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
A newly published Korean edition of Scam by Ivan Franceschini, Ling Li, and Mark Bo, translated by Lee Jung-woo, is drawing attention for exposing the hidden world of transnational scam compounds.
Based on interviews with 96 survivors from Cambodia and Myanmar, the book reveals how many low-level operators were themselves deceived by fake job offers or trafficked into forced criminal labour. Those who failed to meet fraud quotas reportedly faced beatings, electric shocks, and torture. The authors argue that the scam industry has flourished through cross-border mobility, local complicity, and ties with political and business elites.
Although South Korea has recently repatriated hundreds of suspects from Cambodia, scam networks continue relocating across Southeast Asia, highlighting the need for stronger international cooperation and public awareness.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
An Egyptian film, Mr VIP, partly shot in Malaysia over nine days, is scheduled to premiere in Egypt by the end of the year before being released across most Arab League countries, according to Infinity Films Sdn Bhd Executive Producer Abdulrahman Suud.
Around 45% of the Malaysian filming took place in the Klang Valley, with several scenes shot at Genting Highlands. “Malaysians were polite and respectful throughout the filming. The crew felt at home and safe while they were in the country,” Suud told Bernama. Mr VIP is a joint production by Malaysia’s Infinity Films Sdn Bhd and Egypt’s Synergy Plus. The family comedy stars leading Egyptian actor Karim Abdel Aziz, actress Yasmine Sabri, and actor-comedian Mostafa Khater, and is directed by Moataaz El Tony.
The release is expected to showcase Malaysia to audiences across the Arab world — home to approximately 492 million people — while boosting its profile as a filming destination for Arab productions. Suud said the collaboration could pave the way for more Egyptian production companies to choose Malaysia as a location in the future.
“The Egyptian entertainment industry is vast and is often regarded as the Hollywood of the Arab world,” said the Egypt-born former actor-turned-businessman, who has lived in Malaysia for the past 30 years. He added that discussions are also underway to bring Malaysian films to Egypt and Egyptian entertainment products to Malaysia, deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese Premier Li Qiang have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and deepening cooperation between the two countries.
During a bilateral meeting in Beijing on Thursday, July 16, Hun Manet highlighted the frequent high-level exchanges between China and Cambodia across all fields, describing them as a reflection of the strength of the bilateral relationship and continued progress in cooperation.
Li Qiang emphasised that China regards relations with Cambodia as a priority in its diplomacy, describing the two countries as ironclad friends with close ties. He said both countries would continue to cooperate and support each other in pursuing their respective modernisation goals and contributing to addressing global uncertainties.
According to a post on Hun Manet’s official Facebook page, the two leaders exchanged views on initiatives to further strengthen cooperation across politics and diplomacy, trade and economy, infrastructure connectivity, green energy, agriculture, national defence and security, and people-to-people exchanges, particularly in tourism and education.
Hun Manet expressed strong appreciation for the progress in Cambodia-China relations as comprehensive strategic partners and ironclad friends, and reaffirmed Cambodia’s unwavering adherence to the one-China principle, regarding the issues of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang as China’s internal affairs. Hun Manet and his delegation were in Beijing for a working visit and participation in the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence, held from July 15 to 17, 2026.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the private sector is the main driving force behind Bangladesh’s economic strengthening, speaking at the annual meeting of the Bangladesh Apparel General Managers Association in Dhaka on Friday, July 17.
Alamgir said the garment industry, which was established during the era of the late President Ziaur Rahman, has become one of the most powerful pillars of Bangladesh’s economy. He acknowledged that the economy has faced major challenges due to various factors, including the large-scale outflow of national wealth in past years, but expressed confidence that these challenges can be overcome through collective efforts. He described reviving and strengthening the national economy as the country’s biggest challenge at present.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Iran’s currency has hit an all-time low in the open market, with the value of one US dollar reaching approximately 1,918,000 Iranian rials on July 17, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 1,900,000 rials set in May. During the same period, the British pound traded at approximately 2,580,000 rials and the euro at over 2,190,000 rials. The trend of purchasing Iranian rials continues in Pakistan despite the currency’s decline.
The continuously depreciating rial is driving further inflation. According to IMF estimates, Iran’s inflation rate could reach approximately 69% in 2026, while the domestic economy is projected to contract by 6.1%.
Experts attribute the deterioration to war, international sanctions, and disruptions in the energy, trade, and transportation sectors — particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz — which have significantly increased the prices of imported goods, raw materials, and medicines.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
The number of enterprises with foreign capital participation in Uzbekistan has exceeded 20,000 for the first time, according to data from the National Statistics Committee. As of July 1, 2026, the country had 20,502 active foreign-invested enterprises, comprising 4,611 joint ventures and 15,891 companies fully owned by foreign investors.
Over the past five years, the number of foreign-invested enterprises has grown 1.4 times, reflecting the country’s growing investment attractiveness and expanding international business cooperation. China remains the largest investor by number of registered enterprises with 6,060 companies, followed by Russia (3,454) and Türkiye (2,293). The top ten also include Kazakhstan (1,307), South Korea (725), Afghanistan (685), Azerbaijan (473), Tajikistan (455), the UAE (440), and India (426).
The continued growth of foreign-invested companies is contributing to Uzbekistan’s industrial development, job creation, the introduction of advanced technologies, and deeper integration into the global economy.
ⓒ THE AsiaN | All rights reserved
This content is copyrighted by THE AsiaN. If you wish to share it, please do so without modifying the original text and always include the source link. Unauthorized editing or sharing without proper attribution may result in legal consequences.
THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260718 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
