| VATICAN

During the Regina Caeli, Leo XIV spoke about the 1986 nuclear disaster, which “left a lasting mark on the conscience of humanity,” and serves “as a warning regarding the inherent risks of using increasingly powerful technologies.” In his comment on the Gospel, he noted that "thieves" are those who pillage “the earth’s resources” and wage " blood-thirsty wars”.

by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The latest census reveals an increasingly aging country. People over 60 already represent 18 per cent of the population and could become a quarter by 2041. Due to low labour force participation, inadequate pensions, and a lack of care services, the risk of vulnerability for millions of elderly people is growing. Without reforms, aging risks turning into social and economic crises.

| 25/04/2026
| SRI LANKA
by Nirmala Carvalho

Recent violence has rekindled tensions in the northeastern Indian state, scene of a bitter conflict for the past three years. Ethnic Kuki-Zos now accuse the Nagas, who had remained neutral during the confrontation between Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis. The newly elected Yumnam Khemchand Singh administration is facing the difficult task of reconciliation.

| 25/04/2026
| INDIA

The first round of the legislative elections, held yesterday, was marred by controversy over the revised electoral rolls, which excluded millions of voters, mostly Muslims. The central and state governments have blamed each other, while those most affected belong to vulnerable groups.

 

| 24/04/2026
| INDIAN MANDALA

The Patriarchate condemns "encroachments" in Tayasir, stressing that protecting Church properties is a "red line." Following a formal report to Israeli civil and military authorities, action has been taken against those responsible. As violence escalates Pizzaballa appeals for support for the local population. Meanwhile, Israel appointed a special envoy for the Christian world to mend relations.

| 24/04/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
by Andrea Ferrario

The meeting between North Korea’s leader and Belarus’s Lukashenko marks a new course. The North Korean regime is managing its isolation as a strategic resource rather than simply enduring it. Pyongyang is choosing its interlocutors, building relationships, and using the diversification of its partners as a tool to maintain its autonomy from Beijing and Moscow with a growing focus on Southeast Asia at the expense of South Korea.

| 24/04/2026
| NORTH KOREA – BELARUS
by Gregory

International pressure is mounting on Myanmar’s military junta to provide verifiable proof of the democratic leader’s health, who has been held in solitary confinement since 2021, through the “Proof of Life” campaign. There has been no reliable news about her for years. Her son Kim Aris told AsiaNews: “The Burmese people love my mother as much as I do”.

| 24/04/2026
| MYANMAR
Editor's choices
 
The initiative was launched in Washington with the support of UNCTAD, whilst the global problem continues to grow, with as many as 54 countries spending more on debt interest payments than on healthcare and education for their citizens. Caritas Internationalis: ...
| 17/04/2026
| ASIA - WORLD
 
In light of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Singapore has drawn attention to ‘chokepoints’, starting with the Strait of Malacca, through which nearly a third of the world’s oil and the majority of global trade passes. The “Malacca ...
| 16/04/2026
| SINGAPORE
 
by Dario Salvi
From Beirut, Oumayma Farah describes a country at risk of being overwhelmed by the conflict. The displacement crisis is a priority, with only a small fraction of people being accommodated in shelters. Schools are being used as makeshift shelters, putting ...
| 14/04/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
 
The President of the National Assembly in Hanoi presented the Pope with a letter from the President, who is now firmly at the helm of power in Vietnam. It was precisely internal disagreements over the local political balance of power that had slowed ...
| 13/04/2026
| VIETNAM - VATICAN
 
by Gregory
A military-dominated government was approved today following elections deemed a sham by the international community. But while General Min Aung Hlaing consolidates his power by merely changing his clothing, the exiled opposition and the ethnic groups ...
| 09/04/2026
| MYANMAR
 
Talks between Washington and Tehran will take place in Islamabad on Friday after threats of escalation. China has applied pressure, consolidating its influence in the region. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir has played a crucial role. Uncertainties ...
| 08/04/2026
| PAKISTAN – CHINA
 
The lights of Easter Vigil illuminated a community marked by suffering. After three years, some faithful returned to the Church of Christ the King. It had been occupied by the Myanmar military, forcing the local population to flee. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe ...
| 07/04/2026
| MYANMAR
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In the hills south of Hebron, in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, marked by increasingly frequent Israeli settler attacks, a small music project called Sotna (Our Voice) is trying to carve out some room for normalcy. Two activists, Amalia Kelter ...
| 06/04/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”