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
On a political program aired by KBC, opposition People Power Party spokesperson Lee Jun-woo warned that if Park Jie-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea becomes the next National Assembly Speaker, he could represent “an expanded version” of the partisan leadership style associated with Choo Mi-ae and Choi Min-hee.
KBC, a private broadcaster based in Gwangju and South Jeolla—regions known for strong Democratic Party support—aired the remarks during its program “Yeouido Sword Fight.” Lee argued that Park could push the ruling party’s agenda aggressively as “his last political mission,” raising concerns over one-sided parliamentary management.
However, Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Bu-nam dismissed the claim, stating that the Speaker does not have unilateral control over the Assembly in the same way committee chairs do. A poll by Media Tomato showed support among Democratic Party supporters for the speakership at 43.7% for Park, followed by Cho Jung-sik at 7.4% and Kim Tae-nyeon at 4.6%. Park said that serving as Speaker would be his “final opportunity to contribute.”
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Azizulhasni Awang, Malaysia’s national track cycling champion, proved he remains in a class of his own by winning the keirin title at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup 2026 held at the National Velodrome Nilai on Saturday.
Nicknamed “The Pocket Rocketman,” Azizulhasni delivered a powerful performance to defeat his main rival, Harrie Lavreysen, in a thrilling final. Lavreysen finished second, while Nicholas Paul secured third place. The victory in Nilai is especially meaningful, as it is expected to be Azizulhasni’s final international appearance on home soil. It also marks his second World Cup win of the season, following his keirin triumph in Perth, Australia, in March.
Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Azizulhasni in a Facebook post, saying Malaysians are proud of the achievement by the cyclist widely known as “The Pocket Rocketman.”
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia’s trade in goods with members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership reached US$11.26 billion in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 64% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, exports from January to March totaled US$2.82 billion, up 4.22%, primarily to key RCEP partners including Vietnam, China, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. Imports from RCEP member countries reached approximately US$8.44 billion, rising 24.24% year-on-year.
The RCEP agreement—an initiative led by ASEAN—is currently the world’s largest free trade agreement, comprising 15 countries, including the 10 ASEAN member states and five major Indo-Pacific economies: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. The ministry added that Cambodia’s total trade with RCEP partners reached US$40.23 billion in 2025, representing a 16.26% increase compared to 2024.
Leo Nirosha Darshan, Express Newspapers, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is set to modernize its maritime surveillance through a strategic partnership with Norway, focusing on satellite technology to combat illegal fishing.
During a high-level visit to Oslo on April 23, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister, secured an agreement to integrate Norway’s advanced vessel tracking systems. A key outcome of talks under the Blue Justice Initiative includes potential free access for Sri Lanka to satellite-based AIS (Automatic Identification System) data. The technology is expected to significantly enhance monitoring of offshore fleets and help curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Indian Ocean.
Beyond surveillance, the cooperation will also extend to food security. Norway has invited Sri Lanka to join the Global Action Network on Sustainable Food, enabling research collaboration with agencies such as NARA to improve the nutritional quality of fish products. Minister Chandrasekar said adopting Norwegian expertise and international standards would be essential for aligning Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector with global digital and sustainability benchmarks.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund that it will transfer trillions of rupees in government funds from commercial bank accounts into the national treasury system.
The move follows the Ministry of Finance’s acknowledgment that roughly one trillion rupees are currently held by state-owned entities (SOEs) in commercial banks outside the official system. Authorities have committed to bringing 70 additional SOE accounts—holding about 290 billion rupees—under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework. The IMF is said to be closely monitoring funds kept outside the TSA and has urged Pakistan to end the long-standing practice of holding public money outside the formal government system.
Meanwhile, members of parliament have expressed strong criticism over the delayed implementation of the Public Finance Management Act, enacted in 2019. Senior government officials confirmed that Pakistan has pledged to continue consolidating SOE cash reserves into the treasury system. The Ministry of Finance also informed the IMF in writing that the reforms are aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline and improving transparency in public finance management.
ⓒ 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 20260426 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
