Fiesta politics: The role of food in Philippine independence
Records of Americans’ experiences in the Philippines during the first 16 years of American occupation (1900-1916) consistently emphasise the significance of food during that…
Dhaka footpaths, a money-spinner for extortionists
Ruling party leaders, cops, and hawkers’ associations get cuts from the vendors.
Cha-Ching!: How Pakistan can expand the tax net to include wholesale and retail traders
Wholesale and retail trade is one segment that barely pays any direct taxes and often creates the most noise whenever there is any effort to extract even a minimal amount of tax.
Unlike the yakuza, Japan’s latest crime menace is anonymous and faceless
"Yamibaito," or shady part-time work in Japanese, promises a lofty payout for minimal work. Such work, however, is often illegal and runs the gamut from murder to armed robbery,…
Kathmandu street vendors lament lack of options two years since ban
City is cleaner and better, but its benefits are not reaching the economically disadvantaged residents relying on street vending for livelihood, they say.
Skills mismatch, tech disconnect: Why 10 million Gen-Z Indonesians sit around
A lack of opportunities for Generation Z Indonesians, or those born in the late 90s and first decade of this century, may result in income loss and higher crime rates, experts…
Marriage race: Koreans get cautious, calculative in search of ‘the one’
Rather than finding a compatible partner, South Koreans often seek those who rank highest in economic and social aspects, like by graduating from a prestigious university or…
Bangladesh Budget 2024-2025: Budget shows fault lines, not a path out of the crisis
Bangladesh looks to fiscal consolidation by reducing the budget gap to 4.6 percent of GDP, the narrowest in a decade. The administration vowed to continue belt-tightening, a term…
Thailand’s LGBTQ+ image belies lack of employment equality
Thailand is not the gay dream come true as some believe it is, despite being dubbed as a most LGBTQ+ friendly destination.
Should ride-hailing platforms do more to verify their drivers?
The city’s inadequate taxi service is why the government has turned a blind eye to illegal Uber services, suggested Simon Lee Siu-po, an honorary fellow at the Asia-Pacific…