Middle East

| SYRIA

The agreement between Damascus and Kurdish militias is not enough to stem the violence in the country. 21-year-old Eliah Simon Tekla shot dead in his car parked in front of his home. Since Assad's fall, over 70 Christians have been killed for their faith. Christian minister: ‘I see people's suffering... and I feel responsible for their pain’.


The extremists brought their livestock and destroyed the crops near a house, then threw stones at it. After residents tried to defend themselves, Israeli soldiers arrested them, protecting the attackers. In 2025 settlers' violence rose considerably. A new Jewish settlement was recently inaugurated near Beit Sahour.

| 26/01/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
by Dario Salvi

The clergyman talked to AsiaNews about the challenges and issues facing schools in the Holy Land, starting with young people who “have lost their smiles” and “their confidence”. Talking and listening help defuse the desire for revenge and attacks. The dispute with Israel over teachers' permits has been almost resolved. Being a teacher is a “vocation”. Meanwhile, Christians continue to leave.

 

| 23/01/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE

The Vietnamese leader pledged support for joint efforts to bring peace to Gaza. He promised to work closely with his country’s former enemy in various areas in line with both sides' needs and priorities. Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have joined the new body.

| 22/01/2026
| VIETNAM – MIDDLE EAST – UNITED STATES

Syrian government forces have intensified their offensive in areas administered by Kurdish-led forces. The advance has been accompanied by support from local Arab tribes, Turkish drones, and Washington’s silent approval, while talks between the central government and the Kurds have failed. There are fears of further destabilisation after Islamic State fighters broke out of prisons previously run by the Kurdish autonomous administration.

| 20/01/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

During a meeting yesterday in Palam between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to greater cooperation with future closer partnerships in business, energy, and space. The game of global alliances plays out in the background, with Israel and the Abraham Accords casting their shadow.

| 20/01/2026
| INDIA – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A consultative meeting of Yemeni political leaders, elders, and senior figures opened in the Saudi capital to discuss the country's future, a response to recent tensions between pro-Saudi government forces and Emirati-backed separatists. The conflict highlights divergent regional interests. Meanwhile, food security is becoming more precarious as an additional million people are at risk of “life-threatening hunger.”

| 19/01/2026
| YEMEN - SAUDI ARAIBA - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Editor's choices
 
by Dario Salvi
In the latest instalment of AsiaNews' reportage from the Vicariate of Northern Arabia, the testimony of the priest from Goa, a friendly face and memory of the local Christian community. He records every celebration and his intentions in a diary: ...
| 30/01/2026
| KUWAIT - GULF
 
by Sumon Corraya
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.’ ...
| 29/01/2026
| BANGLADESH
 
The decision to join UNCLOS comes after 40 years of delays, opening a new front with Thailand over the disputed oil fields off Koh Kood Island. In 2001, then Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra signed an agreement with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, for joint ...
| 27/01/2026
| CAMBODIA – THAILAND – CHINA
 
by Nirmala Carvalho
One of India's highest honours was bestowed upon the Mumbai neonatologist who drastically cut infant mortality. Founder of India's first milk bank, she also put her work in the service of women in the city slums. Many times, “I have felt ...
| 26/01/2026
| INDIA
 
by Father Will Conquer*
From Sihanoukville, a missionary talks about the many ambiguities behind the high-profile operations and arrests targeting the local scam farm system. With so much hypocrisy, he sees “silent complicity” and “utter abdication of responsibility.” ...
| 20/01/2026
| CAMBODIA
 
From 19 January, the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam will decide the country's leadership until 2031. General Secretary To Lam arrives at the event on the back of strong economic results achieved in 2025, so further centralisation ...
| 16/01/2026
| VIETNAM
 
From Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to Sudan and Libya, Pakistan has expanded defence deals in recent months with JF-17 fighter sales, jointly produced with China that proved ITS versatility during the conflict with India last May. This affordable aircraft ...
| 14/01/2026
| PAKISTAN
 
The 'Yesterday’ project, which reports from abroad on protests in China, selected the 10 most significant collective initiatives of the past year, offering a snapshot of activism in China. It features “unsung heroes” who together ...
| 08/01/2026
| RED LANTERNS
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”