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
Korea’s third-generation chaebol leaders have emerged as survivors of a “blood-soaked competition.” Figures like Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai’s Chung Eui-sun, and SK’s Chey Tae-won now represent Korea’s new corporate face. From leading the NVIDIA GPU deal to taking center stage at the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, they showed practical, confident leadership. Once criticized as heirs of privilege, they’ve proven resilience through legal storms and fierce succession battles. Their challenge ahead: not only to excel on the global stage but to foster cooperation and trust at home.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Malaysia will participate in the Gaza Reconstruction Conference to be held in Egypt this month, as part of joint international efforts to strengthen global support for the recovery of the war-torn territory. In a statement, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia will attend the conference to ensure it can contribute — even if not significantly — in some meaningful way, so that the reconstruction effort can be shared collectively as part of the international community.
“This is to ensure that the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, can be alleviated — even if not immediately,” he said during the winding-up session of the 2026 Budget debate for his ministry in Parliament on Tuesday. Earlier, Malaysia had been invited by France and Egypt to take part as a co-convener in the effort to rebuild Gaza.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia and South Korea have jointly emphasized that cybercrime cannot be eradicated in a short period of time. Therefore, both nations must continue to work closely together with all relevant stakeholders. The Cambodian government has shown strong commitment to eliminating cybercrime by preventing criminals from using Cambodian territory as a base for fraud or as a means to lure foreign nationals to work in Cambodia.
During a meeting held on Monday between Chhay Sinarith, Head of the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Cybercrime (CCC), and Mr. Park Il, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in charge of special missions, along with his delegation, Chhay Sinarith expressed his readiness to coordinate with the new Korean Task Force.
In response, Ambassador Park Il thanked the Royal Government of Cambodia for agreeing in principle to establish the Task Force. He expressed hope that detailed discussions regarding the Task Force would soon take place. Park Il also expressed appreciation to Cambodia for previously repatriating Korean citizens involved in cybercrime cases. He added that Korean authorities would continue to investigate these cases and share the results with Cambodia.
Both sides highly valued the meeting, recognizing that it would foster stronger cooperation both now and in the future—through mutual support, information sharing, and joint efforts to investigate and dismantle criminal networks—thereby contributing to peace and stability in the region and the wider world.
Bhanu Ranjan, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
The 24th Asian Archery Championships will be held in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, from November 8 to 14. A total of 209 athletes from 30 Asian countries are set to participate in the event, officials from the Bangladesh Archery Federation announced at a press conference on Tuesday (November 4). This will mark the third time that Dhaka has hosted this prestigious continental tournament.
The participating nations include South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Timor-Leste, Chinese Taipei, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, and host nation Bangladesh.
Alongside the 24th Asian Archery Championships, the World Archery Asia Congress and its elections will also take place in Dhaka on November 8, with representatives from 32 countries expected to attend.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
The Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan hosted a regional dialogue in Dushanbe to develop a unified Central Asian position ahead of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), to be held in Belém, Brazil.
Held under the slogan “80 million people, 5 countries, 1 voice,” the event brought together government officials, experts, and international partners to strengthen regional cooperation on climate action. First Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Isfandiyor Shukurzada, emphasized that only through close collaboration can the region effectively tackle glacier melting and attract financing for sustainable, green development.
Discussions focused on updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0), the protection of glaciers and mountain ecosystems, and the engagement of youth in climate initiatives. The dialogue’s outcomes will help Central Asian states present a common position at COP30 and advance practical climate actions through the upcoming five-year Global Action Program.
Pooneh Nedai, Shokaran Magazine, Iran
The Leader of Iran stated that the conflict between Iran and the United States is neither temporary nor tactical, but deep-rooted and fundamental. He explained that America’s hostility toward Iran dates back to the 1953 coup, when the United States and Britain overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh after he nationalized Iran’s oil industry. Following the Islamic Revolution, the U.S. continued its opposition by supporting the Shah, backing Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, and imposing sanctions on Iran. The Leader noted that the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran revealed Washington’s plots against the revolution. He added that only if the United States ends its support for Israel and withdraws from the region could the possibility of future cooperation be considered.
Habib Toumi, THE AsiaN, Bahrain
Queen Rania of Jordan has warned that hatred has made a comeback in recent years, “rebranded” under different names. “Racism, repackaged as patriotism; supremacy as cultural pride; antisemitism and Islamophobia as free speech,” she said at the opening ceremony of the annual One Young World Summit, held this year in Munich. She also emphasized that hatred is never harmless.
“To dismiss it as ‘just talk’ is to ignore how every genocide has begun — with words,” she cautioned, highlighting the role that dehumanizing speech has played in some of the darkest chapters of human history. “Just talk — until hateful rhetoric cleared the path for unspeakable violence,” she added.
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