Hard Numbers: RIP wages in Argentina, Japan's missile arsenal, Mogadishu attack, Singapore’s big LGBT move

August 21, 2022

Demonstrators carry flower crowns during a symbolic funeral for their wages in Buenos Aires.

REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

317: Argentine workers held Friday a mock funeral procession for the "death" of the living wage in the country, where sky-high inflation is wiping out purchasing power. The minimum wage of $317 a month now covers less than half the cost of a basic food basket for a family of four.

1,000: Japan is stockpiling more than 1,000 long-range missiles, and for the first time plans to deploy the arsenal on islands facing China and North Korea. Two weeks ago, China responded to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan by firing ballistic missiles around the island, five of which landed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

21: At least 20 people were killed Sunday in Mogadishu after security forces ended a standoff with al-Shabab militants who had stormed a hotel and taken hostages. It's the first attack in Somalia's capital by the group linked to al-Qaida since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took over in May.

377: In a surprise move Sunday, PM Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore will repeal section 377A of the criminal code, a colonial-era law banning same-sex relationships. The notoriously conservative island nation is the latest Asian government to decriminalize gay sex after India, Thailand, and Taiwan (where same-sex marriages are allowed since 2019).

From Your Site Articles

Ukraine anti-corruption moves won't hurt war effort - GZERO Media ›

How the circular economy empowers small businesses

Imagine an economy where products are designed to be reused, repaired, and regenerated instead of ending up as waste. That’s the circular economy, a model that redefines recycling and transforms how small businesses operate. In this episode of Local to Global: The power of small business, host JJ Ramberg sits down with Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, and Rachel McShane, Chief Financial Officer at Depop, to discuss the scale of the circular economy, why circular practices boost both sustainability and profitability, and where the industry is headed next.

Hard Numbers: RIP wages in Argentina, Japan's missile arsenal, Mogadishu attack, Singapore’s big LGBT move

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Hard Numbers: UK synagogue attacked, Cyberattack leaves Japan high and (super) dry, Argentine peso wobbles on bailout woes, Brazil’s coffee industry isn’t quite pooped

What We’re Watching: Trump signs security guarantee with Qatar, Papua New Guinea and Australia make defense deal, and Israel intercepts Gaza aid flotilla

Regime change in America’s backyard?

The Trump administration is moving closer to a direct confrontation with Venezuela, raising the possibility of what the president once vowed to avoid: another US-backed regime change.

Why is public trust low, and how to fix it

How the circular economy empowers small businesses

GZEROMEDIA

Democracy 2.0: Delivering on people’s needs

Are there more autocracies than democracies in the world today, and why does it matter? María del Carmen Sacasa (UNDP LAC) argues we’re in a paradigm shift, not a terminal crisis.

Will Trump’s peace plan end the Gaza war?

As debt grows, resilience is tested

Household debt rose to $18.39T in Q2. Payments are manageable now, but higher mortgage costs and student loan delinquency may soon strain household spending. Can consumers sustain resilience if the labor market continues to soften? Subscribe to Bank of Institute to read the full report.

Three numbers, one story: the US government shutdown

Here is a look at how many workers of the 2 million civilian federal workers are in jeopardy until the government reopens.

Drone wall plan tests Europe’s cohesion

After a spate of Russian drones appeared in European airspace, the European Commission is exploring a so-called “drone wall,” an air defense system that aims to detect and destroy drones that pass through Europe’s eastern borders.

Hard Numbers: RIP wages in Argentina, Japan's missile arsenal, Mogadishu attack, Singapore’s big LGBT move

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

The Trump administration is moving closer to a direct confrontation with Venezuela, raising the possibility of what the president once vowed to avoid: another US-backed regime change.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Are there more autocracies than democracies in the world today, and why does it matter? María del Carmen Sacasa (UNDP LAC) argues we’re in a paradigm shift, not a terminal crisis.

Household debt rose to $18.39T in Q2. Payments are manageable now, but higher mortgage costs and student loan delinquency may soon strain household spending. Can consumers sustain resilience if the labor market continues to soften? Subscribe to Bank of Institute to read the full report.

Here is a look at how many workers of the 2 million civilian federal workers are in jeopardy until the government reopens.

After a spate of Russian drones appeared in European airspace, the European Commission is exploring a so-called “drone wall,” an air defense system that aims to detect and destroy drones that pass through Europe’s eastern borders.