by Melani Manel Perera | SRI LANKA

Some officers were detained and suspended after Father Milan Priyadarshana was beaten while returning home from an evening service. This morning, the Archdiocese of Colombo organised a silent demonstration against police violence and abuse.

by Mathias Hariyadi

Prayers, thanksgiving and a traditional kethoprak performance marked the celebrations for the archbishop's half-century of priesthood. A tribute to local culture and a profound reflection on the mission of a pastor. The Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs was also present, along with hundreds of faithful.

| 27/01/2026
| INDONESIA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Prime Minister Kobakhidze declares himself ‘available at any time for discussions with members of the pro-Western opposition’. But these same forces, which do not recognise the legitimacy of his government, remind him of their leaders in prison and the approval of the law against ‘foreign agents’. Meanwhile, Tbilisi is cut off from trade agreements between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

| 27/01/2026
| GEORGIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

One of India's highest honours was bestowed upon the Mumbai neonatologist who drastically cut infant mortality. Founder of India's first milk bank, she also put her work in the service of women in the city slums. Many times, “I have felt God holding my hands,” she said, and “‘This is what you have to do’.”

| 26/01/2026
| INDIA
by Maria Casadei

During the UN periodic review, the Maldivian government defended its proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12, arguing that it is necessary to combat the recruitment of minors by gangs. UN experts and the country's human rights commission, however, expressed serious concerns about the risk of criminalising children and the child protection system’s shortcomings.

| 26/01/2026
| MALDIVES

The extremists brought their livestock and destroyed the crops near a house, then threw stones at it. After residents tried to defend themselves, Israeli soldiers arrested them, protecting the attackers. In 2025 settlers' violence rose considerably. A new Jewish settlement was recently inaugurated near Beit Sahour.

| 26/01/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
by Mathias Hariyadi

The mass of mud and debris struck about thirty homes in Pasirlangu during the night. The disaster was caused by the collapse of a natural dam, raising questions about poor watercourse control measures and violations of land-use planning regulations. In recent days, Prabowo had revoked the forest exploitation licences of 28 companies after floods in northern Sumatra.

| 26/01/2026
| INDONESIA
Editor's choices
 
by Father Will Conquer*
From Sihanoukville, a missionary talks about the many ambiguities behind the high-profile operations and arrests targeting the local scam farm system. With so much hypocrisy, he sees “silent complicity” and “utter abdication of responsibility.” ...
| 20/01/2026
| CAMBODIA
 
From 19 January, the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam will decide the country's leadership until 2031. General Secretary To Lam arrives at the event on the back of strong economic results achieved in 2025, so further centralisation ...
| 16/01/2026
| VIETNAM
 
From Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to Sudan and Libya, Pakistan has expanded defence deals in recent months with JF-17 fighter sales, jointly produced with China that proved ITS versatility during the conflict with India last May. This affordable aircraft ...
| 14/01/2026
| PAKISTAN
 
The 'Yesterday’ project, which reports from abroad on protests in China, selected the 10 most significant collective initiatives of the past year, offering a snapshot of activism in China. It features “unsung heroes” who together ...
| 08/01/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
The year begins with elections in Bangladesh, Thailand and Nepal, but also with the Vietnamese Communist Party Congress. The Philippines will hold the rotating presidency of ASEAN, while Shenzhen will host the APEC summit. Japan will host the 20th edition ...
| 01/01/2026
| ASIA
 
The list includes Japan's first female prime minister, Nepal's Generation Z, and Field Marshal Munir in Pakistan. We also have Zohran Mamdani, who today speaks to India from his post as mayor of New York; Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, ...
| 31/12/2025
| THE YEAR THAT IS ENDING
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”