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
The controversy over Genencell’s COVID-19 clinical trial approval extends beyond the phone call by justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won. Court records show the company omitted a hamster’s death, bleeding and other unfavorable findings from its final report submitted to the drug regulator after repurposing a drug candidate for COVID-19 treatment. The court also found that patent materials falsely described an experiment as having been conducted on coronavirus-infected hamsters when no such experiment had taken place.
A promised multinational trial for 1,100 patients across five countries was later scaled down to a Phase 2 trial targeting 424 participants. Only 109 were ultimately recruited, with 100 randomized, before recruitment was halted in December 2022.
Separately, the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on September 9 adopted a plan to hold Kim’s confirmation hearing on September 15, but failed to agree on witnesses. The People Power Party requested 44 witnesses, including the Genencell founder and the broker at the center of the allegations, while the Democratic Party rejected all witness requests.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia has lodged a strong protest against recent actions by the Thai military in border areas of Banteay Meanchey province. According to a statement issued by Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 8, Thai forces recently demolished civilian houses and structures, cleared land to build a permanent military installation, and dug a water well in territory that Cambodia says has been illegally occupied since late December 2025.
Specific incidents cited by the ministry include the demolition of homes in Trapeang Samraong village on August 31, well-digging activities in Sok Sang village from September 4 to 7, and the destruction of civilian structures in Prey Chan village on September 7.
Cambodia said the actions violate the rights of displaced Cambodians and persist despite a July 31 end-of-mission statement by UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, who confirmed that displaced residents have the legal right to return to their homes.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan continues to increase oil transportation through alternative export routes. In January–August 2026, Kazakh oil exports to China via the Atasu–Alashankou pipeline reached 863,000 tons, up 24 percent year on year. Overall, 7.6 million tons of oil were transported through the route, a 3 percent increase.
The Caspian route is also gaining importance. During the same period, 2.4 million tons of oil were loaded into tankers at the port of Aktau, up 6 percent. Shipments toward the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline rose 12 percent to 1 million tons. KazTransOil transported 31.9 million tons of oil and petroleum products during the first eight months, 4 percent more than a year earlier.
The growing use of Chinese and Caspian routes reflects Kazakhstan’s efforts to diversify exports and reduce dependence on traditional corridors, strengthening the resilience of its energy sector.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260910 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
