Trudeau Steps Down: Now What?"

In That Number

2

Lebanon's parliament voted Thursday to elect army commander Joseph Aoun as head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

I don't consider losing Syria something to be proud of. We were defeated, and defeated very badly, we took a very big blow and it's been very difficult.

- Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati, Iran's top-ranking general in Syria

iDeas Lab

Image

Last month, CSIS released satellite imagery showing China's expanding footprint in Antarctica with its fifth research station on the continent. Read the full analysis 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: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

U.S. Military Body Bearers carry the flag-draped casket bearing the remains of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter from the Washington National Cathedral following his state funeral on January 9, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Recommended Reading

"CDC Director Mandy Cohen on the Future of the CDC" with CSIS's Richard Burr and J. Stephen Morrison.

This Town Upcoming

On Monday, at 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Aerospace Security Project welcomes Secretary of the Air Force the Honorable Frank Kendall for a conversation on a vision of what the the Department of the Air Force should look like in 2050.

On Tuesday, at 2:00 p.m., the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center unpacks the recent export control updates and reflect on the Biden administration's AI and semiconductor export control strategy.

On Wednesday, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Africa Program hosts U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to discuss the state of U.S.-Africa relations.

Video

Yesterday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), joined CSIS to discuss the future of the CDC. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Image

On this week's episode, CSIS's Jane Nakano and Quill Robinson dive into the nuclear energy landscape with Jeremy Harrell, CEO of ClearPath and ClearPath Action, and Brad Plumer, climate reporter for The New York Times.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

This is for the courageous fire fighters and rescue teams battling the inferno in Los Angeles.

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