Welcome to Your week in Asia.
With Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi having dissolved the lower house, attention on the election in the East Asian nation steps up a gear. Campaigning officially begins Tuesday, but before that, party leaders will take part in a debate, giving the new Centrist Reform Alliance a chance to make its case to voters.
New Delhi is set to outline its fiscal priorities with its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Building resilience to U.S. tariffs and expanding infrastructure likely will be key themes, while the prospect of tax changes to bolster investor confidence will be in focus.
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MONDAY
Japanese political leaders debate
Leaders of Japan’s political parties will hold their first debate ahead of the Feb.8 lower house election. Takaichi is hoping that she can capitalize on her sky-high approval rating and regain a majority. The following day, official campaigning begins for the 465 seats up for grabs.
Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong
Hong Kong hosts the annual Asian Financial Forum, where business and government leaders from across the region and the Middle East gather to discuss the global economy, network and strike deals. Tariffs, artificial intelligence and geopolitical friction will provide plenty of fodder over the two days. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee is due to deliver opening remarks.
Global Citizenship of Indonesia program launch
The Global Citizenship of Indonesia program, granting permanent residency status to foreign nationals with strong blood ties, familial connections or ancient links to Indonesia, launches. The introduction of the program, which targets individuals such as former Indonesian citizens and their descendants, or spouses of Indonesians, is not meant to signal a shift away from the principle of not recognizing dual citizenship, however.
Data: Singapore manufacturing index
Earnings: Masan“`html
The “Operation Varsity Blues” scandal, revealed in March 2019, exposed a widespread scheme orchestrated by William “Rick” Singer to fraudulently gain admission for wealthy students into elite universities. The scheme involved bribing coaches and administrators, and cheating on standardized tests.
The Core Scheme: Bribery and Fraud
Operation Varsity Blues centered on a systematic pattern of bribery and fraud designed to secure college admissions for clients of The Key, a college counseling firm founded by William “Rick” Singer. Singer accepted payments ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to facilitate the fraudulent admissions.
The scheme operated thru two primary methods: bribing university athletic coaches to designate applicants as recruited athletes - regardless of their actual athletic ability – and cheating on standardized tests,such as the SAT and ACT,by hiring proctors to secretly alter scores.
Example: singer facilitated the admission of two of actress Lori Loughlin’s daughters to the University of Southern California (USC) by paying $500,000 to USC’s then-assistant coach, Laura Janke, to falsely designate them as crew recruits. Source: Department of Justice Press release
Key Players and Institutions Involved
Several universities were implicated in the scandal, including USC, Georgetown University, Yale University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Numerous parents, coaches, and administrators were charged with federal crimes.
- William “Rick” Singer: the central figure, founder of The Key, and orchestrator of the scheme. Source: Department of Justice Press Release
- Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli: Actors who paid $500,000 to secure their daughters’ admission to USC. Source: Department of Justice Press Release
- Felicity huffman: Actress who paid $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT score fraudulently boosted. Source: Department of Justice Press Release
- University of Southern California (USC): Received the largest amount of bribes and had the moast implicated individuals.Source: USC News
Legal Consequences and Outcomes (as of January 26, 2026)
As of January 26, 2026, the legal proceedings stemming from Operation Varsity Blues have largely concluded, with varying outcomes for those involved. Many parents and coaches have served prison sentences, paid significant fines, and faced reputational damage.
singer pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, and was sentenced to 36 months in prison in January 2023. Source: Department of Justice Press release
Lori Loughlin served two months in prison and paid a $150,000 fine. Mossimo Giannulli served five months in prison and paid a $250,000 fine. Source: Department of justice Press Release
Felicity Huffman served 14 days in prison and paid a $30,000 fine. Source: department of Justice Press
