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Argentina

Subway Strike Brings Buenos Aires To A Standstill

LA NACION (Argentina) CLARIN (Argentina)

Worldcrunch

BUENOS AIRES - The Argentine capital was at a virtual standstill for a fourth straight day Tuesday as a major subway strike began to take its toll on both people and businesses, La Nacion reports. The strike, which started Friday evening, is expected to continue for at least another day.

The striking subway workers are demanding a 28% pay raise and better working conditions, Clarín reports.

The strike is also bringing to light the difficulty the municipal and national governments have in working together. Federal administrators say the problem with subway workers falls to municipal authorities, while the mayor’s office insists that the strike should be the responsibility of the federal government, La Nacion reports. So far, neither one has contacted the striking workers or their representatives, and union leaders say the strike will continue until someone agrees to negotiate.

The national transport secretary, Alejandro Ramos, asked the mayor not to “take the people hostage,” and to take care of the subway system service. He said, ironically “The head of the city is not taking charge. What does he want, for me to do it? In that case, tomorrow I’ll just take over a whole city.”

Meanwhile, the city is moving slowly. The avenues are choked with cars, and long lines wait hours to get a bus or a taxi, Clarín reports.

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

Bibi Blinked: How The Ceasefire Deal Could Flip Israel's Whole Gaza War Logic

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed ahead a deal negotiated via Qatar, for a four-day truce and an exchange of 50 hostages for 150 Palestinian prisoners. Though the humanitarian and political pressure was mounting, Israel's all-out assault is suddenly halted, with unforeseen consequences for the future.

photo of someone holding a poster of a hostage

Families of Israeli hostages rally in Jerusalem

Nir Alon/ZUMA
Pierre Haski

Updated Nov. 22, 2023 at 8:55 p.m.

-Analysis-

PARIS — It's the first piece of good news in 46 days of war. In the early hours of Wednesday, Israel agreed to a deal that included a four-day ceasefire and the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas — 30 children and 20 women — in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, again women and children. The real question is what happens next.

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But first, this agreement, negotiated through the intermediary of Qatar, whose role is essential in this phase, must be implemented right away. This is a complex negotiation, because unlike the previous hostage-for-prisoner exchanges, it is taking place in the midst of a major war.

On the Palestinian side, although Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is present in Doha, he does not make the decision alone — he must have the agreement of the leaders of the military wing, who are hiding somewhere in Gaza. It takes 24 hours to send a message back and forth. As you can imagine, it's not as simple as a phone call.

And on the Israeli side, a consensus had to be built around the agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right allies were opposed to the deal — in line with their eradication logic — even at the cost of Israeli lives. But the opposition of these discredited parties was ignored, and that will leave its mark.

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