| THAILAND

The government has singled out legal loopholes that allowed non-Thais to circumvent restrictions on foreign ownership. This has sent a chill through the sector, affecting mainly the most famous destinations like Phuket and Koh Samui. However, for experts, the crackdown should generate increased caution among buyers rather than dampen foreign demand.

 

by Dario Salvi

Yonatan Ziegen, the son of pacifist Vivian Silver, killed in the Hamas attack on 7 October, talks about his decision to run for the Knesset with Makom Lekulanu in Israel's fall elections. Born from the experience of Standing Together, it intends to fight war and fear with a proposal inspired by hope, and serve as a "political home" to build a “new leadership”.

| 23/06/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Nirmala Carvalho

The victims were young people attending a 3D graphics class offered by an animation studio. The building had been subject to a demolition order in 2016 due to serious flaws, which was later revoked. Bishop Gerald Mathias sent his “heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families”, urging the authorities to take “appropriate measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.”

| 23/06/2026
| INDIA
by Steve Suwannarat

A case that began after authorities rescued six newborns bound for the city-state has put the spotlight on a widespread practice. Criminal groups exploit the economic difficulties of many women to circumvent adoption regulations, increasingly using social media for recruitment.

| 23/06/2026
| INDONESIA – SINGAPORE
by Shafique Khokhar

Convicted for the death of a soldier during a protest in Gwadar in 2024, the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee plans to appeal. Human rights groups lament the lack of transparency in the trial and fear new tensions in the province, where the local ethnic group has challenged Islamabad and foreign economic interests.

| 23/06/2026
| PAKISTAN
by Sumon Corraya

In line with the Church’s commitment to social justice. Eroded land is “not merely a resource”: it is linked to identity and survival. The “indissoluble” link between territorial rights and biodiversity was emphasised, as were the issues surrounding “eco-parks”. A call for concrete measures.

| 23/06/2026
| BANGLADESH

The 29-year-old striker for the German national team is the son of migrants originally from the Viranşehir district. He is the first Kurd to score at a World Cup, celebrating the goal with a traditional dance. He was also the target of a campaign peppered with racially charged insults during a Europa League match in Istanbul. Nine players from this ethnic-religious minority are taking part in the tournament.

| 23/06/2026
| UNITES STATES - MIDDLE EAST
Editor's choices
 
After eight years, the trial against the Sisters has ended. In 2018, far-fetched child trafficking charges were laid against them, sparking worldwide media coverage. The High Court's verdict declared them not guilty. For Bishop Mascarenhas, “after ...
| 18/06/2026
| INDIA
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand ...
| 17/06/2026
| SOUTH EAST ASIA
 
by Arundathie Abeysinghe
The new sustainability rules are causing difficulties for many local exporters. The European Union is the largest market for the textile industry. From September, companies will have to comply with requirements across the entire supply chain: firms are ...
| 16/06/2026
| SRI LAKA - EU
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Once classified by the Communist Party as “spiritual pollution”, this genre now generates billions of yuan in revenue and has become part of the state's cultural promotion strategy, within a clear geopolitical vision. "The Wandering Earth" ...
| 11/06/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
by fr. Gabriel Romanelli *
On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the small community of the Holy Family performed the Eucharistic blessing towards the four cardinal points from the church square. The parish priest said: “From here we also blessed the towns that no longer exist: ...
| 09/06/2026
| GAZA
 
by Gregory
Stored gelignite reportedly caused a massive explosion that killed at least 55 people in a village in Shan State. The catastrophe has put the spotlight on the TNLA, a controversial militia that struck a deal with China. Meanwhile, according to the United ...
| 02/06/2026
| MYANMAR
 
by Chow Hang-tung *
In a message written from prison, the lawyer on trial alongside Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for the 4 June vigils in Victoria Park speaks of the importance of resilience in remembering the 1989 massacre in Beijing, whilst the Hong Kong authorities cover ...
| 01/06/2026
| HONG KONG - CHINA
 
by Shafique Khokhar
In his encyclical, Pope Leo XIV singles out Pakistan's first female prime minister as a public figure who promoted the greatness of humanity. A Muslim, she was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi. Pakistani Catholics expressed gratitude towards her ...
| 28/05/2026
| PAKISTAN – VATICAN
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”