Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel intercepts missile fired at Tel Aviv as fighting escalates Israel's Netanyahu tells Lebanese "Nasrallah is leading you to the brink of the abyss" Iran's Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff Iran brokering talks to send advanced Russian missiles to Yemen's Houthis, sources say Jerusalem Post’s Mohamed Saad Khiralla: Iran's criminal exploitation of the Arabs: When will it stop? Zelensky addresses the Security Council, calling for attention to stay on Ukraine Israeli strikes target Hezbollah missile commanders as Lebanese flee homes NYT’s Bret Stephens: Hezbollah is everyone’s problem UK sends troops to Cyprus, anticipating mass Lebanon evacuation Global Taiwan Institute’s Joseph Bosco: Meetings with China, without deterrence, will not stop its aggression against Taiwan Suspected Trump gunman charged with attempted assassination TikTok blocks dozens of Kremlin-backed media accountsIn The News
Israel
Israel intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon at the commercial capital of Tel Aviv early Wednesday morning, as the fighting with Hezbollah continued to escalate. Alerts sent residents scrambling into shelters as the missile approached. Israel’s military said air defenses intercepted the missile. – Wall Street Journal
International efforts to isolate and punish Israel for its conduct in Gaza and intensifying clashes with Hezbollah are nowhere more evident than at the United Nations, where world leaders gather this week for a General Assembly expected to feature more calls to end the conflict. – Wall Street Journal
Israel achieved many short-term goals in a series of strikes on Hezbollah during the last week, according to five current and former senior Israeli officials. But they also expressed concern that there was no clear further strategy on bringing calm and returning tens of thousands of displaced people back to Israel’s north. – New York Times
Israeli strikes in Gaza have decreased over the past two days, Gazan officials said, as Israeli forces have stepped up their military operations in Lebanon. – Washington Post
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would continue to pound Hezbollah targets and called on Lebanese citizens to rid themselves from the grip of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. – Reuters
Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 22 Palestinians on Tuesday, medics said, as Israeli forces battled Hamas-led fighters in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. – Reuters
Israel is open to ideas for de-escalating the conflict in Lebanon, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said on Tuesday, a day after the United States said it was exploring some “concrete ideas” with allies and partners. – Reuters
As the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah grabs global attention, Palestinians in Gaza wonder: What will become of their plight after nearly a year of devastating war? They are petrified that international concern has been diverted, and that a dark possibility looms: abandonment. The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have the same worry. – Associated Press
World leaders lined up at the United Nations on Tuesday to call on Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to refrain from a full-scale war, with the UN chief warning the situation was on the “brink.” – Agence France-Presse
UN Secretary-General António Guterres drew ire from Israeli officials on Tuesday after he accused the Jewish state of “collective punishment” of the Palestinians in Gaza, and warned of similar destruction in Lebanon during his opening speech at the UN General Assembly. – Times of Israel
Despite the significant escalation in the fighting against Hezbollah and the extended firing into the center of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that he will be flying tonight to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. – Arutz Sheva
The Arab Balad Party on Tuesday condemned the IDF’s Operation Northern Arrows, which is meant to remove the threat of Hezbollah’s rocket attacks and terrorism from the northern border. – Arutz Sheva
Yaakov Avitan, the father of Sergeant Major Adi Avitan who was kidnapped and killed in Mount Dov in 2000, welcomed the elimination of Ibrahim Qubaisi, who planned the kidnapping of the soldiers. – Arutz Sheva
The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency session on Wednesday to address the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. – Ynet
Gil Troy writes: America – and American Jews especially – must stop condemning Israel and these mysterious anti-terrorist forces. It’s essential to cheer those on the front lines, literally and virtually, while helping them, however possible. Sometimes, the only path to true peace requires unleashing democracy’s full power against your enemies. You cannot defeat evil by riding the brakes. – Jerusalem Post
Cookie Schwaeber-Issan writes: Why is the UN protecting Hamas? Because they simply hate the Jews. But then, how can the UN hold itself up to the world as anything good or trustworthy? The UN is nothing more than a collection of individuals bereft of any morality, honesty, or clear vision. They have no business professing to be advocates for peace or truth since they have chosen to protect Hamas. If they cannot be candid and forthright about their motives and dealings, at least we can expose their duplicity in helping avowed terrorists continue their fight against all humanity. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was elected on a promise to revive his country’s weak economy by convincing the West to lift sanctions on its nuclear program. At his first big diplomatic test—the United Nations General Assembly this week—he is set to walk away empty-handed. – Wall Street Journal
Iran is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, while calling for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine through dialogue. – Reuters
Iran has brokered ongoing secret talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles to the militant group, three Western and regional sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s deepening ties to Moscow. – Reuters
Iran’s new president signaled to world leaders Tuesday that he wants to open a “constructive” chapter in his country’s international relations — but he made clear that everyone else, including the United States, needs to do their part. – Associated Press
Iran said Tuesday it believes the remaining workers trapped by an explosion at a coal mine in the country’s east have died, bringing the death toll in one of its worst industrial disasters to at least 49. – Associated Press
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country’s proxy Hezbollah “cannot stand alone” against Israel, as the terror group fired rockets at northern Israel towns and the IDF renewed airstrikes against targets in Lebanon. – Agence France-Presse
In an address to the 79th United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed to be the one playing peacemaker in the Middle East and, in a juxtaposition, accused Israel of supporting terrorism. – Fox News
Editorial: This is progress against Iran’s “ring of fire” around Israel. Hezbollah came to Hamas’s aid, but Hamas is now too weakened to return the favor. The wrecking of one proxy weakens the network. The wrecking of another would peel back the Iranian nuclear program’s layers of defense. These are the strategic stakes as Israel fights to return its citizens to their homes and remove the sword of Tehran overhead. – Wall Street Journal
Mohamed Saad Khiralla writes: The reality we see in the aforementioned countries confirms that the adrenaline-fueled rhetoric of hatred toward Israel, directed at the masses and broadcast around the clock in all forms of media since the terrorism of October 7, has caused people’s glands to swell and blinded their minds and eyes to what is as clear as the sun. Therefore, the Arab collective enjoyment of Iran’s criminal exploitation requires the urgent summoning of sociologists. – Jerusalem Post
Russia & Ukraine
The United States’ lingering refusal to relax restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western missiles for deeper strikes on Russian territory has exacerbated a growing divide between the allies — with Kyiv angry over yet another setback in slowing Russia’s assault across the country while its biggest backer considers the possibility of Moscow’s backlash. – Washington Post
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said Tuesday that he would urge the leaders of the United States, Britain and France to allow Ukrainian forces to use weapons supplied by those nations for strikes deep into Russian territory. – New York Times
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that “Russia can only be forced into peace” and urged that the Russia-Ukraine war not be overlooked as the world turned its attention to wars in Gaza, Sudan and Myanmar. – New York Times
Russia will deploy telecommunications and remote-sensing satellites over three West African countries led by military juntas that had already cut ties with American and European allies and turned toward the Kremlin for military support to contain Islamist insurgents. – New York Times
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to meet with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Roughly 60% of the foreign parts found in Russian weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine come via China, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk told reporters on Tuesday. – Reuters
Russia hit a high-rise apartment block and a bakery in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv with guided bombs on Tuesday, killing at least three people and injuring 34, with others feared trapped under rubble, authorities said. – Reuters
Ukrainian troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat as they drove Russian forces out of a huge processing plant in the town of Vovchansk in Ukraine’s northeast that had been occupied for four months, officials said Tuesday. – Associated Press
Income from crude oil shipments in Russia has dropped to its lowest level in eight months, it has been reported, potentially complicating spending plans Vladimir Putin is committed to in keeping his country on a war footing. – Newsweek
The U.S. will send Ukraine an undisclosed number of medium-range cluster bombs and an array of rockets, artillery and armored vehicles in a military aid package totaling about $375 million, U.S. officials said Tuesday. – Defence News
Eliot A. Cohen and Phillips O’Brien write: Once the war began, some of Ukraine’s most important international friends hesitated to supply advanced weapons, in part out of the mistaken belief that Ukraine would prove unable to use them or would be overrun before it could deploy them effectively. Today, such hesitation remains, with Ukraine still lacking the weapons systems it needs to defeat Russia in its relentless effort to destroy Ukraine as a state. Thorough consideration of why responsible and expert analysts made egregious misjudgments is the best way to avoid a similar outcome in this part of the world or elsewhere. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Hezbollah
Israel launched airstrikes targeting senior Hezbollah military leaders on Tuesday, as thousands of Lebanese fled their homes in the country’s south a day after a barrage of strikes killed hundreds in the country and heightened fears of an all-out war. – Wall Street Journal
Israel has been preparing for its next war against Hezbollah for nearly a decade, and a full-scale conflict has seemed increasingly inevitable with each passing month since Oct. 7. Now, with Hamas diminished in Gaza, Israel is putting its battle plan in motion. – Washington Post
Hezbollah’s media office said on Tuesday that Israel was dropping leaflets with a “very dangerous” barcode on them onto Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, warning that scanning the code by phone would “withdraw all information” from any device. – Reuters
Hezbollah’s flexible chain of command, together with its extensive tunnel network and a vast arsenal of missiles and weapons it has bolstered over the past year, is helping it weather unprecedented Israeli strikes, three sources familiar with the Lebanese militant group’s operations said. – Reuters
Bret Stephens writes: It’s tempting to view Israel’s various battles as regional affairs, distant from America’s central concerns. It’s also foolish. We are now in the opening stages of yet another contest between the free and unfree worlds. It’s a conflict that reaches from Norway’s border with Russia to the struggle of the Iranian people against their own government to the shoals of the South China Sea. It will probably last for decades. In that fight, Israel is on our side and Hezbollah is on the other. Whatever happens in the days and weeks ahead, we can’t pretend to be neutral between them. – New York Times
Nadav Eyal writes: Hezbollah may retreat from its aggressive stance on its own, and agree to separate the southern front from the northern one. However, at this moment, most Western intelligence sources believe the chances of this happening are limited. Israel’s successes could translate into a strategic turning point in its favor, but that depends not only on the IDF. – Ynet
Avi Issacharoff writes: However, a ground incursion would come at a heavy cost for Israel, both among its frontline forces and its civilian population, where Nasrallah will continue to fire rockets as long as he can. Such a war could entangle Israel in Lebanon for months without a clear solution. Still, it seems Israel has little choice—except for one possibility: Nasrallah, who has long claimed he fights for the Palestinians, might consider retreating beyond the Litani if Israel agrees to a cease-fire in the south, thus framing his withdrawal as a catalyst for peace or as preventing a catastrophe in Gaza. – Ynet
Turkey
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called for U.S. sanctions blocking some defence purchases by his country and for other “unilateral” measures that hinder the NATO allies’ ability to hit long-term bilateral trade targets to be lifted. – Reuters
Turkey slammed Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon as “efforts to drag the region into chaos” on Monday, calling for international measures against them and a halt to support for Israel. – Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler on Tuesday, urging that he be stopped. – Politico
Lebanon
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib voiced disappointment with U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks about the escalating crisis between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, but said he still hoped Washington could intervene to help. – Reuters
Britain on Tuesday mobilised hundreds of soldiers to Cyprus to help its nationals evacuate following a significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, urging people to leave immediately. – Reuters
The UN’s refugee agency says one of its staff members and one of her children were killed in an Israeli air strike in eastern Lebanon – one of well over a thousand such strikes over the past two days. –BBC
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is encouraging Americans to leave the country as soon as possible after last week’s wave of pager attacks killed dozens and wounded thousands, raising international concerns. – The Hill
Middle East & North Africa
The U.S. Navy disclosed Tuesday that one of its oil tankers in the Middle East suffered significant damage while at sea, complicating a fraught deterrence mission as hostilities between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah threaten to engulf the region in violence.- Washington Post
The United Arab Emirates announced Wednesday that four soldiers were killed and nine others injured in an accident. – Associated Press
Lawyers and families of jailed Tunisian opposition leaders called on the International Criminal Court on Tuesday to investigate a crackdown on political opposition and the abuse of Black African migrants in the North African country, which has been offered European Union financial support to help rein in migration. – Associated Press
Imran Khalid writes: Turkey and Egypt can facilitate dialogue and negotiations, potentially leading to a power-sharing agreement and a more stable political environment. Now these countries must adapt; their strategic interests hinge on cooperating rather than clashing. Working together could transform what once was rivalry into cautious partnership looking ahead. This reminds everyone how divisions based on ideology are drifting aside towards whatever brings shared stability along with mutual benefits. – The Hill
David Schenker and Assaf Orion write: Once the Gaza war is over, Washington should encourage both governments to revert to the treaty’s original security provisions for the Sinai. Egypt has defeated the Islamic State uprising, so it can no longer justify deploying such a large troop presence in the peninsula. Its considerable Sinai military construction should be addressed as well. Among other postwar conversations, Washington and the MFO should engage Israel and Egypt on their treaty violations and return to what has been, for nearly five decades, the cornerstone of peace and stability in the region. – Washington Institute
Korean Peninsula
South Korea has been forced to repeatedly shut down runways at the two main airports for the capital Seoul since June due to disruption from balloons carrying trash launched by North Korea, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing aviation data. – Reuters
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticised the presence of a U.S. nuclear submarine in the South Korean port of Busan, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Border police in China’s northeast have been given quotas to identify and expel undocumented migrants, one key aspect of broader surveillance that is making it harder for North Korean defectors to evade capture, according to previously undisclosed official documents and a dozen people familiar with the matter. – Reuters
China
China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. The ICBM carried a dummy warhead and fell into a designated area of the sea, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. – Associated Press
Writing to the Hong Kong court that convicted him of sedition, former Stand News editor Patrick Lam said he regretted missing a chance to tell a police officer about independent journalism. – Associated Press
Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan met with a group of visiting American students — underscoring Beijing’s efforts to repair relations with the US. – Bloomberg
China has started an investigation into the company which owns major U.S. fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for “boycotting Xinjiang cotton and other products.” – Newsweek
Joseph Bosco writes: China not only continued but escalated its naval and air incursions around and through Taiwan’s waters and Air Defense Identification Zone. It deployed a Chinese aircraft carrier, accompanied by two destroyers, through waters northeast of Taiwan, and for the first time entered Japan’s contiguous zone […]Nor has China stopped funding and arming Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week, “China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine. China is the one that enables production of many of the weapons that Russia uses….I call on China to stop supporting Russia’s illegal war.” – The Hill
South Asia
The Marxist lawmaker who won Sri Lanka’s presidency faces a key challenge in how to balance ties with his country’s two most crucial partners, India and China, as he seeks to draw foreign investment and pull the economy out of the doldrums. – Associated Press
Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament late Tuesday and called for a parliamentary election in less than two months in an effort to consolidate power after his weekend election victory. – Associated Press
Under elaborate security, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir began casting their votes Wednesday in the second phase of a staggered election for a local government. – Associated Press
Women working in hospitals in Pakistan say they regularly face sexual harassment, violence and verbal abuse, from male colleagues, patients and their families. Following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at work in an Indian hospital, more than a dozen female medics in Pakistan told the BBC they were worried about their own safety. – BBC
Asia
Pope Francis has called for the liberation of Myanmar’s detained former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and offered the Vatican as a safe haven, the pontiff said in a recent conversation with Jesuits in Asia. – Reuters
Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed. The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and will come into effect in 120 days. – Associated Press
New Caledonia marked the anniversary on Tuesday of France’s takeover of the Pacific archipelago with tight security and simmering tensions between the pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people and the white settler communities loyal to Paris. – Associated Press
Twelve military personnel have been injured when two Singaporean armored vehicles collided during a training exercise in Australia, officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
American and Filipino security officials have agreed to keep a U.S. mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines indefinitely to boost deterrence despite China’s expressions of alarm, two Philippine officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Europe
Governments across Europe are raising new barriers to immigrants, aiming to curb near-record inflows of people from poor countries that are triggering a surge in support for nationalist populist parties. – Wall Street Journal
He is abrasive, provocative and has one of the lowest approval ratings among top Austrian politicians, but far-right leader Herbert Kickl is still the man to beat in Sunday’s parliamentary election, which has at times resembled a referendum on him. – Reuters
WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange is set to make his first public appearance since being freed from a British jail when he gives evidence to the Council of Europe next month, his organisation said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Norway’s security police (PST) have begun a preliminary investigation into reports that a Norwegian-owned company was linked to the sale of pagers to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that exploded last week, a police lawyer told Reuters. – Reuters
A German police office that provides security for leading politicians says it plans to increase the number of bodyguards significantly over the coming years, citing growing dangers at home and abroad as the next national election nears. – Associated Press
Two powerful unions on the French Caribbean island of Martinique have joined protests against high living costs that recently have prompted France to send anti-riot police. – Associated Press
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Tuesday held Serbia accountable for trying to annex part of Kosovo following an incursion of Serb gunmen who killed a police officer in a shootout last year that raised tensions between the sides. – Associated Press
A small Norwegian fishing boat claimed to be the target of a warning shot fired by a Russian warship while in Norway’s exclusive economic zone earlier this month. – Newsweek
Niall Ferguson writes: You may insist, “But it was ironic! They were chanting Deutschland den deutschen over the Italian DJ Gigi D’Agostino’s track ‘L’amour Toujours’!” Still, I can see why the average American might be mildly freaked out by my arguing for German rearmament at a time like this. But, as I said, times change. Back in the ’80s, I didn’t expect to witness a Russian invasion of an independent Ukraine either. – The Free Press
Africa
Somalia accused Ethiopia of smuggling weapons on Tuesday amid fears that arms going into the conflict-riven Horn of Africa nation could end up in the hands of Islamist militants. – Reuters
Burkina Faso’s junta said it had uncovered an international plot to overthrow it and which included the massacre in August of hundreds of civilians by Islamist insurgents. – Reuters
President Joe Biden will make his long-awaited visit to Africa when he travels to Germany and Angola in mid-October, the White House announced Tuesday. – Associated Press
Local journalists in the Sahel region of Africa are facing increased security risks, a media freedom group said Tuesday, as extremist attacks and military coups have shaken the region in recent years. – Associated Press
A row between a prominent journalist and a king has captivated many in Ghana. It began when Afia Pokua criticised the Ashanti king’s handling of tensions with other ethnic groups, the deference that politicians show him, and expressed her frustration about the apparent supremacy of the Asante community. – BBC
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has suspended three top judges over alleged judicial misconduct, prompting accusations of political interference in the judiciary… They also took part in a controversial ruling allowing Lungu to stand in the 2021 elections, despite having twice served as Zambia’s president. – BBC
The recent wave of abductions, arrests and the brutal killing of an opposition official in Tanzania seems to be dimming the ray of political hope that came with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s rise to power in 2021. – BBC
The Americas
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advocated on Tuesday for a plan for talks between Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict, a proposal already rejected by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. – Reuters
A global Catholic conference that only happens once every four years went ahead this month in Quito, but under the shadow of an internal war on drug traffickers attendance was 25% lower than planned. – Bloomberg
Bolivia’s socialist President Luis Arce defied an ultimatum from his bitter rival as their supporters attacked each other with stones and fireworks, bringing turmoil to the streets of La Paz on Monday. – Bloomberg
The 79th annual gathering of world leaders will see Lula deliver his message from New York. While President Lula’s ambitions to tackle climate change are clear, the current environmental situation in Brazil, marked by labyrinthine progress, has left parts of the electorate lukewarm about the country’s vision for meaningful action. – Newsweek
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon thanked Argentine President Javier Milei for defending Israel in his speech before the General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, the two leaders embracing for a handshake following Milei’s speech. – Jerusalem Post
North America
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday called for a de-escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and said the killing of women and children in Lebanon was extraordinarily concerning. – Reuters
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday said it sanctioned two Mexican businesses — an ice cream chain and a local pharmacy — for allegedly using proceeds of fentanyl trafficking to finance their operations tied to the Sinaloa cartel. – Associated Press
An American quarry company said Tuesday the Mexican government carried out a de facto expropriation of its properties on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. – Associated Press
United States
A man arrested after allegedly lurking around Donald Trump’s Florida golf course with a loaded rifle was indicted Tuesday on a charge of trying to assassinate the former president, which could mean life imprisonment if he is convicted. – Wall Street Journal
Biden, in likely his final address to the United Nations, acknowledged his administration was nearing its end amid worsening international tensions and unresolved wars in the Middle East and Europe, but expressed optimism that “things can get better. – Wall Street Journal
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was briefed on Tuesday by U.S. intelligence officials on alleged threats from Iran to assassinate him, Trump’s campaign said. – Reuters
A Republican-led U.S. congressional committee recommended on Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena seeking information about the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. – Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden is determined to bring about a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas while also seeking to de-escalate tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday. – Reuters
The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to boost former President Trump’s level of Secret Service protection, putting it one step away from becoming law less than two weeks after he was the subject of a second assassination attempt. – The Hill
Seven in 10 likely voters are worried about politically motivated violence after the 2024 presidential election, a new poll found. – The Hill
Daniel Mattingly writes: The United States should also work to emphasize the advantages of democratic political systems, such as a free press. Washington should not lean exclusively on government organs for its messaging purposes; who wants to dine on state media when there are more exciting options on the menu? Instead, the United States could subsidize independent U.S. press operations abroad, including supporting U.S. newspapers’ foreign bureaus, cable news outlets, and Internet media operations. Foreign audiences are eager to consume American television, print, and Internet journalism that is free and honest—and that includes both critical and positive coverage of the United States. – Foreign Affairs
Wooyeal Paik writes: While there is a degree of predictability in how Trump might handle foreign policy concerning China, Russia, and North Korea, based on his statements and actions over the past eight years, Harris remains more of an enigma. The critical question is whether President Harris and her security team, encompassing military, economic, and technological domains, will adopt a comprehensive strategic mindset in managing the North Korean issue or not. – National Interest
Cybersecurity
China are the real hackers not Taiwan and accusations from Beijing of a Taiwanese hacking group are fake news, senior government officials said in Taipei on Tuesday. – Reuters
TikTok has banned dozens of accounts associated with state-owned Russian media, including RT and TV-Novosti, citing security concerns ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. – The Record
The Federal Insurance Office (FIO) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives from the insurance industry, consumer groups, state insurance regulators, academics, and other stakeholders to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) in the insurance sector. – US Treasury
Defense
Spurred by worries about China’s strength in mass-producing drones, American and Taiwanese companies and government officials are working to join forces in making the air and sea vehicles that could be crucial to defending Taiwan. – New York Times
The Army’s current method of rearming and refueling its helicopters worked well in past wars, but leaders fear it won’t keep pace with the faster-paced, move-or-be-killed wars of the future. And if the service is called upon to fight across vast Asian or European territories, the service’s so-called Forward Arming and Refueling Points, or FARP, will be decisive for such operations. – Defence News
The Air Force, long accustomed to buying its aircraft with everything included, is moving toward ordering the mission systems separately. An “element of our next-generation acquisition model is having direct relationships, where it makes sense and where we can, with our mission system providers, and not simply working through a prime on individual platforms,” said Andrew Hunter, the service’s acquisition chief. – Defence One
Four Russian military aircraft were tracked operating in the Alaska air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, according to a release by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) on the same day. – USNI News
America’s declaration that the United Arab Emirates is now officially its second-ever Major Defense Partner is expected draw the two friendly nations even closer on military matters and may offer a boost to the UAE’s beleaguered effort to join the international F-35 program, analysts told Breaking Defense.- Breaking Defense
American giant Boeing and Indian company Sagar Defence Engineering are teaming to codevelop and coproduce new unmanned surface vehicles, as Washington and New Delhi continue to seek strengthened defense industrial ties. – Breaking Defense