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 Korea and the United States have confirmed that activities permitted under the B-1 business visa can also be carried out under the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) program. The decision comes in response to last month’s mass detention of Korean workers at a battery plant in Georgia.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two governments launched the Korea-U.S. Business and Visa Working Group in Washington on September 30, and reached this agreement during its inaugural meeting. Under the new arrangement, Korean companies will be allowed to carry out equipment installation, inspection, and maintenance using either a B-1 visa or ESTA.
Additionally, both sides agreed to establish a “Korean Investor Desk” at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, which will serve as a dedicated channel for addressing visa-related issues for Korean businesses.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Approximately 900,000 non-citizens holding Malaysian driving licenses (LLM) are no longer eligible to purchase RON95 petrol at the government-subsidized price following the launch of the “Budi Madani RON95” (BUDI95) program.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated that, prior to the program’s implementation, there were 878,279 non-citizens, including 18,710 permanent residents, who were able to buy subsidized RON95 petrol just like Malaysian citizens.
“They are eligible to apply for driving licenses, but as non-citizens, they are not entitled to petrol subsidies. This means that for all these years, we have been providing fuel subsidies to nearly 900,000 foreigners who hold licenses, drive in Malaysia, and also benefited from subsidized petrol,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday regarding the implementation of BUDI95.
Anthony added that the targeted subsidy approach is a fair policy, as only Malaysian citizens are eligible for government aid, while red identification card holders or other non-citizen document holders are not.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Every year, approximately 600,000 people in Cambodia are bitten by dogs, with over 99 percent of all human rabies cases transmitted through dog bites. Children under the age of 15 are the most vulnerable group, and globally, around 50 percent of them die after infection.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is almost always fatal if post-exposure vaccination is not administered in time. In response to this alarming situation, the British international veterinary charity Worldwide Veterinary Service, in collaboration with Animal Rescue, organized a free dog rabies vaccination campaign from October 21 to 31, 2025, in Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Battambang provinces.
The campaign has also emphasized public education over the past three months using a “train-the-trainer” approach. According to Ms. Kim Sethany, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the program reached 14,770 teachers and more than 630,000 students across 1,668 primary and secondary schools in the three targeted areas.
Bhanu Ranjan, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Hindus across Bangladesh celebrated Kumari Puja on Maha Ashtami, Tuesday, 30 September, as part of the five-day Durga Puja festival.
The highlight of Maha Ashtami is Kumari Puja, during which a young, pure-hearted, and unmarried girl—believed to be the living embodiment of the goddess—is worshipped as the Mother Goddess.
In the capital city of Dhaka, hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at Ramkrishna Temple, offering anjali (prayers) to the goddess, seeking blessings for peace, prosperity, well-being, and harmony. The girl being worshipped symbolizes the divine power that governs creation, preservation, and destruction in the universe.
Hindu devotees will continue the celebrations today, 1 October, by observing Maha Navami with deep religious devotion and enthusiasm.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, KUJ, Pakistan
After participating in the Asian Soft Tennis Championship in South Korea, the Pakistani team returned quietly to Karachi. The eight-member delegation included the manager, coach, and team leader Naushad Ahmed. Unfortunately, Pakistan suffered defeats in the team, singles, and doubles events. Meanwhile, the Indian team secured four medals. The Philippines made headlines by defeating China to win their first-ever gold medal in the mixed team event, thereby qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games.
It is worth noting that Naushad Ahmed is simultaneously involved in more than five different sports in Pakistan. During the Sepak Takraw event in South Korea, one of his players slipped during a match. In a separate incident, a fake Pakistani football team was recently deported from Japan.
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