India

| INDIA

Activists from the extremist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad demonstrated in front of Holy Cross Convent School in Dharmanagar, demanding that a Hindu puja be celebrated on campus, forcing the school administration to call the police and suspend classes. The principal denounces a climate of growing intimidation. The bishop of Agartala tells AsiaNews: “These kinds of requests and accusations are unfounded and are a way to create divisions.”

by Maria Casadei

Interior Minister Amit Shah touts data on the increase in drug seizures. But the number of consumers has also grown, including among the very young: it is estimated that over 25% of minors use drugs. The issue of chemicals produced in India and destined for laboratories producing methamphetamine in Myanmar, but also in Central America and Africa

| 20/01/2026
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

In the local vote, contrary to the general trend, Karen D'Mello earned the trust of voters, defeating the BJP and Shiv Shena in her district. Many Muslims and Hindus also voted for her. “My Faith strengthens and enlightens me,” she said, making her sensitive to the needs of others and strengthens her commitment to the poor.

| 19/01/2026
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

A tragic case of isolation and indifference in Uttar Pradesh becomes a national issue. Boy cares for 52-year-old mother and, after her death, accompanies her to a post-mortem facility. After his father died of HIV/AIDS, and his mother contracted tuberculosis, the community abandoned them. The boy, who dropped out of school to care for his mother, fears being killed by relatives over his land.

| 17/01/2026
| INDIA

At Manikarnika Ghat, an important cremation site in the holy city, a structure linked to the Hindu Queen Ahilyabai Holkar has been demolished, part of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor project. Meanwhile, the environmental problems of the Ganges and the poverty of many residents remain unresolved. The project has left the Gyanvapi Mosque exposed, paving the way for fresh sectarian tensions.

| 16/01/2026
| INDIAN MANDALA
by Nirmala Carvalho

The Major Archbishop announces a “Year for strengthening the community” in a post-synodal circular. He invites the faithful to contribute financially to the future of the communities and public life by creating job opportunities. Fr Olikkarott: ‘The decline in families is alarming: we encourage young people to stay and have children’.

| 15/01/2026
| INDIA
by Renato Dean D’Costa*

In a new episode of AsiaNews' reportage, the personal story of faith of the communications officer of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia: from Goa to Bahrain, a journey that has not been without challenges and difficulties, but which has also been a ‘grace’ and a “gift” to ‘bear witness to others’. And the hope of ‘remaining rooted in my Christian identity in this land of Arabia’.

 

| 11/01/2026
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
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
 
by Gianni Criveller
The editorial director of AsiaNews offers his best wishes to “those who oppose war and division, who pay with prison for their fidelity to their ideals, who dedicate themselves for the least. Even in the huge continent where His disciples are few, ...
| 24/12/2025
| ASIANEWS
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”