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
On June 15, the Lee Jae-myung administration appointed Ha Jung-woo, head of Naver Cloud’s AI Innovation Center, as the first-ever Senior Secretary for AI Future Strategy. Born in 1977, Ha is the youngest senior aide in the office and a civilian expert with experience at Samsung SDS and Naver. He led the development of Korea’s first large language model, HyperCLOVA, and has promoted the concept of “Sovereign AI.” Ha is expected to lead the implementation of key AI policies, including a ₩100 trillion investment plan, while pushing for national AI governance and cross-industry AI transformation.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
Pakistan’s security sources have strongly denied reports alleging that the country provided non-nuclear ballistic missiles to Iran, dismissing them as baseless, frivolous, and part of a propaganda campaign driven by Indian media and its affiliated foreign outlets.
The denial follows the circulation of a statement on social media claiming Pakistan’s involvement in the Israel-Iran standoff, accompanied by images featuring the Iranian and Pakistani flags, according to a private TV channel.
Diplomatic sources labeled the statement as “fake,” clarifying that it falsely attributed to Pakistan a threat of delivering a “nuclear response” against Israel in support of Iran. They further emphasized that claims suggesting Pakistan’s military was joining the conflict alongside Iran were entirely unfounded.
Shafiqul Bashar, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
The interim government of Bangladesh and the country’s major political party, the BNP, have reached a consensus to hold national elections in mid-February 2026, instead of April that year.
This agreement followed a 90-minute meeting between the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman. Dr. Yunus made a four-day official visit to the UK starting June 10 and met with Tarique Rahman on Friday, June 13, the final day of his trip.
Previously, Dr. Yunus had announced that the national elections for the 13th Parliament would be held in the first half of April next year. However, this timeline was rejected by the BNP and several other parties, who argued that April was not a suitable time for holding elections. The BNP insisted on a December 2025 election, creating a political deadlock.
During the recent meeting in London, both parties softened their positions and agreed on mid-February 2026 as a compromise. The Election Commission (EC) will determine the exact date and election schedule in accordance with constitutional guidelines.
Tarique Rahman, son of BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been living in London for many years, facing several legal cases filed against him during the previous government led by Sheikh Hasina.
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