South Asia

Islamabad authorised its national team to take part in the Men's T20 World Cup, but not to the match against India on 15 February. The International Cricket Council has criticised the South Asian country of “selective participation” while Pakistan accuses the body of favouring India. The final is also at risk of being moved to a neutral venue.

Intercepted in international waters and searched on suspicion of drug trafficking. Two boats returned on 1 February with 12 fishermen, four of whom were injured. Family members are calling for a formal investigation, while Colombo's fisheries minister condemns the action.

The country is still embroiled in a civil war that has devastated the economy, displaced millions, and fragmented territorial control. Despite a show of strength in the recent elections, the military junta controls just 40 per cent of the territory. More than 20,000 opponents remain in prison, including Aung San Suu Kyi. Divisions among ethnic militias are rife. Disillusioned, the civilian population is paying the highest price.

In 1985, she was the first in Bangladesh to embrace this vocation, reintroduced after the Second Vatican Council and now practised by eleven women in the country. For more than 40 years, Dora has served in providing spiritual direction, offering family guidance, and translating Church documents into Bengali. In her testimony on today's World Day for Consecrated Life, she said: “when we give everything to others, we receive everything in return”.

In an already tense situation, a series of attacks claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has resulted in scores of deaths among civilians and security forces, while ethnic tensions rise again in Iran. The Taliban in Afghanistan backed the operation. The violence stems from tensions over mineral resources, while local hostility toward Islamabad has fuelled the escalation.

Overturning a previous ruling that prohibited retroactive environmental permits, the Supreme Court has opened the door to projects already underway without prior permits, weakening legal protection of territories and the precautionary principle. Environmental movements are concerned at a time when India is announcing ambitious plans for the manufacturing industry.

The state government wants to address an inequality affecting women living in convents, monasteries, and ashrams who lack independent income. The decision is also linked to the case of Sister Ranit, a victim of violence, but it comes on the eve of state elections and will need to be monitored for implementation. Sister Nirmalini, president of the Conference of Religious Women of India, hopes that “this is the beginning for other states to follow”.

During this period of global instability, the precious metal has broken all records. But this surge is particularly pronounced in India, where women hold the largest share of this safe asset as a guarantee of financial security in marriage. Together, they hold an estimated 11 per cent of the world's gold. Rising jewellery prices, however, are also changing market habits.

Introduced by the University Grants Commission to combat casteism on university campuses, the regulations have been challenged by students in Uttar Pradesh from the "general classes”, i.e. those not covered by quotas, for their ambiguous language and the risk of generating new forms of exclusion. The Supreme Court has stayed their application, calling for a review. Meanwhile, existing protections remain in place.

In the capital of Sri Lanka, public spaces for children to play are disappearing, hitting working-class communities hard. In Slave Island, historic gathering places have been privatised through opaque procedures and political pressure. The phenomenon is accelerated by urban regeneration programmes.

Since August 2024, over 300 companies have closed in a heavily industrialised area of Bangladesh, leaving tens of thousands of people out of work. ‘My wife and I used to earn a good salary. Now I drive a rickshaw and we've cut back on meals.’ Many have returned to their villages, but the depopulation also affects traders and homeowners. Entrepreneur: ‘The empty warehouses I saw in Italy are now in our country.’

Bangladesh inks an agreement with China to manufacture UAVs, with technology transfer and the development of military infrastructure. Although Dhaka stresses the technology’s civilian use, New Delhi views the agreement as a strengthening Chinese military presence in a neighbouring country.