India

by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

The court ruled that the land is a private donation, not religious property, squashing the Waqf Board’s attempt, in 2019, to claim the area as a religious asset, creating uncertainty for more than 600 Catholic families who had legally purchased the land. The court called the Board's action a “land-grabbing tactic”, clarifying that the state is not bound by its orders. The Archbishop Chakkalakkal of Calicut calls for the full restoration of property rights.


New Delhi is weighing the consequences of the end of US exemptions on the Iranian port of Chabahar, in which it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars as a strategic hub to Central Asia and a counterweight to China's presence in Gwadar. New sanctions risk stalling the project and further complicating relations with Washington, already beset by tariffs and new visa restrictions. In the long run, analysts warn, China could be the real beneficiary of the crisis.

| 03/10/2025
| INDIAN MANDALA

Today's historic decision by the Church of England, which will see a female head of the primatial see for the first time, is also highly significant for the Asian Churches that are part of the Anglican Communion. Among them are the United Churches of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, which have already opened up the ordained ministry to women, with female bishops in some Indian dioceses.

| 03/10/2025
| GREAT BRITAIN – ASIA
by Maria Casadei

The Bodoland People's Front won 28 out of 40 seats, strengthening its presence compared to 2020 and thus returning to the leadership of the Bodo Territorial Council. The BJP, which has enjoyed a series of successes in the north-eastern state since 2016, won only five seats. The defeat calls into question the party's hegemony a few months ahead of the 2026 legislative elections.

| 02/10/2025
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

In its ‘Hate Crime Tracker’, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights recorded 141 violent crimes against minorities in just three months between June and August 2025. In 90% of cases, the Bajrang Dal was involved, with the highest number of incidents in Uttar Pradesh. The latest attack took place in Chhattisgarh, where a Christian who refused to ‘convert’ to Hinduism had his house destroyed amid death threats. ‘These incidents are now becoming routine.’

| 01/10/2025
| INDIA

The body of Rajeev Pratap, a 36-year-old investigative reporter, was recovered from a river after he received death threats over his investigations into corruption. This comes as the Modi government is strengthening censorship with new laws that prevent the dissemination of news deemed "defamatory" against industrial conglomerates. For almost a year, a government platform has been active demanding that social media remove content objectionable to the government, which X is fighting in the courts.

| 30/09/2025
| INDIA

After India's victory in cricket at the Asia Cup, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the sporting success by comparing it to Operation Sindoor, the military offensive India launched against Pakistan in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The fighting that followed in May was halted thanks to US mediation, which India, however, denies accepting. While US-Indian relations remain tense, the United States is boosting its ties with Pakistan by signing two memoranda on precious minerals.

| 29/09/2025
| INDIA – PAKISTAN
Editor's choices
 
by Andrew Law
The diocese has sent official notice for Fr Wu Jianlin’s ordination ceremony, calling on all priests and nuns to be present without exception. Ordinary Bishop Shen Bin reportedly supported the choice, stressing that Wu is a member of the Party ...
| 10/10/2025
| CHINA – VATICAN
 
by Gershon Baskin
AsiaNews publishes the thoughts on the Gaza peace deal (in its first phase) by the political activist and mediator. A key player in the release of Israeli soldier Shalit, he has worked behind the scenes in recent months to achieve a ceasefire. Against ...
| 09/10/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE – EGYPT
 
Zaw Zaw, a powerful businessman who heads the Myanmar Football Federation, was appointed to chair FIFA's Social Responsibility Committee. Sanctioned in the past by the United States for his ties to the military, the oligarch has over the years built ...
| 09/10/2025
| MYANMAR
 
by Gianni Criveller
1 October marked the anniversary of the canonisation desired by John Paul II  which gave rise to the most conflictual moment in relations between Beijing and the Holy See. In the context of today's dialogue with the Beijing authorities, ...
| 05/10/2025
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
 
The former interior minister, known for her tough stance on China and her nationalist policies, won the Liberal Democratic Party primaries and is set to lead the government as its leader. However, without a majority in parliament, she will have to seek ...
| 04/10/2025
| JAPAN
 
by Dario Salvi
For the Jewish leader, a leading figure in relations with Christians and Muslims, the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is a "natural partner" to develop point 18 of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. “Such a clause already appears in the Abraham ...
| 01/10/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
A court in Wenzhou has convicted 39 members of the Ming family, originally from Shan State in northern Myanmar, for fraud and drug trafficking, among others, activities that generated estimated proceeds of over 10 billion yuan. Among those sentenced ...
| 30/09/2025
| MYANMAR – CHINA
 
by Mathias Hariyadi
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made the announcement at the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution as the only way forward in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, he condemned ...
| 24/09/2025
| INDONESIA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”