ASIA TODAY Lebanese banks to remain closed ‘indefinitely’

Today’s news: Phnom Penh raises minimum wage to €203 a month, but for unions it’s not enough; Students at a Wuhan business school protest against power cuts and lockdowns due to Covid; more than 55% of “Islamophobic” content online comes from India; Seoul plans to return to pre-pandemic normality by next spring; After the military mobilization announced by Putin, a race begins to get tickets and flee the country.

LEBANON

Lebanese banks were supposed to reopen today but will remain closed “for a while” undefined“, as announced by the Lebanese banking association. The decision to maintain the closure would be motivated by the “risks” faced by employees and staff. In recent days, there have been at least seven assaults on banking entities, in which checking account holders kidnapped staff to access their frozen accounts.

CAMBODIA

The Cambodian government ordered an increase in minimum salary, which from next year will be about 203 euros per month. However, both trade unionists and labor experts criticize the new basic salary, which will barely increase by 6 euros, which is insufficient to cover the cost of living impacted by inflation. During the negotiations, the workers’ representatives demanded a minimum wage of between 206 and 216 euros per month.

CHINA

For several days there have been protests by hundreds of students from a business School of Wuhan, the city famous for being the first epicenter of the pandemic. The demonstrators are protesting against the cuts in the electricity supply and the harsh closure (combined with massive tests) imposed by the authorities on the campus, as part of the “zero Covid” policy promoted by Beijing.

INDIA

More than 55% of online content of character “Islamophobic” They come from India. This is revealed by a study by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), in Australia, which analyzed the messages published during the two-year period August 2019-2021. If Twitter is taken into account, there are more than 871,000 publications that they show prejudice and discrimination towards Islam.In second place is the United States, with just under 290,000.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is expected to return to pre-pandemic normalcy in the spring of next year. By then, all restrictive measures must have been lifted, including the obligation to wear a mask indoors. The announcement comes from the leader of the task-force for the fight against Covid, based in Seoul. The virus will not disappear, but the country will be able to deal with it in the best possible way, even if infections occur continuously.

RUSSIA

After Putin’s announcement about the mobilization for military service of citizens under 50 years of age, Russians rushed to buy all available tickets to flee abroad. People shelled out up to 10,000 euros to fly to Turkey, Armenia or Georgia. Tickets to Istanbul sold out in a matter of minutes. Protest demonstrations are taking place throughout the country, and several have been arrested.

ARMENIA- AZERBAIJAN

Yerevan celebrated Independence Day, remembering the referendum of September 21, 1991, in which the vast majority of the population voted to leave the Soviet Union (USSR) and form an autonomous state. The celebrations took place in a somber atmosphere due to mourning for those killed and wounded in the recent clashes with Azerbaijan.