by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

India is celebrating the Week of Christian Unity from 18 to 25 January. As religious intolerance and hate speech rises, especially in states governed by the BJP, ecumenism is becoming a concrete sign of solidarity. Celebrations were held in Karnataka, with the faithful of various denominations participating.

by Lisa Bongiovanni

Faced with a rapidly declining population, Greenland is increasingly relying on workers from the Philippines  for key sectors of the local economy, such as fishing and seafood processing. This is happening at a time when some studies suggest that Southeast Asia is the region most affected by rising sea levels due to melting ice sheets.

| 21/01/2026
| GREENLAND – PHILIPPINES
by Melani Manel Perera

The play Yakawewata Nandikadal was born out of workshops promoted by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) with communities affected by the war. Based on real-life stories, it is performed by non-professional actors and presented in Tamil and Sinhalese. It addresses pain, loss, and mutual distrust, calling for genuine cohesion and peaceful coexistence in Sri Lanka.

| 21/01/2026
| SRI LANKA
by Fady Noun

Diplomatic initiatives to rehabilitate the Lebanese state as a credible actor in matters of security, deterrence, and stability seek to correct unrealistic assessments of the possibility that the army alone can dismantle the pro-Iranian movement. Meanwhile, the south of the country is sinking into sad abandonment.

| 21/01/2026
| LEBANON

Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah announced that he is running in the upcoming general elections, challenging former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who was forced out of office by Gen Z protests. Others are disappointed by what the caretaker government has achieved so far.  New internal divisions are emerging in established parties, which are now seeking to revitalise themselves to garner support from young voters.

| 21/01/2026
| NEPAL
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Dushanbe's honey production is highly regarded at international fairs for its taste and purity, and its availability has also grown significantly. However, it still struggles to enter European markets due to shortcomings in certification systems and the logistical organisation supporting exports.

| 21/01/2026
| TAJIKISTAN

Today's headlines: Indonesia, nine arrests by Medan police for trafficking newborns; Seoul: 23 years in prison for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for supporting martial law in 2024; Traffic in India among the worst in the world, with six of the ten most congested cities in Asia in 2025; Lawyer who defended Christians and converts arrested in Tehran.

| 21/01/2026
| ASIA TODAY
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
 
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
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”