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 National Assembly passed a Criminal Procedure Act revision on July 31 that abolishes prosecutors’ powers to conduct direct and supplementary investigations. Led by the ruling Democratic Party, the bill passed with 175 votes in favor, two against and one abstention among 178 lawmakers present. The opposition People Power Party boycotted the vote after launching a filibuster. The law completely separates investigation from prosecution, although prosecutors may still ask police to conduct further inquiries. It marks a sweeping transformation of Korea’s criminal justice system, established under the 1948 Prosecutors’ Office Act and the 1954 Criminal Procedure Act. The Democratic Party called the passage a response to public demands for prosecutorial reform. The opposition warned that ordinary citizens would lose a crucial legal safeguard. Critics also raised concerns about possible constitutional conflicts and inadequate protections for victims of everyday crimes.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has sent a letter to Tunisian President Kais Saied appealing for the release of political figure Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi on humanitarian grounds.
Anwar sent the letter after receiving news about Sheikh Rached’s health condition that made him deeply sad and worried. In a Facebook post on July 31, Anwar said the appeal was made following his deep concern over the health condition of Ghannouchi, 84, whom he described as a friend and who remains in detention in Tunisia.
“I have sent a letter to the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Kais Saied, requesting his due consideration of Ghannouchi’s health condition and advanced age, including the possibility of granting his release on compassionate and humanitarian grounds. I believe that values of compassion, mercy and human dignity will always serve as guiding principles in addressing this matter,” he said.
He said the appeal was made solely on humanitarian grounds, while fully respecting the sovereignty of the Republic of Tunisia and the country’s legal process.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the destruction of World Heritage properties during armed conflicts, a decision widely seen as a response to the damage inflicted on Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple during border clashes with Thailand last year.
The resolution was passed during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, attended by 162 member countries and international organisations in Busan, South Korea, from July 26 to 29. The UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear Temple was hit by heavy Thai shelling during the border conflict in December 2025.
Yoeun Yoeut, a Cambodian political observer, said UNESCO’s decision serves as “a stronger legal shield” against abuses or attempts to destroy national cultural property by external forces, calling it a powerful step in promoting peace and preserving world culture.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to activate a modern digital system to ensure complete transparency in the oil and gas sector and to eliminate hoarding and profiteering. He also ordered the acceleration of reforms within the institution. The Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting on OGRA’s reforms and institutional improvement.
Sharif stated that the government would protect every single penny of the public and would not allow anyone to exploit the public or interfere with the system. He emphasized that the government’s reform agenda must be uniformly implemented across all institutions and that a stringent monitoring system for fuel movement should be devised, using the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) modern tracking system as a model. During the meeting, the OGRA Chairman briefed the attendees on the institution’s current performance, challenges, and reform program.
Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Musadik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Ali Pervaiz Malik attended the meeting, along with Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa and other senior officials.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan’s banking sector recorded 159.9 billion tenge ($302 million) in net profit in June 2026, marking a 33.3% decline from 239.8 billion tenge ($452.5 million) in May. The June result was the weakest monthly performance of the year so far.
During the first half of 2026, banks generated combined net profit of 1.19 trillion tenge ($2.25 billion), down 13.3% year-on-year. At the same time, interest income increased by 19.6%, while non-interest income rose by 24%. Bank expenses grew by 11.4%.
Despite the monthly decline, the sector remains financially stable. As of June 1, total bank capital reached 11.1 trillion tenge ($20.9 billion), while capital adequacy ratios remained well above regulatory minimums.
The five most profitable banks in June were Halyk Bank, Kaspi Bank, ForteBank, Alatau City Bank, and Bank CenterCredit. Their continued dominance reflects strong market positions, although differences in profitability point to varying business models and revenue structures.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260801 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
