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
Samsung Electronics announced preliminary third-quarter results on October 8, reporting consolidated revenue of 195 trillion won ($145.5 billion) and operating profit of 107.4 trillion won ($80.1 billion). Revenue rose 126.6% and operating profit increased 782.5% year on year. Samsung became the first Korean company to exceed 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit, marking a fourth consecutive quarter of record results.
Growth was driven by surging memory demand fueled by AI data center investment, rising conventional DRAM and NAND flash prices, and expanding HBM4 sales. Meritz Securities estimated Samsung’s average DRAM selling price rose 20.1% quarter on quarter and raised its forecast for Samsung’s 2027 operating profit to 632 trillion won.
The preliminary announcement did not include results by business division, though analysts expect the semiconductor division to have led the results. Cumulative year-to-date revenue has exceeded 500 trillion won, with operating profit reaching 254.1 trillion won.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Malaysia is pushing to expedite operational negotiations with Indonesia so that its team can be deployed to help extinguish forest fires causing severe cross-border haze.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said on October 7 that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has agreed to Malaysia’s offer of assistance, but the two countries are still negotiating operational methods and the location where the Malaysian team will be deployed.
“I hope the negotiations for this operation can be expedited because the haze situation in our country has become extremely severe, exceeding unhealthy levels and approaching the hazardous index,” he told reporters after attending the graduation ceremony of the Diploma in Diplomacy Programme 2026 in Putrajaya. Mohamad said the forest fires are extensive and spreading, particularly in Kalimantan.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced during a working visit to Jakarta in September that Prabowo had agreed to Malaysia’s assistance offer, with more than 1,400 hotspots detected in Kalimantan at the time.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen has dismissed claims by overseas critics that the government is facing financial collapse and printing new banknotes out of desperation.
Addressing recurrent allegations on his official Facebook on October 7, Hun Sen said the national treasury remains robust, with cash reserves of no less than $2.5 billion, easily outpacing monthly salary expenditures of $230 million. National revenue exceeded $5 billion over a nine-month period — averaging up to $600 million monthly — providing more than sufficient funds to cover state expenses.
Hun Sen also accused foreign-based figures of financial misconduct, urging them to distribute funds collected at Wat Phnom Serei to refugees rather than diverting them to a domestic political party. He said he planned to release an audio recording as evidence, and challenged critics, noting that if the government were truly bankrupt, they would celebrate its collapse instead of spreading baseless claims.
The remarks follow recent issuance of new 50,000-riel and 100,000-riel banknotes by the National Bank of Cambodia, which prompted concerns among some members of the public. Prime Minister Hun Manet on October 1 clarified that the new banknotes were introduced to strengthen anti-counterfeiting measures and replace worn currency.
Bob Iskandar, Indonesia Global News, Indonesia
Pertamina Hulu Rokan’s Reco 00004 well began production in Riau on September 17, delivering an initial 1,527 barrels of oil per day — about 6.4 times the initial target of 237 barrels per day — with a water cut of zero percent.
The well, drilled at the previously idle Reco field using rig BDSI-61 from August 10, is a directional infill well targeting the Pematang sandstone reservoir. Estimated spending stood at $2.245 million (약 30억원), or about 80.6% of the budgeted cost, while the operation recorded 84,191 safe man hours from drilling through production testing.
However, the initial output does not yet guarantee sustained production, making operational reliability, safety, cost discipline and long-term production performance the next priorities.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekneftegaz has revised its 2026 natural gas production forecast downward to 22.8 billion cubic meters, 9.5% below last year’s 25.2 billion cubic meters. The initial target was 25.4 billion cubic meters.
In the first nine months, the company produced 17 billion cubic meters. To offset the depletion of traditional reserves, Uzbekneftegaz has increased 3D seismic exploration fivefold and discovered five new fields after drilling 80 wells. Despite lower production targets, the company’s financial performance remains positive. Revenue rose 22% in the first nine months, while net profit increased 150%.
The downward revision highlights structural challenges in Uzbekistan’s energy sector. Declining output from major fields is pushing the country toward greater reliance on imported gas to meet growing industrial and household demand. In the first eight months, Uzbekistan’s gas imports reached $1.22 billion, a 15.2% increase year on year, while gas exports fell 34.8% to $322.3 million.
This shift is also affecting Central Asia’s energy balance. Uzbekistan is increasing gas purchases from Russia and Turkmenistan, reshaping regional pipeline flows and strengthening the importance of cross-border energy cooperation.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20261007 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
