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
After months of sharp political confrontation, South Korea’s ruling and opposition camps held a rare face-to-face discussion on Seoul’s housing policy. Kim Young-bae, head of the ruling Democratic Party’s Seoul chapter, met Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the opposition People Power Party on August 22 to discuss housing supply and urban redevelopment. The two remained divided over proposals to use Yongsan Park and the nearby rail yard site for youth housing. Kim called for more aggressive measures to ease housing shortages, while Oh opposed using the main Yongsan Park site for housing and rejected further greenbelt deregulation. However, they found room for discussion on redevelopment incentives and regulatory reform. Seoul City also proposed jointly seeking alternative housing sites. Their policy differences remain, but the meeting itself was significant amid continued partisan conflict.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for strengthening relations with Malaysia, with a greater focus on trade, investment, and cultural links.
The top leaders received Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail during his Islamabad visit.
“Welcoming the Malaysian minister and his delegation, the president said Pakistan attaches great importance to its close and fraternal relations with Malaysia, rooted in shared faith, culture, mutual respect, and strong people-to-people ties,” a Pakistan government statement said on Saturday, August 22.
Zardari called for further strengthening of Pakistan-Malaysia cooperation in law enforcement, counter-terrorism, narcotics control, and combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
According to Bernama, issues related to increasing bilateral trade were also discussed during the meeting at the Aiwan-e-Sadr presidential house.
Zardari said Pakistan is keen to explore greater access for Pakistani products such as rice, potatoes, wheat, and poultry in the Malaysian market.
Saifuddin informed the Pakistan president that there are 14 flights per week connecting Pakistan and Malaysia, and efforts are under way to further increase the frequency of flights, according to the Pakistan statement.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian minister on Friday, August 21, called on Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House.
Shehbaz said his government is committed to expanding the close and fraternal relationship between Pakistan and Malaysia across all spheres, including security, law enforcement, and business, his office said in a statement.
On another development, Saifuddin and his Pakistan counterpart Mohsin Naqvi on Friday, August 21, signed the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Pakistan and Malaysia.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
The Cambodian authorities on Friday, August 21, deported 44 Thai nationals—16 of whom were women—from Cambodia through the Poipet International Border Gate, adjacent to the Thai border.
According to the Chief of the Poipet International Border Gate Immigration Police Station, the deportees had been sentenced for various crimes committed in Cambodia’s Siem Reap Province and their visas were revoked for five years, during which they are not allowed to enter Cambodia.
Among them, one man with a disability was carefully wheeled and handed over to the Thai authorities.
In the first six months of 2026, Cambodia deported nearly 5,000 foreigners of 88 nationalities.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Experts have called on the international community to play a more coordinated and effective role in ensuring a sustainable future for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
The call was made at an event titled ‘Confluence 2026: A convergence of partnerships, recognition and commitment’ organized by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the capital Dhaka on Saturday, August 22. The event was organized to discuss the future challenges of the Rohingya refugee crisis. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, who attended the meeting as chief guest, said that the international community must work together to create meaningful pressure on Myanmar to ensure the sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingya to their own country.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아시아뉴스바이트 20260823 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
