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
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has appealed a ruling ordering him to pay 944 billion won, about $670 million, to Roh Soh-yeong, director of Art Center Nabi, in their divorce settlement. Chey filed the appeal at 11:59 p.m. on August 14, just one minute before the deadline. The Seoul High Court assessed the couple’s contributions to their marital assets at two-thirds for Chey and one-third for Roh and ordered the payment entirely in cash. Chey is expected to challenge how the court calculated Roh’s share despite an earlier Supreme Court ruling rejecting the view that 30 billion won allegedly linked to former President Roh Tae-woo could count as her financial contribution. The valuation of SK Siltron shares, fluctuations in SK Inc.’s stock price and the cash-only payment order are also likely to be contested. The lengthy divorce battle will now return to the Supreme Court.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Hazy conditions are expected to persist until late September, although the situation nationwide remains under control, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said.
Director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said current haze levels have not reached the extremes of previous episodes, except in Sarawak, where the situation is expected to remain unchanged over the next few days. Dry weather since late July has heightened the haze risk in Sarawak, compounded by transboundary smoke from West Kalimantan, Indonesia. “The situation would only improve if there was a drastic reduction in hotspots in West Kalimantan, as open burning is the primary cause of haze,” he said, as reported by the New Straits Times.
With dry weather under the Southwest Monsoon expected to persist until late September, localised haze is likely to continue, he said. While the ongoing El Niño phenomenon is causing drier weather than usual, rainfall in parts of Peninsular Malaysia has provided some relief. MetMalaysia stands ready to conduct cloud seeding operations if atmospheric conditions permit.
As of 2.20pm on August 14, 10 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy air quality, with the majority in Sarawak. Serian registered the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 182, followed by Kuching (170), Samarahan (169), Sri Aman (162), Sarikei (158), Mukah (151), Bintulu (151) and Sibu (104). In Peninsular Malaysia, two areas recorded unhealthy readings: Cheras (153) and Johan Setia (135).
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
At least nine people died in a toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong on August 14. Several others are undergoing treatment in hospital.
Police said the accident occurred on the morning of August 14 while workers were cleaning a decommissioned ship at the Ferdous Steel Ship Breaking Yard in the Sitakunda area. Locals said at least 20 workers fell ill when gas suddenly leaked during work. Nine of them died while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. The casualties included workers and onlookers who had come to the scene.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
In its latest report, the European Union critically assessed ongoing human rights and democracy challenges in Turkmenistan. The country received one out of 100 points in the Freedom House rating, maintaining a “not free” status. Key issues include severe restrictions on freedom of movement, difficulties with passport issuance for citizens overseas, criminalization of consensual same-sex relationships, torture, and harsh prison conditions.
There are some positive developments. Turkmenistan has been cooperating with the International Labour Organization to tackle forced labour and is preparing national action plans focused on human rights and gender equality. Among Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan scored the lowest, with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan also categorised as “not free.” The EU maintains a dual approach, balancing criticism with strategic dialogue due to Turkmenistan’s importance in regional energy and transport frameworks.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260815 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
