South Asia

by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

In Gurugram, Radhika Yadav, 25, was murdered by her father with five gunshots. The man confessed, saying that his fellow villagers mocked him for living off his daughter, a talented tennis player who ran her own academy. A tragedy that puts the spotlight back on honour killings in India.

 

 

by Alessandra De Poli

Four years after the death of the Jesuit who dedicated his life to defending the land rights of India’s indigenous peoples, the Bagaicha centre, which he founded in the State of Jharkhand, continues to fight for the poor. Despite threats and continuous mining, Jesuits and activists continue their mission to accompany tribal communities in claiming their rights, in the name of Father Stan Swamy, a symbol of justice for new generations too.

| 05/07/2025
| INDIA

The Indian prime minister visited Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago before travelling to Argentina, Brazil (for the BRICS summit), and Namibia to boost ties with developing countries and challenge Chinese influence. Billions-dollar investments in Africa and South-South cooperation top the agenda, while at home the opposition accuses him of neglecting domestic crises.

| 04/07/2025
| INDIAN MANDALA
by Melani Manel Perera

A special university course has been launched in collaboration with the Swami Vivekanda Cultural Centre. The first distance learning course in the Indian lingua franca was launched in January. The High Commissioner of Delhi for Sri Lanka: ‘A bridge of understanding and communication between our countries’.

| 04/07/2025
| SRI LANKA
by Joseph Masilamany

At least 36 men between the ages of 25 and 35 have been arrested in a series of operations against the terrorist network launched in April in the country. The militants recruited new recruits via WhatsApp, with rituals and oaths.

| 04/07/2025
| MALAYSIA - BANGLADESH
by Sumon Corraya

Demands for electoral reform are growing in Bangladesh. Several voices from across the political spectrum have proposed scrapping the first-past-the-post system to enhance the presence of minorities in parliament. Elections are expected in April next year.

| 03/07/2025
| BANGLADESH
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The largest foreign investment in the history of Sri Lanka has been on hold since the start of the year. Differences between the government over local market share have stopped the Sinopec project in Hambantota. The economic recovery plan has raised fears that it will damage the country’s oil sector and energy security.

| 02/07/2025
| SRI LANKA – CHINA
Editor's choices
 
by Dario Salvi
The founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center views settler attacks as a “disturbing development”. Israeli ministers and police legitimising it is worrying. A Judeo-centric ideology has “taken root”, but minority rights are ...
| 10/07/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
In the Upper House elections scheduled for 20 July, the ultra-nationalist party founded by Kamiya Sohei is trailing just behind the Liberal Democrats in the polls, who are at risk of losing their majority. Anti-globalists, opposed to LGBTQ+ rights and ...
| 10/07/2025
| JAPAN
 
According to anonymous sources, the dissident who publicly challenged "dictator Xi Jinping" in October 2022 and inspired the "blank paper" protest against the zero-COVID policy has been tried and convicted. Human rights groups are calling on Beijing ...
| 09/07/2025
| CHINA
 
The 62-year-old missionary in Bangladesh was elected this morning by the General Assembly underway in Rome. For the next six years, he will lead the institute founded by Bishop Angelo Ramazzotti, now present with 400 missionaries in 20 countries around ...
| 07/07/2025
| ITALY
 
by Alessandra De Poli
Four years after the death of the Jesuit who dedicated his life to defending the land rights of India’s indigenous peoples, the Bagaicha centre, which he founded in the State of Jharkhand, continues to fight for the poor. Despite threats and continuous ...
| 05/07/2025
| INDIA
 
An investigation by Finance Uncovered has revealed that almost US$ 40 million from state development funds from the United Kingdom, Norway and Denmark have been invested in a company that operates digital surveillance infrastructure and technologies ...
| 04/07/2025
| MYANMAR
 
In the anniversary of the former British colony's transition to the People's Republic, the Hong Kong Democracy Council takes stock of the repression. Of the 161 convicted, 102 are still serving prison sentences. On 14 August, Jimmy Lai's ...
| 01/07/2025
| HONG KONG
 
by mons. Pierre Suon Hang Ly *
The new coadjutor apostolic vicar of the Cambodian capital, appointed yesterday by Pope Leo, tells AsiaNews about the challenges facing the tiny local Church reborn after the persecution of the Khmer Rouge, who fifty years ago also killed Msgr. Samar, ...
| 29/06/2025
| ECCLESAI IN ASIA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”