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With the U.S. presidential election approaching, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris met with local Arab-American voters in Flint, Michigan, on the 4th, following a campaign rally, in an attempt to gain support from this community. Arab-American voters have expressed growing frustration over the U.S.'s delayed and insufficient intervention in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon conflicts.

Harris' team issued a statement noting that she listened directly to their concerns regarding the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. She expressed her own concerns about Gaza and discussed efforts to prevent a regional war. Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action, a U.S. Muslim advocacy organization that previously endorsed Harris and attended the meeting, said the conversation, originally scheduled to last 10 minutes, ended up lasting 20 minutes. He added that while Harris made no concrete promises, she told them, "She wants the war to end and will do everything she can to work toward that goal."

As Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip and has recently shifted its focus northward toward Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, where several Hezbollah leaders have been killed in airstrikes, the Middle East conflict appears to be escalating. Traditionally, Arab-Americans have tended to support the Democratic Party, but the Biden administration's handling of the Middle East crisis has weakened this community's support for the Democrats. Polls show that among likely Arab-American voters, Trump leads Harris by 46% to 42%. Michigan is home to nearly 400,000 Arab-Americans, the highest percentage of Arab citizens in the U.S. Since Biden narrowly won Michigan in 2020, the state is once again a critical battleground in this election.

Oscar Arias Sánchez, laureado del Premio Nobel de la Paz en 1987 y expresidente de Costa Rica

To effectively curb the spread of the mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox), the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the emergency diagnostic test from Abbott Laboratories on October 3. This marks the first time the WHO has authorized such a test, which will assist affected countries in strengthening their testing capabilities to combat the outbreak.

The WHO noted that this real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, called Alinity m MPXV, can detect mpox virus DNA from skin lesion swabs and is intended for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel. In August, the WHO urged major pharmaceutical companies to submit emergency use applications for mpox rapid tests and is currently evaluating three additional emergency diagnostic tests in hopes of expanding test production for low-income populations.

In August of this year, the WHO again declared mpox a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC), marking the second time in two years. The mpox virus outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has spread to neighboring Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda.

Currently, two strains of the mpox virus are circulating: the Clade I variant, which is endemic to parts of West and Central Africa, and the globally concerning, more transmissible Clade Ib variant. In addition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbors, confirmed cases of the Clade Ib virus have also been reported in Sweden, Thailand, and India.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, center, poses for a photo with four Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. From left, Jody Williams, Oscar Arias Sanchez, F.W. de Klerk, and Joseph Rotblat. Each of them rang the Bell of World Peace and Love.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, center, celebrates the 5th International Day of Conscience with former Prime Minister of Lesotho Pakalitha Mosisili, 3rd row, 3rd from left, former President of Ecuador Rosalía Arteaga Serrano, 3rd row, 2nd from right, and other leaders.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, left, presents the Compass Clock of Conscience to 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia.

2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman is posed to ring the Bell and make a wish for peace.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze presents the Key to the Heart to 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi.

Media reports indicate that many universities in the United States have historically implemented legacy admissions policies, which prioritize the children of alumni or donors. On September 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that prohibits private schools from continuing this practice, affecting institutions such as Stanford University and the University of Southern California. California thus becomes the second state, after Maryland, to enact such a regulation.

Reports note that Newsom stated: “Everyone should have a fair opportunity to access higher education based on their own abilities and efforts.” Starting September 1, 2025, private institutions in California will not be allowed to consider an applicant’s relationship to alumni or donors during the admissions process. While the state government will not impose financial penalties on violators, it will publish relevant information on the state’s Department of Justice website.

The report also highlights that as of 2022, the percentage of legacy admissions at USC was the highest in California, at 14.4% of incoming students, followed by Stanford at 13.8%. Maryland had previously passed a bill banning private universities from considering privilege as a criterion for student admissions. Similar bans have also been issued for public universities in Virginia, Illinois, and Colorado.

On the 1st, Iran launched over a hundred missiles at Israel, triggering air raid sirens across the country to warn citizens to take shelter. Iran claimed to have successfully intercepted a large number of missiles, resulting in only minor casualties. Iran warned Israel against retaliation, stating that such actions would provoke a more extensive and devastating counterattack. In response, Israel threatened to retaliate against Iranian nuclear facilities.

This attack was a response to the Israeli military's airstrike last week that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the airstrikes against Israel, marking the first use of hypersonic ballistic missiles, dubbed "Fattah." Between 150 to 200 missiles were launched. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and central Israel at 11 a.m. that morning, and the air defense system intercepted most of the missiles fired by Iran. However, some missiles still landed in central and southern Israel, and another wave of missile attacks occurred around 7:20 p.m., resulting in only a few light injuries. On that day, the airspace over Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan was temporarily closed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Iran would pay a price and indicated that Israel might target Iranian oil and gas facilities, as well as nuclear sites, in retaliation. The following day, Israel reinforced its regular infantry and armored units in southern Lebanon to maintain pressure on Hezbollah. While the U.S. supported Israel's counteractions, it did not endorse strikes on nuclear facilities. The UK, France, Germany, and the European Union also condemned Iran's airstrike, while Iran warned that any Israeli retaliation would face "more comprehensive destruction."