by Gregory | MYANMAR

To mark the New Year, Min Aung Hlaing has granted pardons to over 4,500 prisoners, including former President Win Myint and documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe. Only a minor reduction in sentence for Aung San Suu Kyi. A political charade to legitimise the junta following the sham elections. Whilst Yangon celebrates, the army continues to target civilians with air raids.

by Fady Noun

For Netanyahu, it's a "historic deal”. The Shia militia calls the truce a "victory" for Tehran. Warnings (and threats) are issued against the disorderly return of civilians to Israeli-occupied villages south of the Litani River. The Lebanese president refuses to meet with Netanyahu without the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Saudi Arabia is engaged in efforts to keep Lebanon from both Iranian hegemony and Israeli domination.

| 17/04/2026
| LEBANON – ISRAEL – UNITED STATES
by Alessandra De Poli

With Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Gulf and Field Marshal Asim Munir acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, Pakistan is trying to carve out a role in regional dialogue. For Indian research analyst Namita Barthwal, Islamabad's activism reflects “Pakistan's own vulnerabilities” and the growing weight of the military in the country's foreign policy. Meanwhile, India is cautiously watching developments.

| 17/04/2026
| PAKISTAN
by Melani Manel Perera

For the first time, tea estate workers mark the event together at the local church, a sign of unity and dialogue between different communities in a wounded land. “Those who love freedom, those who live in freedom, do not trap anyone,” said For Father Jeevantha. The new year will hopefully open a path based on love, unity, and justice.

| 17/04/2026
| SRI LANKA

Leo XIV spoke at the Japoma Stadium in Cameroon's economic capital, before a crowd of 120,000. He urged young people to "Reject every form of abuse or violence”, calling on them to be the first to bring "the bread of life” to others. Sharing is the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Proclaiming Jesus means "leaving signs of justice in a suffering and oppressed land.”

 

| 17/04/2026
| VATICAN – CAMEROON
by Maria Casadei

68.7% of voters rejected the constitutional reform sought by the president to unify electoral processes, but the ruling party – which came to power in 2023 on an anti-India campaign – failed to win a single city in the local elections. Civil society played a decisive role in the ‘no’ campaign. The result highlights urban discontent and raises questions about the political stability of the executive halfway through its term.

| 17/04/2026
| INDIAN MANDALA

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: “An important step towards giving a voice to those in difficulty due to an unjust system. Now, however, transparency and rules are essential.”

| 17/04/2026
| ASIA - WORLD
Editor's choices
 
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
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In the hills south of Hebron, in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, marked by increasingly frequent Israeli settler attacks, a small music project called Sotna (Our Voice) is trying to carve out some room for normalcy. Two activists, Amalia Kelter ...
| 06/04/2026
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”