This week we focus on the outcome of the Argentinian presidential election.
In other news, we outline some developments in the Isreal-Hamas conflict, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden meet for first in person meeting in more than a year, asylum groups warn of ‘catastrophic situation’ in northern France.
All this and much, much more in our latest issue. Have a read to start your week well informed!
Spotlight: Argentinian Presidential Runoff Election
As of yesterday, Javier Milei, a far-right anti-establishment presidential candidate and television personality, who during his campaign promised to “exterminate” inflation (which is currently at 143%), has been elected president of Argentina. “El Loco” or “El Peluca” as he is also known – the reason behind this second name would be easily elucidated by looking up absolutely any picture of him – is a volatile character to say the least. For instance, in the run up to the elections many feared he would follow the lead of Donald Trump, or Jair Bolsonaro, in undermining the country’s election results had he not come up on top. Maybe in a ploy to save himself some time, over the past weeks he had already began issuing pre-emptive claims of election fraud. Similarly, his supporters had taken to the streets to protest what they believed to be the “left’s plans to steal the vote”. Of course, the election played to Milei’s advantage this time. One does wonder if the outcome has restored Milei’s trust in the electoral system.
Argentina, the third largest economy is South America, has been plagued by striking levels of inflation, has 40% of poverty and $22B in debt payments due next year. Milei’s win was not unexpected: he was the frontrunner in the election. Not only that, he won by an 11% margin compared to his rival, the centrist finance minister Sergio Massa. A member of the Peronist administration, which has held power for 16 years out of the past 20, Massa is widely blamed for dragging Argentina into its worst economic crisis of the recent past. Milei’s promised a radical break from the country’s years of financial misery. During his campaign he proposed radical measures such as eliminating the central bank and dollarizing the economy. Proposals that must be contextualised among some others such as: banning abortion, or loosening regulations on guns. Whether these are proposals that he will be able to carry out while in power is uncertain, but surely there is enough evidence to be concerned about the rhetoric that has by now come to be associated to his political persona.
Around the World
Gaza faces ‘immediate possibility’ of starvation as disease spreads, UN says. The UN has raised mounting concerns about the IDF’s plans to expand military operations to the southern part of Gaza. What’s more, the strip has been hit by water and sewage system shutdowns, which risk aggravating the humanitarian situation . The death toll from Israel’s operations on Gaza has hit 12 000 people, out of which almost half are children.
Israeli soldiers raid al-Shifa hospital in escalation of Gaza offensive. The Israeli army entered Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, suspecting secret Hamas activity on the premises and drawing condemnation from the WHO. Israel further furnished proof in the form of a video showing caches of combat material recovered from the building. Both Hamas and the hospital staff have denied any such activity as well as refuted the existence of any ammunition material within the hospital, calling it Israeli propaganda. Moreover, Gaza’s two main telecommunication companies have warned of a complete communication blackout owing to fuel shortages from the Israeli blockade.
Iran told US it did not want Israel-Hamas war to escalate. A Iran’s top diplomat has claimed that Iran informed the US it did not want the Israel-Hamas war to spread further, however, if Israeli attacks continued regional conflict could be unavoidable. Even though Iran are the biggest supporter of anti-Israel Islamists militants in the region, they have claimed to have received no prior warning of the Hamas offensive – a position confirmed by US officials. Yet, it still holds true that Iran has supported “resistance” groups against the Jewish state – the Lebanese Hizbollah and the Hamas. Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has toured the region surrounding Gaza having met with the leadership of surrounding countries as well as the Hamas chief and Hizbollah leader. While they claim these resistances should not be seen as Iranian proxy-forces, they are also clear on the fact that their feelings towards the conflict are clearly alligned.
Joe Biden hails progress after Xi Jinping talks but Taiwan still the sticking point. Following Tuesday’s meeting with the Chinese President, Biden lauded himself for reaching agreements with Beijing over limiting narcotics trafficking and restoring military lines of communications. However, Taiwan seemed to remain a sensitive topic, as the Chinese president declared that Chinese-Taiwanese unification would be “unstoppable”. On top of that, Xi made it clear during the meetings that he was unhappy about US sanctions in the tech sector.
Ukraine claims significant advance in counteroffensive against Russia. The establishment of fortified bridgeheads along the margins of the Dnipro river is the most significant development in the Ukranian front for the past few weeks. For the first time, Russian authorities have acknowledged the Ukranian forces presence in the area. It is a promising win for the Ukrainians in what has become an otherwise stalled counteroffensive.
Asylum groups warn of ‘catastrophic situation’ in northern France. A consortium of twelve organisations working with asylum seekers warned the French government on Friday about the deplorable conditions being faced by approximately 3500 people waiting for acceptable weather conditions to travel to the UK. In the past, the French government has provided basic shelter for such groups, but the state has been inadequate in this instance. Many fear dying in France due to dreadful conditions before even getting the chance to sail to the UK.
Seizing Darfur Region, Paramilitary Forces Are Accused of Atrocities. In Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) have seized control of Darfur, causing mass displacement and ethnic violence as the civil war rages 7 months after it started. The R.S.F.’s victories, marked by brutal atrocities, have deepened the humanitarian crisis. The conflict reflects power shifts within Sudan as the military loses ground. International efforts to broker a cease-fire have failed, and the human toll is staggering, with over 10,400 reported deaths and millions displaced. Aid organisations have stressed the urgent need for global attention and intervention, while accusations of foreign powers fueling the conflict persist.
International Court Orders Syria to Stop Torture of Political Opponents. The ruling is the first regarding the abuses of the war, which began over 20 years ago in 2011. The International Court of Justice in The Hague said Syria must “take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” The ruling focuses particularly on the torture cases that end with deaths, as President Bashar al-Assad’s men have used the country’s prison system to rid themselves of all political opposition. Human rights groups and investigators estimated around 14,000 people have been killed by torture in prisons ran by military intelligence and security forces – a behavior that has become a staple of the conflict. Syria sent no one to the ruling and has boycotted many meetings before this. While they appear to be on a push to return to global diplomacy, these ruling promises to hinder their plans.
EU agrees to ban exports of waste plastic to ‘poor’ countries. On Friday, the bloc adopted a tentative agreement, under which the 27 EU countries will no longer be able to export their plastic waste outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development club of wealthy countries. Additionally, waste exports to the 38 OECD countries “will be subject to stricter conditions, including an obligation to apply the prior written notification and consent procedure, and closer compliance monitoring,” according to the EU Parliament. Only a third of plastic waste in Europe is recycled, and half of the plastic collected for recycling is exported in countries outside the EU.
Italian News
Trafficanti di fentanyl e falsari, fermata la banda di Piacenza che «mediava» tra Cina e Usa. Un’indagine congiunta italo–americana ha stroncato in questa settimana un traffico internazionale di Fentanyl, che collegava, attraverso Piacenza, la Cina agli Stati Uniti. L’oppioide sintetico veniva prodotto in fabbriche cinesi, per poi essere acquistato e spedito in Italia insieme ad altre merci. Una volta giunto nel nostro paese il pacco era poi reindirizzato negli Stati Uniti, evitando così gli stringenti controlli che gli americani effettuano sulle spedizioni provenienti dalla Cina. Oltre a questa ricca attività il gruppo criminale piacentino si impegnava anche con la realizzazione di Franchi svizzeri falsi, trasformati poi in veri euro passando per i Bitcoin.
Atp Finals: la vittoria di Sinner, l’applauso di Djokovic, il pubblico in delirio. Jannik Sinner batte il n.1 al mondo negli Atp Finals di Torino. Non è questa la partita che gli permette di qualificarsi alle semifinali del torneo; tuttavia, la vittoria che ha conquistato è importantissima. Djokovic, l’Everest di questo sport, non che vincitore di 24 titoli Major e 6 Maser. “Ho avuto momenti di tensione, ma ho giocato bene i punti chiave” conclude Sinner nelle interviste dopo la vittoria.
Al nuovo rapporto sugli abusi nella Chiesa italiana mancano dei pezzi. Giovedì 16 novembre è stato pubblicato un report, stilato dall’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in collaborazione con la CEI, riguardante le violenze sessuali all’interno della Chiesa Cattolica italiana. Il documento ha identificato nel solo 2022 54 vittime di abusi, con 32 presunti abusatori. Le vittime sono per lo più ragazze (44 su 54) e vanno dalla tenera età fino anche oltre i 18 anni. Nonostante sia questo un lodevole impegno da parte della Chiesa, alcuni osservatori hanno sottolineato le problematicità dei metodi usati per preparare il rapporto.
La storia della scomparsa di Giulia Cecchettin. Giulia Cecchettin è stata ritrovata sabato 18 Novembre lungo la strada della val Caltea in un dirupo di cinquanta metri almeno. Accusato di omicidio l’ex fidanzato Filippo Turetta, con una possibile ipotesi di premeditazione. Il corpo della ragazza riporta numerose ferite da accoltellamento sia sul collo che sulla testa, le mani invece sono coperte dai classici tagli di chi cerca con tutte le forze di difendersi.
Bocconi news
Here are some events held in Bocconi to make sure not to miss out over the week!
Today’s Events:
• Starting Finance – Bocconi Students’ Club: Startup: tre visioni a confronto | November 20, 6:30 pm | AULA 41
• Res Ethica: Mangiare etico | November 20, 6:30 pm | AULA 12
Upcoming Events:
• B.Lab Bocconi + Culturit: Digital Dialogue – I nuovi orizzonti dell’informazione | November 21, 6:30 pm | AULA N02
• Bocconi Students Debate Club: Il dibattito in Italia: evoluzione e prospettive future | November 21, 7:00 pm | AULA 42
• Entrepreneurship Club + Bocconi Students Blockchain Association: Entrepreneurship in Web3 Space | November 21, 6:30 pm | AULA 12
• Bocconi Swiss Students Society: Private Equity and Alternative Investments – Industry Overview | November 22, 7:00 pm | AULA 34
• B.Cyber: Cyber Threat Intelligence: how to survive a new millennium of spies | November 22, 6:30 pm | AULA 32
• Bocconi Students Advocacy & Litigation: Privacy e sicurezza: un bilanciamento possibile? | November 22, 6:30 pm | AULA 301
• Smart Movie Student Club: Navigating the movie industry – Insights on distribution | November 22, 6:30 pm | ONLINE
• IUS@B: IP and Branding: a fashionable approach to legal protection | November 23, 6:30 pm | AULA 44
