Economy & Resources

The Philippines flood control corruption controversy is continuing to unfold in real-time. On May 27, Senator Jinggoy Estrada was charged in a corruption case linked to the projects.   Anti-graft prosecutors accuse Estrada of benefiting from illegal budget insertions that allegedly diverted public funds meant for flood protection. According to investigators, the senator received more than 570 million pesos in illegal payments linked to flo...

On May 13, Indonesian authorities carried out one of the largest recent raids on illegal online gambling operations in West Jakarta. The operation took place in a commercial building near the Hayam Wuruk area, close to the city’s Chinatown district. Police arrested 321 foreign nationals in total.   The group included 228 citizens from Vietnam, 57 from China, 13 from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, five from Thailand, and a few individuals fro...

The war in the Middle East is now creating broad economic pressure across Asia. What began as an energy shock has expanded into job losses, weaker trade, and falling tourism across countries including Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.   The impact is visible in daily life. Workers are returning home, factories are slowing production, and travel demand is weakening. For many households, this means lower income...

Indonesia’s fast-growing economy is hiding a crisis affecting millions of workers. Strong GDP growth, rising foreign investment, and massive infrastructure projects have turned Indonesia into one of Southeast Asia’s biggest economic success stories. New airports, highways, ports, and rail networks are reshaping major cities and attracting global investors.   But behind the headlines, many Indonesians are struggling with low wag...

On May 12, 2026, disgraced financier and alleged 1MDB mastermind Jho Low reportedly submitted a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence” request to the White House, a move that could clear his US criminal liability tied to one of the world’s largest financial scandals. While the request would not affect the separate charges he still faces in Malaysia, it would raise serious questions about Washington’s commitment to financial...