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 Korean telecom operator KT announced November 9 that it will distribute 10,000 highly sought-after mobile phone numbers through a lottery running from November 16 to December 6. These “gold numbers” include repeating digits such as 7777, sequences like 1234, and meaningful combinations such as 1004, which sounds like the Korean word for “angel.” The lottery covers 155 number patterns. Customers of KT, competing carriers, and budget mobile operators may apply for up to three numbers each. Applications are accepted online, through KT’s mobile app, and at stores nationwide. Winners will be announced December 11 and must register their numbers by December 31. In 2024, repeating-digit numbers attracted 1,158 applicants per available number.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Malaysia has proposed that at least 20 per cent of multilateral urban climate financing be channelled directly to local authorities and communities in informal settlements to strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate change.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who is leading Malaysia’s delegation to COP31, proposed the establishment of a Direct-to-Community Urban Climate Facility to channel the funds through predictable block grants.
“This would empower local authorities and communities to implement practical climate adaptation measures at grassroots level, including building retrofits for improved cooling, stormwater management, and climate-resilient infrastructure, while ensuring vulnerable communities are protected from the growing impacts of climate change,” he said during a UN-Habitat session on housing and climate action in Antalya, as reported by Bernama.
Nga also said climate-resilient housing should be recognised as a fundamental human right and a public good. Citing a UN-Habitat review which found that 69 per cent of national climate commitments addressed urban housing, he said the challenge was to translate those commitments into practical improvements for people in informal settlements and other vulnerable communities.
He said Malaysia’s integrated approach to housing and local government allowed national climate adaptation targets to be put into practice through building regulations, energy efficiency measures, and urban planning guidelines across its 156 local authorities.
Separately, at the launch of the “Rethink Food. Reduce Waste.” #OneBillion Challenge, Nga called for greater public participation in waste management, citing Malaysia’s Separation at Source initiative as an example. He noted that Malaysian families and communities collectively set a national record last year by collecting more than 27,600 kilograms of used cooking oil in a single day, demonstrating how household waste could be transformed into resources such as sustainable aviation fuel and green energy.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron will make a historic state visit to Cambodia from November 14 to 16, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni. Coinciding with the 20th Francophonie Summit, this marks the first French presidential visit to Cambodia since Charles de Gaulle in 1966.
During the visit, Cambodia and France are expected to sign bilateral agreements covering defense, economy, investment, and culture. President Macron will have an audience with the King at the Royal Palace, meet with Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet, and jointly preside with the King over the reopening ceremony of the West Mebon temple restoration project in Siem Reap.
Kuban Abdymen, Central Asian Light, Kyrgyzstan
Climate change could raise temperatures in Central Asia’s glacier-fed river basins by 3–5°C by the end of the century, accelerating glacier loss and threatening regional water supplies, according to an Asian Development Bank assessment that warns of growing water insecurity across the region.
The ADB report, “Glaciers to Farms,” analyzed 40 years of climate and glacier data from four river basins: the Kura, Naryn, Panj, and Swat. Temperatures increased by approximately 0.4°C per decade between 1981 and 2020. By 2085, winter temperatures in the Panj basin could rise by 5°C, while summer precipitation may decline by 30%.
The ADB warns that earlier snowmelt, reduced summer river flows, droughts, and glacial floods will increase water insecurity. It recommends reservoirs, modern irrigation, and regional hydrological monitoring.
The findings carry particular weight for downstream countries dependent on the Amu Darya, as the Panj is one of its major headwater tributaries. Declining flows could intensify competition for water, especially as Afghanistan develops the Qosh Tepa canal, which diverts Amu Darya water for irrigation.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20261110 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
