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
Sixty-four South Koreans detained in Cambodia for crimes such as voice phishing were repatriated via a chartered Korean Air flight that landed at Incheon Airport on Friday morning. They were taken directly into police custody without immigration processing. The returnees will be questioned at police stations in South Chungcheong, northern Gyeonggi, Seoul, Daejeon, Gimpo, and Wonju. This operation marks the largest single-country repatriation to date and includes several Interpol red-notice fugitives. Reports of Korean nationals being kidnapped or confined in Cambodia have risen sharply, reaching 330 cases by August this year.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim visited “Little India” in Brickfields on Friday to observe preparations for the upcoming Deepavali celebration on October 20, 2025, and to strengthen ties with the local Hindu community. In a Facebook post, the Prime Minister said that the vibrant and festive atmosphere in Brickfields reflects Malaysians’ goodwill, unity, and rich cultural diversity-qualities that have long been a source of national pride. “It is my hope that this year’s Deepavali will be celebrated with joy, gratitude, and a spirit of unity-lighting the lamps of hope and harmony within our big Malaysian family,” Anwar said.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration has deported 64 South Koreans, including five women, for involvement in online fraud, the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Fraud (C.C.F.) said. The deportation, carried out late Friday, followed an investigation confirming their participation in illegal online activities. Authorities said the move complied with legal procedures as part of Cambodia’s efforts to curb cybercrime. To date, 180 Koreans have been repatriated. The Cambodian government continues to seek cooperation from South Korea in handling such cases and further investigations.
Through the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Cambodia also urged joint efforts to trace the networks and sources behind online fraud based on evidence seized in provincial operations.
Shafiqul Bashar, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Twenty-five political parties signed Bangladesh’s July National Charter at a ceremony held at 5 p.m. on the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka. Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus presided over the event, which was attended by leaders from various parties and dignitaries. The Charter, drafted by the government-mandated National Consensus Commission headed by Dr Yunus, followed a year of consultations with 31 parties and proposes major governmental and constitutional reforms. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami and 23 other parties signed the Charter, while the newly formed National Citizens Party (NCP) and five left-leaning parties, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), boycotted the ceremony.
Bhanu Ranjan, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Air pollution has become the world’s second-leading cause of death among children under five, accounting for more than one-quarter of all fatalities in that age group, according to a new report by Belgium-based Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA). The study, “Structural Dependencies Perpetuate Disproportionate Childhood Health Burden from Air Pollution,” describes the crisis as a “silent epidemic” in least-developed countries, including Bangladesh. Children in these countries are 94 times more likely to die from air-pollution-related causes than those in developed nations. ZCA estimates that more than 19,000 Bangladeshi children under five die each year-roughly two every hour-due to chronic exposure to polluted air.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon announced the signing of 52 investment agreements worth USD 4.1 billion during the Dushanbe Invest-2025 International Investment Forum, attended by 1,500 delegates from 50 countries, according to Asiaplus.tj. Rahmon said the forum, themed “Green Investments: Today’s Opportunities for a Sustainable Future, aims to highlight Tajikistan’s investment potential, promote green technologies, and advance sustainable development. He noted that Tajikistan’s economy has grown at an average annual rate of 7.6% over the past decade. In 2024 alone, the country attracted USD 7.5 billion in total investments, and more than 100 national projects worth USD 5 billion are now underway.
Pooneh Nedai, Shokaran Magazine, Iran
The international release of Drunk on Love(Mast-e Eshgh), directed by Hassan Fathi, has begun with premieres in ten European countries, where tickets for the first three days were sold out. Distributed by AF Media Group, the film will soon open in Russia, India, the Gulf region, and North America. Produced by Mehran Boroumand and Hassan Alizadeh, Drunk on Love was Iran’s top-grossing non-comedy film last year and features Shahab Hosseini, Parsa Pirouzfar, Ibrahim Celikkol, Hande Erçel, and Bensu Soral. Meanwhile, Fathi’s new movie Majnun has begun screening in Iran with a new promotional poster.
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