Bangladesh will not participate in the Men's T20 World Cup, scheduled to start in India in February, citing concerns over players’ safety, a result of tensions between the two countries following former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flight to India and attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. Dhaka unsuccessfully asked for matches to be moved to Sri Lanka. For Murel Gomes, a Catholic and a former captain of the Bangladesh women's national football team, “cricket should never be held hostage to political tensions.”
A report by the humanitarian organisation Fortify Rights denounces prisonlike living conditions on the island, where the Bangladeshi government relocated tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Created to relieve pressure on the Cox's Bazar camps after the 2017 exodus, the island has become a de facto penal colony, where people are denied freedom of movement and employment opportunities.
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.
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.
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.
Seven people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in the commercial district of Shahr-e-Naw. The attack, which is part of a broader anti-Chinese jihadist campaign, reignites fears for the security of investments in Afghanistan. Beijing continues to maintain a diplomatic and economic presence, while internal divisions within the Taliban leadership complicate the political and security situation.
