| PAKISTAN

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 is increasingly central to Beijing and Islamabad's military and diplomatic strategy.

by Vladimir Rozanskij

Prizes have been awarded for the national competition that has revived the practice of observing and photographing the country's beauty through the flight of its birds. A total of 335 different species have been immortalised by enthusiasts. A view that embraces not only animals, but also the people who live near them and many aspects of local culture and traditions.

| 14/01/2026
| UZBEKISTAN

At the trial for the attempted imposition of martial law in December 2024, special prosecutors have requested the maximum sentence for the deposed former head of state. A verdict is expected in February. South Korea has not carried out capital executions since 1997. The precedent was set with Chun Doo-hwan, whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison (followed by a pardon).

| 13/01/2026
| SOUTH KOREA

More than 10 people died and more than 20 are missing following a collapse at Cebu City's main landfill. The authorities blamed the disaster to heavy rains, but locals had been reporting irregularities and environmental violations for years. For Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, this is not simple misfortune, but rather the result of poor education, training, and awareness about waste disposal.

| 13/01/2026
| PHILIPPINES
by Dario Salvi

Iran claims that the situation is relatively calm, but reports about protests are still coming from the country. Some estimates put the death toll as high as 12,000, while Iranian authorities report around 2,000 deaths. Speaking to AsiaNews, a Jordanian scholar notes that Iran’s crisis is not just a domestic problem related to the economy and society, but touches the entire Middle East and reflects the collapse of Iran’s allies.

| 13/01/2026
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

Former police inspector general convicted for accusing Minister Hannah Yeoh in a public speech of being part of a ‘religious conspiracy to weaken Islam’ because of a book in which she recounts her experience of faith. Initial acquittal verdict handed down in 2024 by High Court overturned. Case emblematic of delicate balance between religious communities in Malaysia.

| 13/01/2026
| MALAYSIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

A 28-year-old tuk-tuk driver, Samir Kumar Das, was killed in Feni District raising to 12 the number of Hindus killed in recent violence against minorities. India is calling for swift and decisive action. Meanwhile, concern is also being expressed following the reactions of a Hindu priest in Ghaziabad, who is fanning the flames by calling for the distribution of swords and the formation of “squads like ISIS.”

| 13/01/2026
| BANGLADESH
Editor's choices
 
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
 
The year begins with elections in Bangladesh, Thailand and Nepal, but also with the Vietnamese Communist Party Congress. The Philippines will hold the rotating presidency of ASEAN, while Shenzhen will host the APEC summit. Japan will host the 20th edition ...
| 01/01/2026
| ASIA
 
The list includes Japan's first female prime minister, Nepal's Generation Z, and Field Marshal Munir in Pakistan. We also have Zohran Mamdani, who today speaks to India from his post as mayor of New York; Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, ...
| 31/12/2025
| THE YEAR THAT IS ENDING
 
by Gianni Criveller
The editorial director of AsiaNews offers his best wishes to “those who oppose war and division, who pay with prison for their fidelity to their ideals, who dedicate themselves for the least. Even in the huge continent where His disciples are few, ...
| 24/12/2025
| ASIANEWS
 
This is a time to see the lights everywhere in the city and hear questions from young Chinese about the "exotic festival" from the West. Local Catholics show a surprising ability to combine mass culture and evangelisation. “I like to think it is ...
| 23/12/2025
| CHINA
 
by fr. Gabriel Romanelli
The parish priest of the Holy Family shares a video testimony of these days of Advent with AsiaNews. Life has ‘slightly improved’ after the ceasefire, but the war ‘continues’. The humanitarian emergency remains current in a climate ...
| 17/12/2025
| ISRAEL - PALESTINE
 
After five years in prison and a one-sided trial lasting 156 hearings, the “exemplary” sentence was handed down today to the Catholic entrepreneur, publisher of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. The sentence has yet to be determined, ...
| 15/12/2025
| HONG KONG
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”