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
An extremely premature baby born to a U.S. military family stationed in Korea has recovered and been discharged, thanks to intensive care provided by Korean doctors.
The mother developed severe preeclampsia and experienced seizures at six months of pregnancy. She was urgently transferred from Daegu to Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, where she delivered her son, Stetson, by emergency cesarean section on October 1 last year. At birth, Stetson weighed just 688 grams and faced multiple life-threatening conditions, including neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, brain hemorrhage, and retinopathy of prematurity.
Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, a regional maternal and child medical center, provided multidisciplinary care involving pediatric cardiology, pediatric surgery, and ongoing critical care support. Through this coordinated effort, Stetson gradually gained strength and reached a weight of 3.476 kilograms, enabling him to be discharged and return home.
Dr. Se-Yeon Kim expressed her gratitude to the dedicated medical team and the baby’s parents. The hospital also opened St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital last year to provide specialized care for severe pediatric cases.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
A total of 55,458 marriages between non-Muslim Malaysians and foreign spouses were registered by the National Registration Department (NRD) from 2019 to July 2025, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He stated that Chinese and Vietnamese nationals recorded the highest numbers, based on registration records under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 over the seven-year period. According to him, in addition to China and Vietnam, the other three countries among the top five were Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.
“Chinese nationals accounted for 9,195 marriages with Malaysians, comprising 3,030 males and 6,165 females. This was followed by Vietnam with 8,620 marriages (all females), Singapore with 8,802 marriages (5,910 males and 2,892 females), Thailand with 5,186 marriages (all females), and Indonesia with 4,263 marriages (all females). “In total, these five countries accounted for 36,066 out of the 55,458 marriages between non-Muslim Malaysians and foreign spouses,” he said in a written reply posted on Parliament’s website on Wednesday.
He was responding to a question from Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri), who had asked for statistics on the top five countries of foreign brides marrying non-Muslim Malaysians over the seven-year period.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia’s trade with international partners surpassed US$5 billion in the first month of 2026, marking an increase of nearly 20% compared to the same period last year.
Data from the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia show that in January 2026, the country’s total export-import value reached US$6 billion, up 19% year-on-year. Of this amount, exports totaled US$2.91 billion, representing a 26.6% increase, while imports reached US$3.10 billion, up 22.5%.
Cambodia’s main export products include tires, spare parts, electrical components, furniture, clothing, footwear, and travel goods. Its key trading partners are South Korea, ASEAN member states, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia’s total international trade volume in 2025 reached US$65.25 billion, an increase of 18% compared to 2024. Of this figure, exports amounted to US$31.28 billion, up 17%, while imports totaled US$33.96 billion, reflecting an 18% increase.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), AMM Nasir Uddin, said that the Election Commission is working in accordance with the law and constitutional provisions to organize a free, fair, impartial, and credible election, as promised to the nation.
The CEC made the remarks at a briefing for international observers and media representatives in Dhaka on Wednesday (February 11). He stated that the voting and counting processes for the 13th National Parliament election and referendum would be conducted with full transparency, and that the commission is committed to ensuring a free, fair, and participatory election.
He added that there will be close monitoring by both local and international observers during the elections. The observers will operate in accordance with the commission’s guidelines, and their official report will be published after the voting concludes.
Voting in the 13th National Parliament election and referendum is being held today (Thursday) in Bangladesh. Polling will begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.
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