An Iranian blockade of the world's main maritime transit point for oil and gas would have severe repercussions in Asia, especially for China, India, Japan, and South Korea. As crude oil prices rise, many doubt that Iran can carry out its threats because they would harm China, risking further isolating the country.

North Korea’s strongman Kim Jong-un is strengthening his regime’s military and economic ties with Moscow, sending more manpower to Russia. A year after Moscow and Pyongyang signed a defence treaty, North Korean losses in the Ukraine war are up.

While the eyes of the world are on the negotiations between China and the United States, Chinese-backed ethnic militias control new unregulated rare earth deposits. Beijing's priority is clear: to secure control over strategic resources, including through growing interventionism that is fuelling the country’s civil war and causing serious environmental damage.

The Catholic charity is the fourth recipient of the Human Dignity Award by Nanzan University, a Catholic institution. Caritas President Card Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo and a former student, collected the prize. In his address, the prelate mentioned Caritas’s missionary origins, and its transformation into a confederation of 162 national chapters, involved in ongoing emergencies, like Gaza, Ukraine and Myanmar. He noted that the organisation does “not act for the poor – we act with them". It is never a "stranger", but always "part of the community".

The ceremony took place today in Fujian province. Leo XIV, in his first choice regarding the Church in China, formally appointed Lin Yuntuan alongside Ordinary Bishop Cai Bingrui (the last Chinese bishop appointed by Francis in January). The Holy See is satisfied with this “important step" that confirms the “journey of communion" at the basis of the agreement with Beijing. There is hope that things will turn out better than in Mindong.

New data from the International Labour Organisation and UNICEF indicate a drop of 22 million child workers in four years. However, 138 million children remain trapped in this scourge, particularly in agriculture and the informal economy. Expert Insaf Nizam, who spoke to AsiaNews, highlighted the role of economic growth, warning of the dangers of inequality and family responsibilities.