South Asia

by Maria Casadei | INDIAN MANDALA

The northern Indian state has arbitrarily denied land rights granted under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. The legal process has reached a stalemate, but the case of the village of Kajaria has reignited the debate over the slow implementation of the regulations and the broken promises to indigenous peoples, for whom forests are not only a source of subsistence but also the basis of their identity.

by Shafique Khokhar

In Khushab District, a Christian family reports growing threats and the forced conversion to Islam of their 17-year-old daughter. The girl was taken by the police and then went missing from state custody. The Edge Foundation is assisting the parents, now hiding for fear of retaliation, and is preparing an appeal to the Lahore High Court. This case is emblematic of the persecution affecting religious minorities in Pakistan.

| 14/10/2025
| PAKISTAN

Israel’s prime minister pulls out from the signing of the agreement, ostensibly because of a Jewish holiday, but the most likely reason is the presence of Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media announced a historic visit by Indonesian President Prabowo to Israel tomorrow, which Indonesia’s foreign ministry quickly denied. Modi snubs the summit, sending his Minister of State for External Affairs.

| 13/10/2025
| EGYPT – ASIA

Fierce fighting along the border has reignited tensions between the two countries following a Pakistani raid on Kabul against the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad claims 200 Taliban fighters were killed, while Kabul reports 58 Pakistani soldiers killed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trying to broker a truce. In Pakistan, the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement has resumed protests, sparking clashes in Islamabad and Lahore amid growing tensions.

| 13/10/2025
| PAKISTAN – AFGHANISTAN
by Nirmala Carvalho

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.

| 11/10/2025
| INDIA

Today, India decided to reopen its embassy in Kabul, marking an unprecedented political step towards the Taliban government. The announcement came after Pakistan struck the Afghan capital to eliminate Noor Wali Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban. These developments are part of a new phase in the conflict between India and Pakistan, which began with Operation Sindoor, launched by New Delhi in May in response to an attack in Kashmir.

| 10/10/2025
| INDIAN MANDALA
by Melani Manel Perera

Last Sunday evening, eve of World Habitat Day, a ceremony was held at Temple Trees in the presence of Sri Lankan President Dissanayake to mark the start of a programme to provide a home to at least 4,000 families in need. Land and a symbolic cheque were also handed over. The government pledged to offer a safe, comfortable, and dignified living environment for all its citizens.

| 08/10/2025
| SRI LANKA
Editor's choices
 
by A Voice from Shanghai
A local Catholic offers their thoughts about yesterday's ordination of Auxiliary Bishop Wu Jianlin. The unresolved situation of Bishop Ma Daqin, who is still barred from exercising his ministry, is a source of sorrow that encourages “those ...
| 16/10/2025
| CHINA - VATICAN
 
by Mathias Hariyadi
Indonesian authorities have declared a state of emergency in Cikande after unprecedented levels of Cesium-137 were detected at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate. Nine workers were exposed to the radioactive isotope, while scores have families have ...
| 15/10/2025
| INDONESIA
 
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
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”