Syrian Strikes, Chainsaw Politics, and Abandoned Megaprojects

Israel Widens Strikes

Israeli forces carried out airstrikes against multiple targets in Gaza, two airports in Syria, and a mosque allegedly used by militants in the West Bank over the weekend, stoking fears its two-week-old war with Hamas may spiral into a broader regional conflict. The strikes come as Israeli forces trade fire with Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border (see maps) and say arms are being delivered to the group via Syria. 

In related news, reports suggest Israeli officials found instructions for making cyanide-based chemical weapons on a Hamas fighter killed during the group's Oct. 7 attack on villages in southern Israel. The document was traced to a 2003 al-Qaida manual—it is unclear whether Hamas has the capability to carry out (or is imminently planning) such an attack. 

Separately, Israeli officials raised the number of confirmed hostages taken by Hamas to 212. The assessment follows the Qatar-mediated release of two Americans (see previous write-up), the first hostages to be released by Hamas. 

The death toll from the fighting continues to rise, including at least 1,400 Israelis and at least 4,600 Palestinians. See updates on the war here.

Armita Geravand

An Iranian teenager is reportedly brain-dead after an encounter with the country's morality police enforcing strict dress code requirements earlier this month. Rights groups say 16-year-old Armita Geravand has been in a coma since the Oct. 1 incident, when she was physically confronted by officers on the Tehran metro for failing to wear a hijab. 

The case comes roughly a year after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died under similar circumstances (see previous write-up). Amini was stopped while visiting Tehran last September for allegedly violating the hijab requirement and detained, later arriving at the hospital with a severe head injury. Her death sparked months of demonstrations across Iran, leading to the arrest of almost 22,000 people and the deaths of hundreds of protestors.

Iranian officials claim Geravand suffered her injuries after fainting due to low blood pressure (they previously said Amini suffered a heart attack). Footage released by state media shows Geravand being carried off a train but not the physical encounter.

Chainsaw Politics

The race to become Argentina's next president will head to a Nov. 19 runoff after no candidate secured a sufficient share of the vote in national elections yesterday. Economy Minister Sergio Massa took a surprise lead in the first round, taking over 36% of the vote as of this writing. He will face outsider candidate Javier Milei—a self-described anarcho-capitalist known for wielding a chainsaw at campaign rallies—in the runoff. 

Analysts say the race is one of the most pivotal in modern history for South America's third-largest country. With the country mired in an economic crisis, inflation is on track to top 200% by the end of the year, while roughly 40% of the country lives below the poverty line. 

The two candidates represent opposite poles of the political spectrum. Massa strongly supports a social safety net, while Milei has pledged to cut social spending and shutter at least half of the country's government agencies.

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