South East Asia

by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

Yesterday, in the final of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, India beat New Zealand. Indian player Sanju Samson attributed his success to God. A key athlete and the player of the match, the Kerala wicket-keeper-batter was seen praying on his knees. Simple gestures can have profound meaning for the country's Christian minority.

by Mathias Hariyadi

The first two homes have been delivered to a village in the regency of Central Tapanuli for thousands of families forced to live in temporary shelters for months. A memorandum has been signed between the Catholic Church and local authorities for collaboration in reconstruction after the disaster. The goal: to restore dignity, security and hope.

| 03/03/2026
| INDONESIA

There have already been several victims among the many expatriate communities. The first death in the Jewish state from an Iranian missile was that of a Filipino caregiver. The conflict has also spread to the seas, with a seafarer killed on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman. A Pakistani, a Nepalese and a Bangladeshi citizen are the three people killed in the United Arab Emirates.

| 02/03/2026
| ASIA - IRAN
by Joseph Masilamany

After a six-year hiatus, the hunt for the animal resumes due to a “sharp increase” in incidents. “Non-lethal” control measures have proved ineffective. The authorities are talking about an environmental and public health emergency. The aim is to maintain the title of cleanest city in the world in the face of one of its “most cunning invaders”.

 

| 27/02/2026
| SINGAPORE

A billion-dollar deal between Fincantieri and the Indonesian holding company Republikorp. A confirmation of President Prabowo's investments in defense and the army, which goes hand in hand with operations abroad such as sending soldiers to Gaza. The vessel will be used for rescue and emergency response operations, but it will also be able to carry armed drones.

| 26/02/2026
| INDONESIA

A report by the International Labour Organisation reveals that 20 per cent of migrant fishermen work in exploitative conditions. The fishing industry, which is worth billions of dollars, relies heavily on foreign labour. Shifts of up to 20 hours a day, ID papers withheld, and debt to pay for recruitment costs are commonplace.

| 25/02/2026
| SOUTHEAST ASIA
by Santosh Digal

Today the country celebrates the anniversary of the Rosary Revolution. A nun speaks about what went on in the streets against the Marcos dictatorship in February 1986 and the passing of the torch to Generation Z. For the president of the Bishop’s Conference, Cardinal Garcera, “People can still change society if they choose honesty”.

| 25/02/2026
| PHILIPPINES
Editor's choices
 
by Santosh Digal
While former rapper and Kathmandu mayor Balendra “Balen” Shah seems destined to become the new prime minister, Apostolic Administrator Fr. Silas Krishna Bogati asks the future government to focus on fighting corruption, employment, and political ...
| 07/03/2026
| NEPAL
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Behind the lowest GDP target since 1991 lies the recognition that the growth model on which China built its rise has lost most of its momentum. Technology is replacing real estate as the driving sector. Behind the new Five-Year Plan lies a geopolitical ...
| 05/03/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
by Alessandra De Poli
Pakistani rockets continue to strike Taliban political and military targets in Afghanistan, with the UN reporting at least 66,000 people displaced and dozens of civilians killed. Pakistan also faces anger from its own Shia community following the killing ...
| 05/03/2026
| PAKISTAN – MIDDLE EAST
 
The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences issued an appeal for dialogue in the face of a war that is spreading from the Middle East. Asia’s Catholic bishops call for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”, urging the “leaders ...
| 04/03/2026
| ASIA
 
No statement has come from Xi Jinping yet, while the condemnation of the attack on Iran has been entrusted to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who spoke today with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar. The evacuation of Chinese citizens from Tehran has ...
| 03/03/2026
| CHINA – UNITED STATES – ISRAEL – IRAN
 
by Stephen George
Renewed fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban is further exacerbating the precarious situation of families registered as refugees by the UNHCR but without a clear pathway to permanent resettlement. Often living incognito for security reasons, they ...
| 03/03/2026
| PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN
 
There have already been several victims among the many expatriate communities. The first death in the Jewish state from an Iranian missile was that of a Filipino caregiver. The conflict has also spread to the seas, with a seafarer killed on an oil tanker ...
| 02/03/2026
| ASIA - IRAN
 
The attacks launched by Israel and the United States on the eve of Purim and Iran's retaliation against US bases in the region have already claimed the life of one Asian immigrant, a Pakistani national working in Abu Dhabi. In India, the opposition ...
| 28/02/2026
| IRAN – UNITED STATES - ISRAEL
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”