South Asia

by Shafique Khokhar | PAKISTAN

The work affects the property of the historic St. Mark's Church, founded in 1882. For its pastor, Rev Din, three times more land has been taken without the church’s consent. Protesters are calling on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to act. The protest reflects minority concerns over land rights and the protection of religious property.


Parts of the place of worship have been vandalised, causing fear among residents of the Fateh Chowk district. Members of the community organised a demonstration, blocking traffic and chanting slogans in support of religious freedom. The details of the attack and the identity of those responsible remain unclear. The police intervention, and the promise to punish those responsible, has restored calm.

| 28/04/2026
| PAKISTAN

Even Afghans with valid papers are affected by warrantless arrests and deportations, Human Rights Watch reports. Women and children are hiding to avoid repatriation, while journalists, activists, and former officials with the previous government fear persecution by the Taliban. More than a thousand Afghans are in a precarious situation stranded in Qatar, with the United States seeking to send to Congo.

| 27/04/2026
| PAKISTAN

From India to Australia, Tibetan expatriates in 27 countries elected the 45-member assembly with 93 candidates running. Just over 91,000 voters cast their ballot. The five-year parliament, based in Dharamsala, serves as the representative body for the approximately 150,000 Tibetans living in exile. Young voters call for greater attention to the community's future.

| 27/04/2026
| TIBET – CHINA
by Nirmala Carvalho

An amendment amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has been introduced in the Lower House. Among other things, the bill proposes the establishment of an “authority” tasked with “seizing, managing and disposing of” the assets of the affected organisations. For Fr Thelakkatt, it is “cloaked in rhetoric” about “national security” but is a tool to fuel the “nationalist ideology” of Hindutva.

| 27/04/2026
| INDIA
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The latest census reveals an increasingly aging country. People over 60 already represent 18 per cent of the population and could become a quarter by 2041. Due to low labour force participation, inadequate pensions, and a lack of care services, the risk of vulnerability for millions of elderly people is growing. Without reforms, aging risks turning into social and economic crises.

| 25/04/2026
| SRI LANKA

The first round of the legislative elections, held yesterday, was marred by controversy over the revised electoral rolls, which excluded millions of voters, mostly Muslims. The central and state governments have blamed each other, while those most affected belong to vulnerable groups.

 

| 24/04/2026
| INDIAN MANDALA
Editor's choices
 
by Giorgio Bernardelli
The Latin patriarch released a long pastoral letter on how to live as Christians in light of the "paradigm shift" that followed 7 October 2023, and the war in Gaza. Like the "New Jerusalem" in Revelation, the city could offer a way of being together ...
| 27/04/2026
| HOLY LAND
 
The initiative was launched in Washington with the support of UNCTAD, whilst the global problem continues to grow, with as many as 54 countries spending more on debt interest payments than on healthcare and education for their citizens. Caritas Internationalis: ...
| 17/04/2026
| ASIA - WORLD
 
In light of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Singapore has drawn attention to ‘chokepoints’, starting with the Strait of Malacca, through which nearly a third of the world’s oil and the majority of global trade passes. The “Malacca ...
| 16/04/2026
| SINGAPORE
 
by Dario Salvi
From Beirut, Oumayma Farah describes a country at risk of being overwhelmed by the conflict. The displacement crisis is a priority, with only a small fraction of people being accommodated in shelters. Schools are being used as makeshift shelters, putting ...
| 14/04/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
 
The President of the National Assembly in Hanoi presented the Pope with a letter from the President, who is now firmly at the helm of power in Vietnam. It was precisely internal disagreements over the local political balance of power that had slowed ...
| 13/04/2026
| VIETNAM - VATICAN
 
by Gregory
A military-dominated government was approved today following elections deemed a sham by the international community. But while General Min Aung Hlaing consolidates his power by merely changing his clothing, the exiled opposition and the ethnic groups ...
| 09/04/2026
| MYANMAR
 
Talks between Washington and Tehran will take place in Islamabad on Friday after threats of escalation. China has applied pressure, consolidating its influence in the region. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir has played a crucial role. Uncertainties ...
| 08/04/2026
| PAKISTAN – CHINA
 
The lights of Easter Vigil illuminated a community marked by suffering. After three years, some faithful returned to the Church of Christ the King. It had been occupied by the Myanmar military, forcing the local population to flee. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe ...
| 07/04/2026
| MYANMAR
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”