by Arundathie Abeysinghe | SRI LANKA

Government plans to change the education system have sparked strong protests from teachers, parents, and academics. Criticism centres on flawed teaching materials and the additional costs to families, in a country still coping with the damage caused by recent extreme weather events and where many people still face great economic hardship


At today's general audience, the first of Leo XIV's catechesis on the documents of the Second Vatican Council. ‘Words are not only used to exchange information, but to reveal who we are. Let us not fail to set aside time for prayer and meditation in our daily and weekly lives as Christians.’

| 14/01/2026
| VATICAN
by Fady Noun

Alert in Lebanon over the wave of protests in the Islamic Republic. Institutional leaders and the population are closely following developments. Aoun's appeal to the Shiite movement: ‘From the logic of force to the force of logic’. Phase 2 of the disarmament plan is underway, while Israeli bombing continues.

| 14/01/2026
| LEBANON - IRAN
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Prizes have been awarded for the national competition that has revived the practice of observing and photographing the country's beauty through the flight of its birds. A total of 335 different species have been immortalised by enthusiasts. A view that embraces not only animals, but also the people who live near them and many aspects of local culture and traditions.

| 14/01/2026
| UZBEKISTAN

At the trial for the attempted imposition of martial law in December 2024, special prosecutors have requested the maximum sentence for the deposed former head of state. A verdict is expected in February. South Korea has not carried out capital executions since 1997. The precedent was set with Chun Doo-hwan, whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison (followed by a pardon).

| 13/01/2026
| SOUTH KOREA

More than 10 people died and more than 20 are missing following a collapse at Cebu City's main landfill. The authorities blamed the disaster to heavy rains, but locals had been reporting irregularities and environmental violations for years. For Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, this is not simple misfortune, but rather the result of poor education, training, and awareness about waste disposal.

| 13/01/2026
| PHILIPPINES
by Dario Salvi

Iran claims that the situation is relatively calm, but reports about protests are still coming from the country. Some estimates put the death toll as high as 12,000, while Iranian authorities report around 2,000 deaths. Speaking to AsiaNews, a Jordanian scholar notes that Iran’s crisis is not just a domestic problem related to the economy and society, but touches the entire Middle East and reflects the collapse of Iran’s allies.

| 13/01/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
Editor's choices
 
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
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| 08/01/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
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| 01/01/2026
| ASIA
 
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| 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
 
This is a time to see the lights everywhere in the city and hear questions from young Chinese about the "exotic festival" from the West. Local Catholics show a surprising ability to combine mass culture and evangelisation. “I like to think it is ...
| 23/12/2025
| CHINA
 
by fr. Gabriel Romanelli
The parish priest of the Holy Family shares a video testimony of these days of Advent with AsiaNews. Life has ‘slightly improved’ after the ceasefire, but the war ‘continues’. The humanitarian emergency remains current in a climate ...
| 17/12/2025
| ISRAEL - PALESTINE
 
After five years in prison and a one-sided trial lasting 156 hearings, the “exemplary” sentence was handed down today to the Catholic entrepreneur, publisher of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. The sentence has yet to be determined, ...
| 15/12/2025
| HONG KONG
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”