| SRI LANKA - GULF

The alarm has been raised by the president of the National Farmers’ Union. Harvests in the coming Yala and Maha seasons are at risk, with the threat of a severe food shortage. Around 130,000 tonnes of fertiliser are needed for rice, but stocks stand at just 60,000 tonnes. For industry operators, the problem reflects a deeper structural vulnerability.


After testing the programme in some regions with a series of pilot projects, China is preparing to launch a form of universal plan specifically for long-term disability care. The mutual support will be funded by a 0.3 per cent contribution rate. This will help families in a country where people over 65 are expected to make up 20 per cent of the population by 2033.

 

| 26/03/2026
| RED LANTERNS

To boost local employment, the government has announced new steps that include higher salary thresholds for visa applications and limited stays, even for high-income migrants. But without investment in training, Malaysia risks only a shortage of skilled labour and rising costs.

| 26/03/2026
| MALAYSIA
by Sumon Corraya

The vehicle fell into the river whilst being loaded onto the ferry at Daulatdia Ghat. The local Catholic Church immediately expressed its condolences “for the victims and their families”. Archbishop of Dhaka: “Great concern” over the numerous “accidents and deaths” during travel for the Eid festivities. A child recounts the heroic act of his mother who saved him before the vehicle sank.

| 26/03/2026
| BANGLADESH
by Maria Casadei

The ruling overturns a provision that previously limited this right to cases where the child was under three months old. However, legal disparities remain: biological mothers, for example, are entitled to 26 weeks’ leave, whilst fathers are entitled to just 15 days, and only if they work in the public sector.

| 26/03/2026
| INDIA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

A new law on local viticulture – the finest in the former Soviet states – is about to come into force in Tbilisi. A step towards meeting European quality standards and preventing the spread of viruses among crops. But small farmers fear that the introduction of a licensing system will encourage the formation of a closed circle amongst the major producers.

| 26/03/2026
| GEORGIA

Today’s headlines: Nepalese Commission accuses former Prime Minister Oli of failing to prevent the deaths of dozens of people during anti-corruption protests; A senior Indonesian army officer resigns following an acid attack on an activist; Washington and Tehran are at odds over the negotiations; Tokyo releases further strategic oil reserves onto the market.

| 26/03/2026
| ASIA TODAY
Editor's choices
 
by Dario Salvi
In AsiaNews, Fr Ielpo describes the run-up to Easter amidst the war in the Gulf and the closure of the holy sites. He condemns the violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank: “Serious acts against people who want to live in peace”. ...
| 24/03/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
 
The ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the end of Ramadan is part of a broader objective, namely possible talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad to halt the war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump reported "very good ...
| 23/03/2026
| PAKISTAN – MIDDLE EAST
 
by Giorgio Bernardelli
The Cambodian part of the process for the beatification of Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas and 11 other victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide ended today. Since 2015, dozens of testimonies have been collected from people who witnessed their faithfulness to ...
| 18/03/2026
| CAMBODIA
 
by Giuseppe Caffulli
While the world’s attention is focused on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, there is another vital “economic resource” that the war is seriously jeopardizing: the labor of nearly 40 million foreign workers, who make ...
| 17/03/2026
| IRAN - UNITED STATES - GULF
 
Approved today by the National People's Congress, the legislation turns the president's views on the "sinicisation" of the 56 officially recognised groups into law. Han identity is defined as the "trunk”, while other cultures are compared ...
| 12/03/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
by Chiara Zappa
For 57 years, the Sisters of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret have taught Christian and Shia children and youth to live together in Dahye, a Hezbollah stronghold on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital. Since war broke out, a hundred families have ...
| 11/03/2026
| LEBANON
 
According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, international arms transfers increased by 9.2 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Excluding the war in Ukraine, Asia remains the main source of global demand, driven ...
| 11/03/2026
| ASIA
 
by Santosh Digal
While former rapper and Kathmandu mayor Balendra “Balen” Shah seems destined to become the new prime minister, Apostolic Administrator Fr. Silas Krishna Bogati asks the future government to focus on fighting corruption, employment, and political ...
| 07/03/2026
| NEPAL
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”