by Alessandra De Poli | BANGLADESH

The victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party marked the end of 15 years of Awami League rule. A PIME missionary spoke to AsiaNews about the vote, noting that it was more peaceful with less fraud, although there are concerns about internal tensions and the rise of Islamists. A desire for change and stability prevails among the population.

by Giuseppe Caffulli

Pašinyan's government will place a sculpture dedicated to the writing created by the monk Mesrop Mashtots to translate the Bible in an area adjacent to the European Parliament headquarters. A symbol of national pride, resilience and the deep bond between faith and culture in the first Christian nation in history. It is also a political message about the current leadership in Yerevan's view of Europe.

| 16/02/2026
| ARMENIA - EUROPEAN UNION
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The emergency has been caused by a lack of adequate facilities and the extensive use of preventive detention pending trial. There are at least 40,000 prisoners on the island in facilities with a total capacity of only 10,500 places. In some prisons, the actual capacity is exceeded by 400%.

| 16/02/2026
| SRI LANKA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

From art to design, fashion to cuisine: during Italian Week, cultural institutions and retailers of Italian products working in Mongolia offered the opportunity to familiarise oneself with Italian tradition and innovation in the city's museums and public spaces.

| 16/02/2026
| MONGOLIA

Next Tuesday, 17 February 2026, billions of people in Asia will ushered in the Lunar New Year. In his Angelus address, Leo XIV expressed hope that this will “strengthen family ties and friendships” and “bring peace to homes and society”. Speaking about today’s Gospel, he noted that “true righteousness consists in love and that, within every precept of the Law, we must learn to identify a call to love”.

| 15/02/2026
| VATICAN
by Joseph Masilamany

The version of Scripture in the Bidayuh language was officially launched in the Archdiocese of Kuching, Malaysian Borneo. This is an important tool for the elderly who lack literacy, but also for young people immersed in digital technology. For Archbishop Simon Poh, it “will help to promote and preserve the language, and in so doing preserve the faith and the cultures.”

| 15/02/2026
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
by Stefano Caprio

Russians have always lived with dvoeverie, the Christian and pagan "double faith," which appears not only in devotions and liturgical practices, but above all in the people's attitudes towards life's great challenges. This practice is widespread among soldiers sent to Ukraine, who place their hopes of victory in dark spirits rather than in missiles and drones.

| 14/02/2026
| RUSSIAN WORLD
Editor's choices
 
Party leaders urge supporters to refrain from celebrations and pray "for the future of Bangladesh”. Jamaat-e-Islami acknowledges defeat but is "not satisfied" with the electoral process. India, Pakistan, and the United States have reacted. The ...
| 13/02/2026
| BANGLADESH
 
by Dario Salvi
The cardinal who recently left his post in Damascus reflects with AsiaNews on his long service in the country amid the suffering of children and the faces of friends who have disappeared. A nation ‘destroyed and humiliated’ that must find ...
| 13/02/2026
| VATICAN - SYRIA
 
After five years, the landmark trial under the national security law ended. The founder of Apple Daily was charged with conspiracy and sedition. Chief Executive Lee praised the “severe” sentence that brings “relief to all”. Cardinal ...
| 09/02/2026
| HONG KONG – CHINA
 
by Steve Suwannarat
Defying predictions, the Bhumjaithai Party is leading in the seat count by a wide margin. Outgoing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, a populist businessman who got a boost by the conflict with Cambodia, also won in Pheu Thai strongholds. The reformist ...
| 09/02/2026
| THAILAND
 
With yesterday's landslide victory, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be able to advance her electoral platform, potentially opening the door to constitutional reform. The prime minister has also proposed cutting consumption taxes and boosting the ...
| 09/02/2026
| JAPAN
 
by Giuseppe Caffulli
The entire area of the ancient city of Samaria north of Nablus has been expropriated and separated from the nearby Palestinian village in the name of promoting only the Jewish period of its history. Meanwhile, the Knesset is discussing the establishment ...
| 09/02/2026
| PALESTINE - ISRAEL
 
The People's Party, heir to Move Forward in the progressive camp, leads the polls for tomorrow's vote in Thailand. But it is taking a more moderate line towards the monarchy and the elite to avoid facing dissolution, as happened to its predec...
| 07/02/2026
| THAILAND
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Despite the tariff war in 2025, China broke through the trillion mark in its trade surplus, 45% of which is now generated in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, this wealth is not driving domestic consumption, because the fall in producer ...
| 06/02/2026
| CHINA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”