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
Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who passed away on the 25th, was born in 1952 in Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in sociology and became involved in the pro-democracy student movement during the Yushin era.
He was imprisoned for nearly a year for his involvement in the Mincheonghakryeon case and later continued his activism outside the system. After his release, Lee ran the Gwangjang bookstore near Seoul National University and founded the progressive publishing house Dolbegae.
In 1980, he was again arrested in connection with the so-called Kim Dae-jung conspiracy case, before being released under a special amnesty. Lee entered the National Assembly in 1988 after winning the Gwanak-eul constituency in Seoul and went on to serve seven terms, later representing Sejong City.
He served as Vice Mayor of Seoul, Minister of Education under President Kim Dae-jung, and Prime Minister under President Roh Moo-hyun. As leader of the Democratic Party from 2018 to 2020, he led the party to a landslide victory in the 2020 general election. In October last year, he was appointed Senior Vice Chair of the National Unification Advisory Council.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia earned US$6,460,611,936.32 from agricultural exports across all sub-sectors in 2025, marking a 7.31% increase from US$6,020,679,406.30 in 2024, according to Khim Finan, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, who spoke to Fresh News.
Rice exports rose from US$552,220,560 in 2024 to US$749,435,837 in 2025, an increase of more than US$197 million, or 35.71%. The European Union remains the largest market for Cambodian rice, while exports to China and ASEAN markets have also increased. Compared with 2024, rice exports by volume in 2025 rose by 98.88% to the Chinese market and by 118.42% to the ASEAN market.
At the same time, animal feed exports recorded strong growth, reaching approximately US$217,281,330 in 2025—an increase of more than US$75 million, or 53.02%, compared with exports of US$141,998,540 in 2024.
Habib Toumi, THE AsiaN, Bahrain
Japan has won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup 2026, defeating China 4–0 in the final held in the resort city of Jeddah.
“Hosting the championship in Saudi Arabia represents a significant milestone in advancing the Kingdom’s sports landscape,” said Mai Al Helabi, CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. She emphasized that the stadiums in Jeddah and Riyadh met the highest technical and operational standards, meeting the expectations of both the AFC and football fans.
Saudi Arabia is continuing its efforts to host major football tournaments, including the AFC Champions League Elite Finals in April 2026, the AFC U17 Championship Finals in May 2026, and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
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