| CHINA – JAPAN

A meeting in Beijing between senior officials from the two foreign ministries failed to solve the heated dispute. The number of tourist cancellations over the weekend reaches early COVID-19 levels. Beijing is also putting pressure on Chinese students, who, faced with visa difficulties in the United States, increasingly opted for Japanese universities.


In southern Malaysia, expansion of water-based cooling systems for data centres has been halted for 18 months. Among the causes are drought and the distribution of water resources, which are lacking in the south, where investments are concentrated. With 48 data centres, Johor would become a regional hub by 2030.

 

| 18/11/2025
| MALAYSIA

In a video message sent to Church representatives gathered in Belem for a meeting on the sidelines of COP30 - the annual UN conference on the fight against global warming - the pontiff harshly rebuked world leaders: 'Be true leaders. Strong climate actions and policies are an investment in a more just and stable world.‘

| 18/11/2025
| VATICAN - BRAZIL
by Vladimir Rozanskij

In an article, the head of the presidential administration for monitoring and analysing social processes condemns those who theorise about ‘a completely post-Russian state’. He announces the imminent approval of a new law on patriotic education, which will involve all organs of power, educational institutions and other social structures of the state.

| 18/11/2025
| RUSSIA
by Sumon Corraya

A court in Dhaka convicted the former prime minister of "crimes against humanity" for her role in the crackdown of student protests in July 2024. As a result, the capital was placed under lockdown, while clashes and protests erupted across the city. From her Indian exile, Hasina slammed the verdict as “politically motivated”, while her son Sajeeb Wazed threatened to boycott the upcoming February elections unless the ban on the Awami League is lifted.

| 17/11/2025
| BANGLADESH
by Joseph Masilamany

Invoking its anti-fake news law, Singapore has ordered corrections to an article written by the sister of a man who was executed in October. Failure to meet its order will result in access to the site being blocked. The news portal has rejected the order, expressing concern over cross-border censorship.

| 17/11/2025
| SINGAPORE – MALAYSIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

In communion with Churches around the world, the event was promoted by the Norbertine-run centre that offers dignity and new opportunities through self-help groups to women living in disadvantaged areas. For its director, Father Moses, “Empowerment is not a gift; it is the fundamental right to agency, and our role is simply to clear the path.”

| 17/11/2025
| INDIA
Editor's choices
 
by fr. Hiroshi Konishi *
On the day celebrating the Jubilee of the Poor, a priest from the Diocese of Tokyo reflects on how he included the night-time “tent city” in St. Peter's Square in the Holy Year itinerary with a group of fellow countrymen. ‘An invitation ...
| 16/11/2025
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
 
by Fady Noun
The expectations of the people of Beirut two weeks before the Pope's arrival. Sadness over a brief and heavily guarded visit: ‘Will he really be able to see the country as it is, or will they give him the false impression that everything is ...
| 14/11/2025
| LEBANON - VATICAN
 
by Silvia Torriti
From a niche hobby introduced by Japan, the trend of dressing up as comic book characters or historical figures from ancient times continues to grow among young people in China, fuelling a market that is now worth over billion. The local variant ...
| 12/11/2025
| CHINA
 
On the eve of the climate summit, China unveiled its goals for the environmental transition, including a 7-10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and a further acceleration in the development of renewable energy, a sector in which ...
| 07/11/2025
| BRAZIL - CHINA
 
Just days after signing a deal with Thailand to defuse the (simmering) conflict over the disputed border, the US administration revoked the measure adopted in 2021 by the Biden administration. The ban was linked to China’s Ream naval base, but ...
| 06/11/2025
| CAMBODIA – UNITED STATES
 
In his victory speech, the young Muslim politician quoted Nehru from his independence speech, emphasising his ties to his parents' country of origin with Bollywood music in the background. The new mayor embodies an image of Islam that breaks with ...
| 05/11/2025
| INDIA – UNITED STATES
 
At least nine people have died in two separate incidents in just a few days. For local sources, “it will take time” to recover some of the bodies due to weather conditions. Weather phenomena like cyclones are increasing the risk of avalanches. ...
| 04/11/2025
| NEPAL
 
Chinese language teaching is increasingly about memorising and repeating sounds and signs, without the meditative beauty that underlies the language. Pronunciation is not a relevant variable in a codified system of linguistic levels since listening is ...
| 03/11/2025
| CHINA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”