The agreement on the repair of Soviet-made weapons came into effect this summer. Kabul is now one of the few opportunities for Russia to expand its influence abroad, with Tatarstan serving as a channel for economic and cultural cooperation.
The boy, accused of ‘contaminating’ the home of a higher caste family, was beaten and locked in a barn. They demanded a goat from his parents as a sacrifice to ‘purify’ the home. The bishop of the diocese of Simla and Chandigarh told AsiaNews: ‘This is not an individual tragedy, but a social sin. We are all responsible if structures of discrimination go unpunished.’
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.
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.
Computer literacy remains low in the South Asian country, while the region reported overall progress. In 2024, 64.1 per cent of the population did not know how to use a computer, and only 19.1 per cent of households owned one, according to new data from the Department of Census and Statistics. Literacy is higher among young people and those with higher education, with rates dropping in rural areas.
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.
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.’
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.
In Mannar, over 100 police officers brutally dispersed a peaceful protest, injuring women, priests and citizens. For over 55 days, the population has been conducting a satyagraha demanding dialogue and transparency, denouncing a model of development imposed from above and without consultation. After yesterday's strike, protesters announce new actions if the government does not respond.
At the session marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, all five heads of state emphasised in their speeches how this region, torn apart by border conflicts for centuries, is now one of the most peaceful in the world, with growing economic cooperation. There was also a common position on Afghanistan, calling for an end to its isolation through pragmatism without official recognition of the Taliban.
In a new violent incident involving a minority, three people were killed in the country's southeastern hill region home to a large Buddhist ethnic group. Soldiers opened fire on a roadblock manned by local activists protesting the authorities’ failure to arrest those responsible for the rape of a girl. An adviser to the Home Affairs Ministry in Bangladesh’s interim government added fuel to the fire by claiming that the violence was instigated by “fascist groups”.
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.
The campaign launched by Muslims during the festival celebrating the birth of the prophet has provoked a harsh reaction from the Indian authorities: over 1,300 reports and 38 arrests in four states, as well as several violent clashes. The BJP responded with posters celebrating the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and his “bulldozer policy”, a symbol of selective demolitions against minorities.
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