ISLAMABAD: United States Vice President Kamala Harris has urged people to “understand the power of their vote” while speaking at a ceremony organized by Pakistani-Americans, reported Geo News on Saturday, as the US gears up for a close presidential contest in November.
The race to the office of the head of the state features incumbent President Joe Biden facing off against Donald Trump amid a highly polarized political climate.
The Biden administration’s popularity has waned, particularly due to its stance on Israel’s war on Gaza, leading to significant disenchantment within his own party base, with some supporters distancing themselves from his policies.
Adding to the administration’s challenges, Biden’s recent performance in a presidential debate against Trump was widely criticized, marking another setback in his campaign efforts.
“We are going to win. It’s not going to be easy but we are going to win,” Harris told the gathering of around 50 people co-hosted by Dr. Asif Mahmood and business tycoon Tanweer Ahmad in Bradbury, California.
“In this election, we will determine what kind of country we want and we will make a statement about who we are as a country,” she continued. “I hope everyone must understand the power of their vote and that their vote being an extension of their voice in weighing in what kind of country we want to live in.”
Harris highlighted Trump’s anti-immigrant policies at the occasion and steps taken by Biden to “uplift the middle class.”
She said Trump only cared about himself and sought personal gains.
“The fundamental thing is freedom and liberty,” she added. “We are talking about freedom from hate and bigotry in a world where these extremists are intentionally trying to divide our country by spewing hate.”
Pakistani-Americans have made significant contributions to their adopted country, excelling in various fields such as technology, medicine, academia and business, thereby enriching the American cultural and economic fabric.
Politically active across the spectrum, they are involved in various advocacy and community initiatives, supporting diverse causes and candidates that span the breadth of American political discourse, reflecting their varied perspectives and commitment to civic engagement.
Vice President Harris encourages voter awareness at Pakistani-American event as US election nears
https://arab.news/pt9hn
Vice President Harris encourages voter awareness at Pakistani-American event as US election nears
- Kamala Harris recognizes the contest will not be easy, though she expresses optimism that Biden will ultimately win
- She says the presidential election in November will determine what kind of a country the United States wants to be
Rating firm S&P says it won’t rush Iran war downgrades, sees risks for countries like Pakistan
- Agency says it is monitoring indebted energy importers as higher oil prices strain finances
- Gulf economies seen better placed to weather shock, though Bahrain flagged as vulnerable
LONDON: S&P Global said it would not make any knee-jerk sovereign rating cuts following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, but warned on Thursday that soaring oil and gas prices were putting a number of already cash-strapped countries at risk.
The firm’s top analysts said in a webinar that the conflict, which has involved US and Israeli strikes against Iran and Iranian strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states, was now moving from a low- to moderate-risk scenario.
Most Gulf countries had enough fiscal buffers, however, to weather the crisis for a while, with more lowly rated Bahrain the only clear exception.
Qatar’s banking sector could also struggle if there were significant deposit outflows in reaction to the conflict, although there was no evidence of such strains at the moment, they said.
“We don’t want to jump the gun and just say things are bad,” S&P’s head global sovereign analyst, Roberto Sifon-Arevalo, said.
The longer the crisis was prolonged, though, “the more difficult it is going to be,” he added.
Sifon-Arevalo said Asia was the second-most exposed region, due to many of its countries being significant Gulf oil and gas importers.
India, Thailand and Indonesia have relatively lower reserves of oil, while the region also had already heavily indebted countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka whose finances would be further hurt by rising energy prices.
“We are closely monitoring these (countries) to see how the credit stories evolve,” Sifon-Arevalo said.
