AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
In a show of unity, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon joined presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo for a joint rally in Dobong-gu, Seoul—their first appearance together since the campaign began. The two had fiercely competed in the party’s primary, where Kim ultimately secured the nomination.
Targeting swing districts in northern Seoul, Han called on voters to stop “incompetent” Lee Jae-myung and support Kim. Kim held Han’s hand high, declaring, “We will win together.”
Han, who had previously campaigned alone, appeared in Songpa on May 25 wearing a red jacket emblazoned with Kim’s name—signaling his full alignment ahead of the election.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
The Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation arrived in the capital, Phnom Penh, on Monday for the first time in his career, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the two nations’ law enforcement authorities.
Igor Krasnov’s visit, accompanied by Anatoly Borovik, the Russian Ambassador to Cambodia, is scheduled to include talks with his counterpart, Chea Leang, Cambodia’s Prosecutor General of the Supreme Court, and other leaders of the Ministry of Justice. The discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation under the existing legal framework of the extradition treaty between Cambodia and Russia.
According to an official from Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice, Krasnov is also expected to sign several documents aimed at further strengthening legal cooperation between the two countries.
While in Phnom Penh, Krasnov also laid wreaths at the Independence Monument and at the statue of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.
Krasnov’s visit follows the recent extradition of a former Cambodian national from Russia to Cambodia on May 24 to face criminal charges. He is currently in custody in Phnom Penh. The man has been charged with serious defamation and making threats related to an incident that occurred in November 2024.
According to the official, Cambodian authorities, in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), issued a Red Notice that led to the man’s arrest by INTERPOL Moscow on January 13, 2025, as he was preparing to board a train to Moscow.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
Temperatures in the mountainous forest areas of Pakistan have soared to 48 degrees Celsius, causing shrubs to catch fire.
The ongoing heatwave in the country has triggered forest fires at eight different locations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, raising serious environmental and safety concerns. Fires at some locations have been extinguished. In certain parts of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces, temperatures have reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the extreme weather conditions have persisted in recent days, with temperatures remaining significantly above normal in most parts of the country.
Bhanu Ranjan, THE AsiaN, Bangladesh
Bangladesh will hold national elections between December this year and June next year, and there is no opportunity to shift the schedule even by a single day, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor on Water Resources and Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
She made the remarks while speaking to reporters after the 24th National Conference of the Bangladesh Zoological Society at Dhaka University on May 23.
Adviser Rizwana Hasan emphasized that the interim government has not taken responsibility solely to conduct the national election; rather, it has three key responsibilities—reform, justice, and the election.
Regarding the election timeline, the adviser firmly stated that the polls must be held between December this year and June next year. “There is no room for extending the timeframe by even a single day. This timeline has been clearly set by the Chief Adviser,” she said.
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