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
Cambodian billiards star Sruong Pheavy defeated South Korea’s Kim Ga-young 3–1 (11–6, 10–11, 11–9, 11–2) in the semifinals of the Hana Card LPBA Championship on July 5, snapping Kim’s eight-tournament winning streak.
After splitting the first two sets, Sruong took control in the third with a decisive bank shot at 9–9. She then cruised through the fourth set in just eight innings, closing it out 11–2. The win sends Sruong to her first final in 16 months, the last being at the Crown Haitai Championship. A victory would give her the 8th title of her professional career. “I’m thrilled to reach the final again and will do everything I can to win,” Sruong said.
She will face Kim Bora in the final, who advanced to her first LPBA title match by defeating Choi Ji-min. The championship match is scheduled for 10 p.m. on July 6.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
More than 10,500 women in Malaysia have tested positive for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) following a nationwide cervical cancer screening initiative conducted by the Ministry of Health over the past five years. The findings are part of the Action Plan Towards Eradicating Cervical Cancer 2021–2030, which has screened over 160,000 women to date.
Minister of Health Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that 65% of women in Malaysia have not undergone cervical cancer screening in the past three years—a statistic he described as alarming, given that HPV is a preventable virus.
“This virus can be detected early, treated promptly, and even completely eliminated with immediate action. Unfortunately, many women remain unaware or fall behind due to fear, stigma, or limited access to screening,” he said.
“Many women feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with the HPV test—not because they don’t care about their health, but because they fear being judged or misunderstood,” he added during the launch of the Etiqa Phase Five Free Cervical Screening Programme in collaboration with the ROSE Foundation on Saturday.
According to Dr. Dzulkefly, scientific advancements have made cervical screening much easier with the introduction of self-sampling DNA HPV tests—a safe, personalized, and pain-free method that is 90% accurate and only requires testing every five to ten years.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
At least 10 people were killed and 9 others injured when a six-storey building collapsed on July 5 in the Lyari area of Karachi, the capital of Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Just weeks earlier, in June, the roof and staircase of another six-storey building in the same neighborhood caved in. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in that incident, and 22 people were successfully rescued.
This tragic pattern of building collapses across various parts of Karachi shows no sign of abating. Since 2017, at least 64 lives have been lost. Yet, recurring disasters continue to threaten residents’ safety due to administrative negligence, poor enforcement of building codes, and a lack of timely action.
Many of the deadly incidents are tied to illegal or dilapidated buildings—structures that have long been deemed unsafe but remain occupied due to weak enforcement by the Sindh Building Control Authority.
Pooneh Nedai, Shokaran magazine, Iran
President Masoud Pezeshkian, upon returning from the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, emphasized that despite initial concerns over potential risks, the journey to and from Azerbaijan was safe and uneventful.
He highlighted productive bilateral meetings with the leaders of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, with discussions focused on strengthening diplomatic, economic, and regional cooperation.
The summit strongly condemned the actions of the Israeli regime, with Iran’s stance receiving support from other member states. President Pezeshkian also called for the active engagement of officials beyond heads of state, urging deeper collaboration among Islamic countries in scientific, cultural, and transportation fields.
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