No images? Click here 9 October 2024Mideast crisis casts shadow over electionPresidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris paused their campaigns this week to attend remembrance services for the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel a year ago. The anniversary comes amidst an escalating crisis in the Middle East that threatens to overshadow the final month of the presidential campaign. Once a recipient of bipartisan support, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon have inflamed tensions over Israel in the Democratic Party between the party’s centrist and progressive wings. A recent poll by the Arab American Institute shows Democrats losing support among Arab-American voters over the Biden administration’s handling of the Gaza war. While Democrats have long enjoyed an advantage with this constituency, the poll shows Trump and Harris now almost evenly split among Arab Americans voters nationally at 42% to 41%. The fallout could be damaging for Harris in Michigan, a crucial swing state of nearly 10 million residents, including more than 300,000 Arab-Americans. President Biden won the state in 2020 by a slim margin of 154,188 votes. ‘Uncommitted,’ a group of anti-war, pro-Palestinian Democrats who mobilised some 100,000 Michigan Democratic voters to withhold their support for President Biden during the Democratic primaries, this week refused to endorse Harris but denounced Donald Trump and made clear that a second Trump administration would be worse. NEWS WRAPFlorida braces for second hurricane
“If you’re going to get out, get out now.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Hurricane Milton | 8 October 2024 EVENT Competition in cyberspace and the future of US security leadershipThe USSC is delighted to host Admiral (ret) Mike Rogers, the former Director of the US National Security Agency and former Commander of US Cyber Command in conversation with John Barron, co-host of ABC TV's Planet America for a panel discussion about some of the most pressing cyber and national security challenges of our time. From banking to managing critical infrastructure, we are increasingly living our lives in cyberspace and subject to the threat of attack from rogue cyber actors. The panel will discuss what cyber and national security policy will look like under a Harris or Trump administration; how US cyber, intelligence and technology policy has evolved; and what the implications of the major cyber incidents of the last two years — from the Russia–Ukraine conflict to the Volt Typhoon campaign — mean for the world and for Australian businesses. The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception. WHEN WHERE COST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Did you USSC?
BY THE NUMBERS Canberra's push to enhance connectivity in South AsiaAs competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, the Australian Government is actively pursuing projects that address connectivity and infrastructure gaps across the region. A key initiative in this effort is the South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity Framework (SARIC), which aims to boost regional connectivity through various transport and energy projects, along with short-term training and networking opportunities. One year before SARIC's announcement in 2019, World Bank research revealed that intra-regional trade accounted for only 5% of South Asia's global trade —significantly lower than Sub-Saharan Africa (22%) and East Asia (50%). Limited regional connectivity and fragmented markets stifle economic prosperity in South Asia, leaving the region increasingly vulnerable to the threats of geopolitical competition. With plans to extend SARIC for an additional five years, the framework remains a key component of Australia's Indo-Pacific strategy, playing an important role in strengthening its relationships and leadership in the region. Read more in ‘Australia's connectivity and infrastructure engagement: Progress update' by 2024 USSC Maitri Fellow Riya Sinha. Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend United States Studies Centre |