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
South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP) has postponed a final decision on the expulsion of former party leader Han Dong-hoon, intensifying internal debate ahead of the June 3 local elections.
Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk said on January 15 that the leadership would refrain from taking action on the ethics committee’s ruling until the deadline for requesting a review has passed. Jang argued that Han had not been given sufficient opportunity to explain himself and that disputed facts should be clarified through Han’s direct appearance before the committee. Without such testimony, he warned, the decision could be perceived as one-sided.
Han, however, announced a day earlier that he would not seek a review, dismissing the process as a mere formality with a predetermined outcome. The case has exposed deep divisions within the party, with critics denouncing the expulsion as politically motivated, while supporters defend it as a rules-based decision—raising concerns about party unity ahead of the elections.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia has received nearly 7 million inbound and outbound air passengers in 2025, representing an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2024.
According to Sin Chansereyvutha, Secretary of State and Spokesperson for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, speaking on Wednesday, during the 12 months of 2025 Cambodia’s three international airports—Phnom Penh/Techno, Siem Reap Angkor, and Sihanoukville—recorded a total of 64,821 inbound and outbound (two-way) flights, marking an 11% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Total inbound and outbound passengers (two-way) reached 6,988,259, up 12% year-on-year, while inbound and outbound air cargo (two-way) amounted to 93,889 tons, an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2024.
Cambodia currently has 36 airlines—four national and 32 international—and maintains flight connections with 17 countries and 46 cities. Among those 17 countries, Cambodian airlines operate routes to eight destinations in the ASEAN region as well as China, South Korea, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Taiwan, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan, Sin Chansereyvutha added.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, has stated that the interim government remains committed to holding the general elections and referendum as scheduled on February 12.
The Chief Advisor’s press wing said on Wednesday that he made the remarks when two former senior U.S. diplomats, Albert Gombis and Morse Tan, paid a courtesy call on him at the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka on the evening of January 13. During the meeting, the Chief Advisor noted that there has been deliberate confusion surrounding the elections; however, the interim government remains steadfast in its resolve to hold the polls on February 12.
He further stated that following the announcement of the election results, the government would hand over power to a democratically elected administration. He also emphasized that the elections would be free, fair, peaceful, and festive.
During the nearly hour-long meeting, the Chief Advisor and the visiting diplomats discussed several key issues, including the upcoming elections, the July Charter and referendum, and the Rohingya crisis. The two diplomats, who visited Bangladesh on the eve of the elections, praised the Chief Advisor for his significant role in administering the government over the past one and a half years. Both are currently serving in the Donald Trump administration.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan’s financial system has emerged as a major transit hub for international currency flows, particularly amid sanctions pressure on neighboring economies. In December 2025, over-the-counter USD/tenge transactions reached a record level, with purchases totaling $38.3 billion and sales $37.8 billion—nearly five times the typical monthly volume.
Most of this activity was driven by non-resident banks, with more than $32 billion in cross-border trades sustained over a three-month period. Euro/tenge transactions have exceeded €3 billion per month since September 2025, up sharply from only tens of millions previously, while a similar surge in yuan trading was observed in late 2024.
Analysts attribute these trends to Russian companies rerouting payments through Kazakhstan after Western sanctions restricted access to the Moscow Exchange. Although the tenge is gradually decoupling from the ruble—signaling a degree of financial diversification—growing concerns remain over transparency and potential systemic risks associated with opaque cross-border capital flows.
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