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
South Korea’s antitrust regulator has stepped up monitoring of gasoline prices nationwide as oil costs surge amid the Middle East conflict.
Fair Trade Commission Chair Joo Byung-ki said on March 5 that the agency is closely tracking retail fuel prices at gas stations across the country to prevent market distortions caused by rising international oil prices. Speaking at a government task force meeting on consumer price stabilization in Seoul, Joo said regional FTC offices have been mobilized to work with related ministries to monitor the market.
Data from the Korea National Oil Corporation’s Opinet system showed that the nationwide average gasoline price reached 1,821.98 won per liter on Thursday afternoon, up 44.5 won from the previous day and surpassing the 1,800-won mark for the first time since August 2022.
Authorities warned that hoarding, price collusion, or excessive price hikes exploiting geopolitical tensions would face swift and strict penalties.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia exported 247,822 tons of rice to the international market during the first two months of 2026, earning more than US$142.87 million.
According to a report from the Cambodian Rice Federation, the exports were made by 55 rice exporting companies to 51 destinations. These included 64,134 tons to 28 European countries worth US$46.22 million, 51,384 tons to China and Hong Kong worth US$36.31 million, 112,142 tons to five ASEAN countries worth US$41.89 million, and 20,162 tons to 16 other countries in Africa, the Middle East, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, worth US$18.45 million. The exported rice consisted of 59.16% fragrant rice, 0.06% long-grain white rice, 1.18% parboiled rice, 0.74% organic rice, 27.68% broken rice of all types, and 11.18% other varieties.
Cambodia also exported 873,880 tons of wet rice, valued at an estimated US$196.62 million, the Cambodian Rice Federation said.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
The Pakistani government on Thursday dismissed as fake a notification circulating on social media that claimed a temporary suspension of all port entries in Pakistan due to the security situation until March 10.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the Minister of Information’s fact-checking team clarified that no such notification had been issued by either the Cabinet Division or the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, describing the circulating document as fabricated. The clarification comes amid the ongoing US–Israel conflict with Iran, following Iran’s announcement of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is regarded as the world’s most vital oil export corridor, linking major Gulf producers—including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates—to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
A day earlier, Pakistan sought an alternative oil supply route through Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
ⓒ 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.
THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260306 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
