An app that suddenly shot to the top of the download charts has lifted the veil on the anxiety of many Chinese people, not just the elderly, who find themselves living alone in large cities. If no one responds within 48 hours, their smartphone sends a notification to a contact. By 2030, China will have 200 million single-person households.
The SDF accepts a ceasefire, leaves the city after days of fierce fighting with scores dead, more than a hundred wounded, and 140,000 displaced. Father Karakach asks for prayers, solidarity, and support so that "the voice of Aleppo will not be forgotten." Marist Blues “are traumatised and distressed".
The case of alleged genocide by Myanmar’s military against the Rohingya in 2017 has opened at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The case, initiated by Gambia, comes after years of international inertia, in a context currently marked by deep political and military upheavals in Myanmar. The 2021 coup, the ongoing civil war, and shifting alliances on the ground are making the trial increasingly disconnected from current reality.
With 4.62 births per thousand people and a fertility rate set to fall below 0.8, Taiwan reported the worst demographic figures in the world in 2025. Births have dropped by half in 10 years, and today more than 20 per cent of the population is over 65. In response, the government has proposed reforms in healthcare, welfare, and social assistance.
Between 31 December and 10 January, the rites of the novena and the Traslación, the procession of the venerated statue in the Quiapo district of Manila. It was the longest procession ever, lasting over 30 hours. Devotee tells AsiaNews: ‘The huge crowd strengthens my faith.’ Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. against corruption: ‘Humble yourselves for the sake of mercy.’
The new book by the Capuchin friar at the forefront of service to persecuted Christians and displaced populations was presented in Lahore. The book draws on biblical teachings and the Catechism of the Catholic Church on welcoming strangers and calls for creativity in responding to people's needs.
