| TURKEY

Yesterday, the Turkish leader received the ecumenical patriarch at the presidential complex. One of the issued discussed was finding ways the historic school, closed in 1971, could reopen after the inauguration next September of the newly renovated building complex. Trump, expected at the NATO summit in July, has pushed for Ankara to give the green light. Renewed tensions with Greece over maritime borders lurk in the background.

by Alessandra De Poli

In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the NGO Global Alms treats the trauma and restores a name, dignity and a future to the survivors.

| 17/06/2026
| SOUTH EAST ASIA
by Mathias Hariyadi

Eight years on from the 2018 disaster, a new 6.7-magnitude tremor has claimed at least one life and caused damage to dozens of homes. It is worth noting that the Central Sulawesi region, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the areas in Indonesia most at risk from earthquakes. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of mitigation measures and building inspections.

| 17/06/2026
| INDONESIA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

In *Novaya Gazeta*, Slavic studies scholar Jakov Klotz describes the flourishing of publications by Russian dissident authors during the period of repression in Moscow: “We do not translate books to entertain Western readers with tales of Putin’s horrors, but to save Russian culture.”

| 17/06/2026
| RUSSIA
by Stefano Vecchia

Under pressure from Darjeeling producers, India’s Ministry of Commerce is blocking imports from Nepal, ostensibly for “quality control”, seriously damaging the Himalayan country's economy. Yet, India itself actually needs to supplement its production to meet the volumes demanded by the global market and sells Nepali tea marketing it as its own.

| 16/06/2026
| NEPAL – INDIA
by Dario Salvi

Attieh Fard, a politician and lawyer who has been in the United Kingdom for years, spoke to AsiaNews about the signing of an agreement that leaves international tensions and critical issues in the country unresolved. Iran’s hardliners could block signing, while the regime could use the moment to strengthen stability and its grip on power. The call for a "free" Iran may still lead to fresh street protests.

| 16/06/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Nirmala Carvalho

Controversy and outrage mount across the country over the latest femicide committed within the family. Fuelling the controversy is the fact that it occurred under the eyes of police officers who were supposed to protect the victim. Activists blame the killing on a mix of patriarchy, caste, and failure to enforce the law in Uttar Pradesh.

| 16/06/2026
| INDIA
Editor's choices
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand ...
| 17/06/2026
| SOUTH EAST ASIA
 
by Arundathie Abeysinghe
The new sustainability rules are causing difficulties for many local exporters. The European Union is the largest market for the textile industry. From September, companies will have to comply with requirements across the entire supply chain: firms are ...
| 16/06/2026
| SRI LAKA - EU
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Once classified by the Communist Party as “spiritual pollution”, this genre now generates billions of yuan in revenue and has become part of the state's cultural promotion strategy, within a clear geopolitical vision. "The Wandering Earth" ...
| 11/06/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
by fr. Gabriel Romanelli *
On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the small community of the Holy Family performed the Eucharistic blessing towards the four cardinal points from the church square. The parish priest said: “From here we also blessed the towns that no longer exist: ...
| 09/06/2026
| GAZA
 
by Gregory
Stored gelignite reportedly caused a massive explosion that killed at least 55 people in a village in Shan State. The catastrophe has put the spotlight on the TNLA, a controversial militia that struck a deal with China. Meanwhile, according to the United ...
| 02/06/2026
| MYANMAR
 
by Chow Hang-tung *
In a message written from prison, the lawyer on trial alongside Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for the 4 June vigils in Victoria Park speaks of the importance of resilience in remembering the 1989 massacre in Beijing, whilst the Hong Kong authorities cover ...
| 01/06/2026
| HONG KONG - CHINA
 
by Shafique Khokhar
In his encyclical, Pope Leo XIV singles out Pakistan's first female prime minister as a public figure who promoted the greatness of humanity. A Muslim, she was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi. Pakistani Catholics expressed gratitude towards her ...
| 28/05/2026
| PAKISTAN – VATICAN
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In May 1956, the hospital near the factory reported an “unknown illness” that was later found to be caused by mercury discharges from the Chisso Corporation. Decades later, the wound remains open in this Japanese city. PIME missionary Fr. ...
| 27/05/2026
| JAPAN
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”