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
Lim Woo-jae, a former executive adviser at Samsung Electro-Mechanics and former son-in-law of the Samsung founding family, has been released after a South Korean appeals court handed him a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years.
Lim had been convicted of obstructing a police investigation linked to the confinement and assault of an elderly woman, allegedly committed by his shaman girlfriend and others. He had received a one-year prison sentence in the first trial and had been in custody for six months. The appellate court ruled that while his involvement was significant, he neither knew the full scope of the crime nor gained personal benefit, justifying a suspended sentence.
Once known for his high-profile marriage to Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin, Lim told the court he hoped to live a life of service and avoid future wrongdoing.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has emerged as Malaysia’s most popular political leader, recording the highest approval rating in the latest Merdeka Centre public opinion survey.
The survey, conducted between March 12 and April 9 among 1,209 respondents nationwide, found that 52% approved of Anwar’s performance, placing him ahead of six other political leaders surveyed. Former Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin came in second with a 50% approval rating, followed by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at 36%. Former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli recorded 32%, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman and Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar registered 28%, and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang garnered 25%.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recorded the lowest approval rating at 24%, with 61% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with his performance, according to the New Straits Times. Despite growing international uncertainties and economic challenges, 47% of respondents said Malaysia was heading in the right direction — unchanged from surveys conducted in December 2025 and February 2026. However, half of those surveyed believed the country was heading in the wrong direction.
Merdeka Centre noted that the findings nonetheless reflect an improvement from mid-2025, when fewer than four in ten Malaysians believed the country was on the right track. Among those who felt the country was on the wrong track, 53% cited economic concerns, including the state of the economy, the cost of living, and fuel prices. Separately, 73% identified economic issues as the single biggest problem facing the country. Satisfaction with the government’s handling of the economy stood at 46%, while 51% expressed dissatisfaction.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodian Acting Head of State and Senate President Hun Sen arrived in Beijing, China, on Thursday, June 25, for a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party.
During the visit, Hun Sen — who also serves as President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party — will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, as well as separate working meetings with Premier of the State Council Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Hun Sen’s official visit to China reaffirms the two countries’ unwavering commitment to strengthening their ironclad friendship and advancing comprehensive strategic partnership cooperation to build a Cambodia-China community of shared destiny in the new era.
Cambodia recently launched a visa-free pilot programme for Chinese citizens, effective June 15 to October 15, 2026, alongside the “Visit Cambodia Green Season” campaign, aimed at encouraging more Chinese travellers to experience Cambodia’s unique attractions during the Green Season.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
India will reintroduce tourist visa services for Bangladeshi citizens from June 28, newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi announced at a briefing at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka on Thursday, June 25.
Earlier the same day, Trivedi formally presented his credentials to President Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban. “I have presented my credentials to the President of Bangladesh and he has accepted it,” he said. Trivedi, a former Indian Railway Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was officially appointed as India’s new High Commissioner to Bangladesh in late April.
India suspended tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens for nearly two years following the fall of the then government in the student-public uprising of August 5, 2024. Medical and trade visas have remained open to a limited extent during this period.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Pakistan and Turkey have signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, following high-level consultations held in Istanbul.
According to the Power Division, the agreements were signed between relevant institutions of both countries to promote institutional cooperation, technical sharing, and knowledge exchange.
The three MoUs cover: cooperation between Pakistan’s Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) and Turkey’s Energy Market Operator; a cooperation agreement between Turkey’s Electricity Transmission Corporation and Pakistan’s ISMO; and an MoU between Pakistan’s Power Planning and Monitoring Company and Turkey’s electricity distribution sector institution.
The agreements encompass cooperation on post-privatisation governance frameworks, power market development, ancillary services regulations, power system operations, transmission planning, and the management and digitalisation of the electricity distribution sector.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Turkmenistan’s State Statistics Committee has signed a reimbursable consulting agreement with the World Bank Group to enhance the country’s statistical system for 2026–2027.
The initiative aims to improve the accuracy, transparency, and international comparability of macroeconomic data, which has faced scrutiny from global institutions including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in recent years.
Key reforms include alignment with the 2025 System of National Accounts (SNA), improved GDP estimation methods, and participation in the International Comparison Programme. The project also emphasises digitalising household and labour market surveys to strengthen data quality and reduce statistical errors.
Given Turkmenistan’s reliance on natural gas exports and public investment, more reliable statistics are expected to support investor confidence and strengthen engagement with international financial institutions. Over time, the reforms may improve the credibility of official economic indicators and contribute to a more favourable investment climate.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260626 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
