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
SBS drama Manager Kim has emerged as one of the year’s biggest K-content successes, attracting viewers at home and abroad. Its finale recorded a nationwide rating of 23%, peaking at 27.1%, while the cumulative television audience surpassed 25.6 million. The series also ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s global non-English TV chart for three consecutive weeks.
Based on a popular webtoon, the drama follows an ordinary middle-aged office worker who revives his former skills as a covert operative to rescue his endangered daughter. Its combination of fatherly devotion, fast-paced action, and everyday comedy appealed to viewers across generations and cultures.
The production also drew industry attention by creating a three-minute action sequence entirely with generative AI, with explosions, vehicle chases, and underwater scenes all produced using AI technology. The drama’s success is being hailed as a new model combining webtoon intellectual property, television broadcasting, global streaming platforms, and AI-based production.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Australia has carved out an exemption for students from ASEAN nations following a 25% increase in its international student visa fee, raising the non-refundable application fee from A$2,000 to A$2,500 on July 3. Students from ASEAN countries, however, were subject only to an inflation-adjusted increase of A$50, bringing their fee to A$2,050 — the first time such a distinction has been made.
Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill said the exemption was a deliberate policy choice tied to Australia’s engagement with the region. “A reduced visa fee rate for students from ASEAN nations reflects the importance Australia places on welcoming high-quality students from Southeast Asia,” he said, according to the Straits Times. “Australia and ASEAN nations share deep, abiding bonds and it’s important that our young people spend time in their formative years getting to know each other and building lifelong bonds,” Hill added.
The latest increase is part of a series of hikes aimed at managing a surge in migration since the Covid-19 pandemic. The fee had previously risen from A$710 to A$1,600 in July 2024 and further to A$2,000 in July 2025. Australia already maintains a lower fee of A$745 for students from Pacific nations, including Timor-Leste, which joined ASEAN in October 2025, as part of its diplomatic outreach to the region.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
The Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) has reported significant progress in addressing the unexploded ordnance (UXO) crisis in border provinces affected by Thai military operations since July 28 last year.
According to Heng Ratana, the Royal Government Delegate in charge of CMAC, UXO survey operations have been conducted across 22 districts, covering 60 communes and 335 villages in seven provinces: Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Siem Reap, and Koh Kong.
During these operations, CMAC discovered and destroyed more than 8,400 munitions of all types, including 4,436 cluster munitions. Heng Ratana said the results have contributed significantly to reducing risks and improving safety for people in affected areas. From January to June 2026, CMAC recorded 265 bomb site polygons covering 4,829 hectares of affected land, and 3,858 cluster munition polygons covering 262,506 hectares, with an estimated 120,000 to 130,000 unexploded cluster munitions and 6 to 7 million cluster submunitions.
In total, CMAC has identified 5,348 affected sites covering 387,206 hectares, with over 18,500 pieces of evidence collected. A total of 5,911 priority areas covering nearly 1,455 hectares have been cleared to support the return of displaced persons, including 87 schools, 20 health centres, 6 monasteries, and 114 other infrastructure sites.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
China, Japan, the United States, and several other countries are in talks on potential investments in Bangladesh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid told reporters on Sunday, July 26, following a dialogue held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
The dialogue focused on a roadmap for trade, growth, and economic diplomacy. Obaid said the Prime Minister’s Financial Adviser is working on various related policies, with the capital market and foreign direct investment among the key areas under discussion. She added that participants raised various suggestions and challenges that will be taken up with other ministries and worked toward solutions.
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