| BANGLADESH

Bangladesh’s energy crisis, caused by the war in the Middle East and heavy dependence on imported oil and gas, is jeopardising the operation of data centres, which are crucial to the local telecommunications network. Fuel supplies are low, and operators warn that potential blackouts could disrupt calls, Internet, and text messaging across much of the country.

 

by Arundathie Abeysinghe

A shortfall of 13.2 billion rupees has emerged, caused by staff within the bank. Criticism of the oversight system, with CEO Kelum Edirisinghe also under scrutiny. Analysts and experts describe it as a “failure” in “supervision”. A case reminiscent of similar instances of malpractice that have occurred in the past.

| 20/04/2026
| SRI LANKA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Among the first engagements awaiting Budapest’s new prime minister is the summit of the Organisation of Turanian Countries, scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in May. On that occasion, it will become clear whether the great attention paid to this region was a personal initiative of Orbán or a tendency deeply rooted in the Hungarian people, stemming from historical roots that run deep into the tradition of the Huns.

| 20/04/2026
| CENTRAL ASIA - HUNGARY

Leo XIV in Kilamba with 100,000 faithful in the aftermath of the civil war: ‘The Lord is with us’. The call to “be vigilant regarding forms of traditional religiosity”. The need for pastors and missionaries with “a desire to break their own lives and give them away”. Yesterday in Luanda to the authorities: “true joy” free from the “logic of extractivisim”. At the Regina Caeli: the truce in Lebanon “a seed of relief for the people”.

| 19/04/2026
| VATICAN - ANGOLA
by Melani Manel Perera

One year after Bergoglio’s death, the Church in Sri Lanka has placed the theme of synodality – dear to his heart – at the centre of the Sunday that annually brings together the grassroots groups which, for over thirty years, have been gathering in their neighbourhoods or villages to walk together in faith. Bishop Wickramasinghe: “A privileged place to live out each person’s responsibility towards others”.

| 19/04/2026
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
by Gregory

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.

| 18/04/2026
| MYANMAR
by Mathias Hariyadi

An Italian priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who died aged 83 in North Kalimantan, he dedicated almost 50 years to the local people, even taking the name Wan Abung. He used to say: “My mission is to cherish the history and the places of the people I serve, gathering the seeds of the Word already present and sowing further seeds of truth to contribute to human growth.”

| 18/04/2026
| INDONESIA
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”