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
Kim Min-seok was elected leader of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party on August 17, defeating Chung Cheong-rae after a preferential voting process. At the party convention in Daejeon, Kim secured 54.08 percent of the final vote against Chung’s 45.92 percent. The preferential system was triggered after no candidate won a majority in the first round, with second-choice votes from supporters of third-place candidate Song Young-gil redistributed. Kim won 55.94 percent among party members with voting rights and 66.69 percent among delegates, while receiving 49.3 percent in the public opinion poll. During his two-year term, Kim will support President Lee Jae-myung’s administration and oversee nominations for the 2028 general election. In his acceptance speech, Kim pledged a “creative, horizontal relationship” between the party and government and proposed “ABC”—Affordability, Broad expansion, and Competence—as priorities for party reform.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Trade between Cambodia and the United Kingdom reached US$636 million in the first seven months of 2026, up nearly 2% compared to the same period in 2025. According to a report by the General Directorate of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE), Cambodia exported more than US$600 million to the UK, up 1.5%, while the UK imported US$34 million, up 9.4%. Cambodia’s trade volume depends on the existing markets it has which include Everything but Arms and other agreements with Korea, China, and the UK, which will increase trade in the future. In 2025, Cambodia-UK bilateral trade volume totaled more than $1.06 billion, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2024, of which Cambodia’s exports to the UK were $1.01 billion, while the UK’s imports were worth $54 billion, an increase of 2.2% and a decrease of more than 2% respectively, the report read.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has taken a new initiative to control and eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFA) in food products to reduce the risk of various non-communicable diseases including heart disease. In continuation of this, standards have been formulated by setting the maximum level of trans fat at two percent in various food products including edible oil, decorated cakes and chips. A press release from the BSTI said that these issues were discussed in detail at a stakeholder consultation meeting at the BSTI head office in Dhaka on August 17. The meeting titled ‘Encouraging the production of TFA-free edible oil and PHO (Partially Hydrogenated Oil) in Bangladesh’ was attended by senior officials of various edible oil producers and refiners and research institutions in the country. They emphasized the need for producers and traders to take effective initiatives to ensure safe food free of trans fats.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Turkmenistan and Bangladesh have launched a new phase of bilateral cooperation following their first-ever political consultations in Ashgabat. The two sides began coordinating an Action Program for 2027–2029, covering trade, investment, energy and other areas. Textiles emerged as a key priority, combining Bangladesh’s global garment industry with Turkmenistan’s cotton resources and production capacity. The countries also expressed interest in pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and energy. Turkmenistan is ready to contribute to Bangladesh’s energy security and supply mineral fertilizers, while Bangladesh has offered jute products, ceramics, light-industry goods and semiconductor components. The parties are considering a joint working group and agreements on investment protection, double taxation, tourism, science and culture. For Turkmenistan, closer ties with Bangladesh offer access to a market of more than 170 million people and an important South Asian economic hub. Energy cooperation could also diversify export destinations, although logistics remain a major challenge.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260818 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
