SOUTH KOREA
The South Korean government will pay a subsidy of $490 per month to young people who voluntarily live as reclusives. "Hikikomori" (Japanese term) is a widespread phenomenon in East Asia. The Seoul initiative will cover the 9-24 age group.
TAIWAN-CHINA
Despite Beijing's threats, a majority of Taiwanese approve of the recent meeting in Los Angeles between President Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. According to a poll, 61% are in favour, while those against stop at 21.8%.
SYRIA
The Saudi authorities are hosting a regional summit in Jeddah today on the possible return of Syria to the Arab League. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are attending the meeting, along with Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Doha is the only participant opposed to the normalisation of relations with Damascus.
SRI LANKA
India, Japan and France announced a common platform among their country's creditors to tackle the problem of restructuring Colombo's public debt. The initiative aims to become a model for solving the debt problems of developing countries.
INDONESIA
The Widodo administration is considering imposing a tax on foreign tourists after repeated incidents in tourist resorts went viral, capturing public attention. Industry associations oppose the move, which they say would damage the industry.
RUSSIA
According to the Financial Times, more and more Russians are emigrating to Dubai, described by many as the 'emirate of Moscow'. The exodus concerns the richest, who can export their capital, buy property and set up their own business. New schools have already sprung up in the Emirates for those arriving from Russia, and 86,000 financial transactions by Russians were recorded in 2022.
TURKMENISTAN
Aleksandr Žadan, one of the 'grey eminences' of Turkmen politics, guarantor of relations with Moscow for the first president Saparmurat Nijazov, died in Ašgabat at the age of 86. A member of parliament in all sessions since 1991, he was an advocate of Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's succession to power in 2006.
