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
K-pop idol and actor Cha Eun-woo of ASTRO has come under scrutiny over allegations of tax evasion totaling approximately 20 billion won, prompting South Korean defense authorities to make one of his promotional videos private.
On Jan. 27, a video featuring Cha as a storyteller on “That Day, the Military Story,” which had been uploaded to the Defense Ministry–run YouTube channel KFN Plus, was switched to private and is no longer accessible.
While the reason for the move has not been officially disclosed, it followed public reports regarding the tax investigation. The Seoul Regional Tax Office is reportedly probing alleged income-splitting arrangements involving a single-person agency established by Cha’s mother, suspecting that it functioned as a shell company. Cha’s agency stated that the issue revolves around differing legal interpretations and emphasized that they will fully cooperate with the investigation while presenting their explanation through appropriate legal procedures.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysian children may begin formal schooling at the age of six instead of seven, as lowering the entry age would bring the country in line with international standards.
He said the proposal forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s education system and ensure that students are not disadvantaged compared with their regional and global peers. The suggestion is outlined in the National Education Blueprint 2026–2035.
On Tuesday, Anwar said Malaysia cannot afford to fall behind, arguing that a new policy allowing six-year-olds to enter Year One would give children earlier opportunities to learn and progress. He added that the initiative aims to provide all children, regardless of background, with a fair chance to succeed in school. “Our children must be given every opportunity. Malaysia in 2026 cannot fall behind,” he said at the launch of the Semenyih Public Infrastructure Development Project. “Let a few people complain, saying they are not ready yet or are too young. That is fine. If anyone wishes to dissent, they are free to speak,” he said.
“More than 100 countries have already introduced school enrolment at the age of six. Why should we fall behind? We must move forward. Those who are slow will catch up, but we must move forward, even if there are challenges. I know there are issues with school admissions and accelerated learning, but we are trying to resolve them, and we must take a very positive approach,” he said.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has confirmed that his government has agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to participate as a Founding Member State and become a party to the Charter of the Board of Peace Council. During a meeting with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Rear Admiral Samuel Paparo in Phnom Penh on Monday, Hun Manet informed the admiral that Cambodia had received President Donald Trump’s letter of invitation and that “Cambodia will participate in the Peace Council, which demonstrates Cambodia’s goodwill and strong commitment to global peace.”
On January 16, President Trump sent a letter directly to Hun Manet inviting Cambodia. Hun Manet also wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, reaffirming that Cambodia’s participation is intended to demonstrate “Cambodia’s willingness to support and contribute to the promotion of global peacekeeping. Goodwill, love of peace, and support for and contribution to the building and maintenance of peace are principles that Cambodia has always upheld, particularly through the deployment of peacekeeping forces under the United Nations framework to carry out missions in several war-affected countries.”
Regarding financial obligations related to participation, Hun Manet clarified that “participation as a founding member of the Board of Peace for a three-year term does not require any financial contribution. The payment of one billion U.S. dollars applies only to long-term (permanent) membership.” At least 35 of the 62 countries invited have publicly accepted President Trump’s Board of Peace initiative, which aims to resolve global conflicts.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
The International Court of Arbitration in London has ruled in favor of Kazakhstan in its dispute with the operators of the Karachaganak oil and gas field, declaring the reimbursement of unapproved costs to be unlawful. According to Bloomberg, the consortium led by Eni and Shell could face compensation liabilities of between $2 billion and $4 billion.
The court found that the project participants had improperly recovered certain expenses from the state’s share under the production-sharing agreement. Kazakhstan had initially sought more than $6 billion in compensation, though the final amount has yet to be determined.
The consortium—which also includes Chevron, Lukoil, and KazMunayGas—failed in its attempt to have the case dismissed on statute-of-limitations grounds. The ruling is part of Kazakhstan’s broader effort to revise contractual terms with major international oil companies, although the operators retain the right to appeal the decision.
ⓒ THE AsiaN | All rights reserved
This content is copyrighted by THE AsiaN. If you wish to share it, please do so without modifying the original text and always include the source link. Unauthorized editing or sharing without proper attribution may result in legal consequences.
