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
Veteran South Korean voice actress Kang Hee-sun, best known as the voice of Shin-chan’s mother in Crayon Shin-chan and the longtime announcer of the Seoul and Busan subway systems, passed away on July 4 at the age of 66.
Debuting in 1979, Kang became one of Korea’s most recognisable voice actors through film dubbing, animation, and public announcements. Since 1996, millions of commuters have heard her familiar station announcements every day. Diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer in 2021, she continued recording despite intensive treatment, even from her hospital room.
Her subway announcements will now be replaced by AI-generated voices, but her warm, unmistakably human voice will remain part of the memories of generations of Koreans.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin cited the iron-clad friendship between China and Cambodia as an example of mutual respect and equality between nations, saying countries should not be divided into big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak.
Wang’s remarks on Saturday, July 4, came in response to a post by Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, who had reflected on the “geography of football” in the context of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In his post, Hun Sen wrote that the World Cup has shown that football does not discriminate between rich or poor countries, large or small, or by population size, as developing countries and nations with smaller populations can compete and defeat stronger teams. “The increasing presence of poor and underpopulated countries shows that football does not discriminate between rich and poor, large and small — a ‘geography of football’ completely different from the geopolitics throwing the world into chaos,” Hun Sen wrote.
Sharing his view, Wang wrote that this principle of equality should extend beyond the football field to all aspects of international relations, pointing to China-Cambodia ties as a concrete example of mutual respect and equality between nations.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a matter of immense pleasure and honour, saying discussions covered all aspects of the Pakistan-Türkiye strategic partnership.
Sharif said the talks focused particularly on trade, investment, defence cooperation, and energy, while connectivity, technology, regional peace, and people-to-people contacts were also on the agenda. He added that both sides reaffirmed a shared belief that diplomacy and mutual respect are the only sustainable paths to resolving conflicts and safeguarding international peace and security.
President Erdoğan said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding holds great importance for world peace, pledging continued support for efforts toward peace and prosperity, and praising Pakistan’s initiatives.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260705 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
