Pope Francis has his eyes fixed on Asia, where he sees the possibility of a new springtime for the church.

India, one of the top international destinations for couples hoping to hire women as surrogates for pregnancy, is poised to ban the practice in most cases.

Hundreds of Rohingya were killed and tens of thousands forced to flee their homes in 2012 unrest in Rakhine state, and many continue to be confined to squalid camps there.

Deploring a campaign of extrajudicial killings that has, according to local media, claimed more than 800 lives, the president of the Philippines bishops' conference issued a direct challenge to President Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters.

A few small but significant steps toward ending the suffering of Rohingya Muslims adrift on the Andaman Sea have been made in recent days Responding to broad international criticism of previous decisions to turn away boatloads of Rohingya landing on their shores Southeast Asian regional powers Mal

Suppression of religious minorities and its nuclear blasts have made India visible to the world.