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
Legendary Korean actor Lee Soon-jae has passed away at the age of 91, closing a remarkable 71-year career across theater and television. Celebrated for iconic roles such as “Daebal’s Father,” “Heo Jun,” and his reinvention in “Grandpas Over Flowers,” Lee became a defining figure in modern Korean performing arts.
His career was built on exceptional diligence and a deep sense of public-minded professionalism. Known for his perfectionism, he would consult dictionaries to distinguish fine pronunciation differences—even between similar names. He once memorized three months’ worth of Herbert von Karajan’s conducting videos to prepare for a role. He advised younger actors to “master the basics first,” and at Gachon University he led intensive weekend pronunciation training, reflecting his commitment to public duty as an educator. Believing that “an actor never retires,” Lee continued working until the very end. His next stage is now in heaven.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Strong progress in educational attainment and health and survival, along with modest gains in economic participation and opportunity, has driven Malaysia’s Gender Gap Index (MGGI) up to 0.708 in 2024, a 0.3-percentage-point increase from 0.705 in 2023.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Chief Statistician, Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, said the economic participation sub-index strengthened in 2024, with women’s labour force participation rising to 56.5 per cent (2023: 56.2 per cent).
“Women’s mean monthly salaries and wages also increased to RM3,499, up from RM3,311 in the previous year,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. He added that education continued to be the strongest-performing dimension for women, with female enrolment rates consistently surpassing those of males at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. In 2024, female gross enrolment rates stood at 100.3 per cent (primary), 95.7 per cent (secondary), and 56.4 per cent (tertiary), all significantly higher than those of males.
Meanwhile, the health and survival sub-index also improved, recording a score of 0.962, while female life expectancy at birth rose to 77.6 years in 2024, compared with 65.6 years in 1970. The female-to-male birth ratio increased to 0.940 in 2024, reflecting 200,999 female births compared with 213,919 male births.
According to Mohd Uzir, despite these gains, political empowerment remains Malaysia’s most challenging dimension, with the score stagnant at 0.096 in 2024. Women held only 16.1 per cent of ministerial posts, while women’s representation in Parliament stood at 13.5 per cent, underscoring persistent disparities in political leadership.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
As of October 2025, Cambodia recorded 41 maternal deaths, a decrease of 79 cases compared to 2024, and 115 neonatal deaths.
According to Professor Em Sitthika, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, the ministry continues to support and strengthen the quality of maternal and newborn health services by using new evidence from the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Screening and Response System. She said the ministry is working to expand the effectiveness of this system to all health facilities in the capital and provinces, contributing to the achievement of the new goals set by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda and the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
Despite these advances, Cambodia still faces challenges that require an urgent revision of the reporting format and its implementation to avoid confusion, Sitthika said. She added that, according to the results of the 2025 review, many of the 115 reported deaths were closely related to the quality of prenatal examinations and delays in seeking care.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
The Pakistan Navy has successfully conducted a test flight of an indigenously developed, ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Tuesday.
According to the military’s media wing, the advanced weapon system is capable of engaging both sea and land targets with high accuracy. It incorporates state-of-the-art guidance technology and enhanced manoeuvrability to ensure improved performance in complex operational environments. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, along with senior scientists and engineers, witnessed the test, the ISPR added.
The military’s media wing stated that this achievement underscores Pakistan’s growing technological capability and the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding national interests.
Leo Nirosha Darshan, Express Newspapers, Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved the signing of a protocol to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The original agreement was signed in 2013. The amendment is required because both Sri Lanka and Luxembourg are members of the G20–OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). To comply with the BEPS minimum standards designed to prevent tax evasion by multinational enterprises, Luxembourg’s tax authorities proposed changes to the agreement. After review and approval by Sri Lanka’s tax authorities, a revised protocol was drafted.
The protocol, approved by the President in his capacity as Finance Minister, will now be signed to ensure that the updated agreement meets international standards of tax transparency and anti-avoidance, thereby supporting stable financial cooperation between the two countries.
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