by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

The Bishops’ Conference has called for a day of action tomorrow, a Sunday, against the new FCRA licensing regulations which, in the name of “national security”, are stifling Christian schools, hospitals and welfare organisations. Cardinal Poola: “We serve the poor to live out the Gospel”. Thousands of licences have already been revoked in recent years.


As the country marks Family Day on 28 June, questions are asked about the changes underway with concerns over the fate of local traditions. Divorce and gender imbalance are among the challenges. The party's rhetoric singles out four fundamental family values: prosperity, happiness, progress, and civilisation.

| 26/06/2026
| VIETNAM

The pope opened the two-day meeting with 178 cardinals in the Paul VI Hall. The themes include the proclamation of the Gospel, the reception of Magnifica Humanitas, and the implementation of the synod. "Help me to listen,” Leo told the prelates. War “is never blessed by God,” he said at the opening Mass in St Peter's.

| 26/06/2026
| VATICAN

In March, TikTok and YouTube implemented the measure at the request of the Indonesian government deactivating accounts of users under 16. Meanwhile, in Australia, the country that pioneered this type of measure, Prime Minister Albanese is studying new measures to stop users from circumventing the law.

| 26/06/2026
| INDONESIA

In West Bengal, the new BJP government wants to hand over school meals to ISKCON, an organisation that plans to eliminate eggs from school meals and impose a vegetarian diet. But data show a different India with most Indians eating meat or fish. Meanwhile, malnutrition and childhood anaemia remain widespread, even in Kolkata.

| 26/06/2026
| INDIAN MANDALA
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

A move linked to the aim of reducing transaction costs and easing the pressure on foreign exchange reserves. New provisions have also been introduced to allow Indian companies to invest in Sri Lanka using their own currency. However, practical issues remain to be resolved.

| 26/06/2026
| SRI LANKA - INDIA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The lack of recognised legal status exposes thousands of Central Asian women to serious dangers in Turkey. The case of two Uzbek women whose bodies were found in rubbish bins caused a stir in Istanbul this year. Without documents, working in private homes is often their only option for survival, but at the same time it is a trap.

| 26/06/2026
| CENTRAL ASIA
Editor's choices
 
After eight years, the trial against the Sisters has ended. In 2018, far-fetched child trafficking charges were laid against them, sparking worldwide media coverage. The High Court's verdict declared them not guilty. For Bishop Mascarenhas, “after ...
| 18/06/2026
| INDIA
 
by Alessandra De Poli
In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand ...
| 17/06/2026
| SOUTH EAST ASIA
 
by Arundathie Abeysinghe
The new sustainability rules are causing difficulties for many local exporters. The European Union is the largest market for the textile industry. From September, companies will have to comply with requirements across the entire supply chain: firms are ...
| 16/06/2026
| SRI LAKA - EU
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Once classified by the Communist Party as “spiritual pollution”, this genre now generates billions of yuan in revenue and has become part of the state's cultural promotion strategy, within a clear geopolitical vision. "The Wandering Earth" ...
| 11/06/2026
| RED LANTERNS
 
by fr. Gabriel Romanelli *
On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the small community of the Holy Family performed the Eucharistic blessing towards the four cardinal points from the church square. The parish priest said: “From here we also blessed the towns that no longer exist: ...
| 09/06/2026
| GAZA
 
by Gregory
Stored gelignite reportedly caused a massive explosion that killed at least 55 people in a village in Shan State. The catastrophe has put the spotlight on the TNLA, a controversial militia that struck a deal with China. Meanwhile, according to the United ...
| 02/06/2026
| MYANMAR
 
by Chow Hang-tung *
In a message written from prison, the lawyer on trial alongside Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for the 4 June vigils in Victoria Park speaks of the importance of resilience in remembering the 1989 massacre in Beijing, whilst the Hong Kong authorities cover ...
| 01/06/2026
| HONG KONG - CHINA
 
by Shafique Khokhar
In his encyclical, Pope Leo XIV singles out Pakistan's first female prime minister as a public figure who promoted the greatness of humanity. A Muslim, she was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi. Pakistani Catholics expressed gratitude towards her ...
| 28/05/2026
| PAKISTAN – VATICAN
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”