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
President Lee Jae-myung and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held their first summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 27, announcing the conclusion of the Korea–Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Both leaders welcomed the agreement, expressing expectations for expanded trade and investment, as well as stronger cooperation in digital and AI-driven strategic industries.
Prime Minister Anwar described Korea as a “trusted partner” in Malaysia’s defense sector, highlighting the signing of new defense memoranda of understanding (MOUs). President Lee underscored the significance of visiting Malaysia—ASEAN’s current chair and a long-standing friend of Korea—as his first ASEAN destination.
Prime Minister Anwar said the visit would further elevate both bilateral relations and Korea–ASEAN cooperation. He also voiced support for Seoul’s efforts toward peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, pledging Malaysia’s active cooperation through ASEAN and the international community.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
At the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Honourable Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, will undertake an official visit to Malaysia on 28 October 2025, following his attendance at the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, held from 26 to 28 October 2025.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this visit marks Prime Minister Albanese’s first official visit to Malaysia since assuming office on 21 May 2022. The statement added that Australia remains an important economic partner for Malaysia. In 2024, total bilateral trade amounted to RM51.50 billion (USD11.87 billion), with exports valued at RM32.23 billion (USD7.44 billion) and imports at RM19.27 billion (USD4.43 billion).
“From January to September 2025, total trade between the two countries was valued at RM58.01 billion (USD13.41 billion), and as of June 2025, total cumulative Australian investments in Malaysia stood at RM6.12 billion (USD1.73 billion),” the Ministry said.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia has had the U.S. arms embargo lifted, and both nations have agreed to restart the bilateral ANGKOR SENTINEL defense exercise in Cambodia, which had been suspended since 2017.
During a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the leadership level for the first time since both assumed office. President Trump also agreed to increase the number of seats available to Cambodian officers at U.S. military academies such as West Point, the Air Force Academy, and others. The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in combating transnational criminal groups, including narcotics traffickers and online scam centers.
President Trump played a key role in halting the bloody clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, leading to a Peace Deal reached in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
A Chinese animated blockbuster, “Ne Zha 2,” will be released nationwide across Pakistan on Friday, 31 October 2025, Joyce Lee, Managing Director of Encore Films, announced on Monday during the film’s premiere. The event was attended by H.E. Mr. Shi Yuanqiang, Chinese Minister Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan. “Ne Zha 2” is the first Chinese film in recent years to be officially imported and distributed in Pakistan, marking a new era of cross-border cinematic collaboration between the two countries.
The nationwide release will allow Pakistani audiences to experience this visually stunning and emotionally compelling masterpiece on the big screen. To make the film accessible to a wider audience, it will be screened in two versions — the original Chinese version with English subtitles and a specially dubbed Urdu version.
The film has already broken multiple box office records, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time worldwide, the fifth highest-grossing film globally, and China’s top-grossing film ever, with worldwide earnings exceeding USD 2.2 billion.
Bhanu Ranjan, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
For the second time in 13 months, a metro rail bearing pad has come loose in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. On October 26, a pedestrian was killed when the bearing pad of pillar number 433 came loose in the Farmgate area of the city. A similar incident occurred on September 18 last year, when the pad of pillar number 430 detached.
The exact cause of the recent failure remains unclear, though experts point to a lack of regular maintenance as a major contributing factor. Following Sunday’s accident, metro rail operations were suspended from noon, and service resumed on Monday after the damaged pad was repaired.
Local experts noted that Japan’s construction expertise is considered world-class, but emphasized that it is the responsibility of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) to ensure proper oversight of the construction and continuous maintenance of the metro system.
The Ministry of Road Transport has formed an investigation committee, headed by a secretary-level official, to determine the cause of the bearing pad’s failure. Dhaka’s metro rail was built with a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and its design was developed by the NKDM Association, a consortium of Japanese consulting firms.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan has generated 9 billion kWh of electricity from solar and wind power plants since the start of 2025, with output increasing by 1 billion kWh over the past month, according to the Ministry of Energy. The country currently operates 12 solar and 5 wind power plants with a combined capacity of 4,682 MW, saving 2.73 billion cubic meters of natural gas and preventing 4 million tons of emissions.
As of October 22, total power generation from hydro, solar, and wind sources reached 14.52 billion kWh, with green energy now accounting for 23% of total electricity production, up from 20.3% in July.
“This energy is enough to power 7.5 million households for 10 months, or to meet the annual energy needs of 6 million households,” the Ministry stated. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has set a goal to increase the share of green energy to 54% by 2030.
Pooneh Nedai, Shokaran Magazine, Iran
The 13th Bosphorus Short Film Festival, to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, will feature two short films by Iranian filmmakers among its lineup. This year’s festival will showcase 31 short and documentary films from around the world. The Iranian short films “Thread” by Zahra Torkamanlou and “Attitude” by Shahzad Rezaei will compete in the international short film category.
In the awards section, the Best Documentary will receive 100,000 Turkish liras (approximately USD 3,000), while the Jury Special Prize will be 50,000 liras (USD 1,500). In the short film competition, both the Best National Film and Best International Film will be awarded 50,000 liras each, and the Grand Prize winner will take home 100,000 liras. The festival will run from November 7 to 14, 2025 (16–23 Aban) in Istanbul.
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