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Religion

Religion
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Religion. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Hu Changsheng will leave his post as party secretary of Gansu province to serve as party chief of Tibet autonomous region. Photo: Handout
China’s Communist Party

Communist Party names new Tibet party chief in regional leadership reshuffle

Hu Changsheng takes top Tibet post as regional transfers offer clues about broader political line-up ahead of national party congress.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | A Polish priest’s perilous mission to save a doomed Chinese dynasty

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Malaysia

Malaysian councillor resigns after DAP remarks at Umno assembly

Japan

Japanese monks embrace material world to raise cash as donations shrink

Temple upkeep costs are soaring while Japan’s Buddhist population has dropped about 14 per cent in the last two decades.

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Tourists visit the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo on August 19. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

‘Not immigration office’: Malaysia’s PAS slammed for linking heaven to support

Malaysian politicians criticise the comment, saying PAS is implying that Muslims who do not vote for it are ‘condemned to hell’.

Mexico

Fireworks blast at Mexico festival kills 10, injures dozens

Explosion near church in Temascalcingo prompts investigation as rescue crews sift through debris.

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Malaysia

Malaysian under fire for competing at transgender beauty pageant in Thailand

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia said it would summon the contestant in the Miss Equality World event for questioning.

Participants at the Miss Equality World 2026 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Facebook/MissEqualityWorld
South Korea

South Korea’s Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja jailed 2 years for bribing officials

Han is accused of giving luxury items to former first lady Kim Keon-hee and providing illegal funds to a prominent lawmaker.

India

‘ChatGPT is not judging you’: Indians turn to AI gurus for answers

The chatbots are powered by large language models using sacred texts such as Hinduism’s ‘Bhagavad Gita’.

Fame and celebrity

Who is Jack Pratt? Meet Anna Faris and Chris Pratt’s 14-year-old son

The Scary Movie star and Avengers actor split in 2017, but live nearby to co-parent their son, Jack, who was born prematurely in 2012.

Anna Faris and her son Jack Pratt at the Los Angeles world premiere of the new Scary Movie in June. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Islamic university sacks professor who claimed Malays could fly

Solehah Yaacob went viral with her pseudo-history claims. She is fighting against her dismissal.

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Controversial Malaysian academic Solehah Yaacob seen in a still from a live-streamed lecture. Photo: Facebook/profsolehah
Malaysia

Are Malaysian Muslims less corrupt? PAS leader skewered over divisive politics

Critics demand evidence from Abdul Hadi Awang as official bribery data shows mixed results.

Indonesia

Bali jails Swiss tourist for insulting sacred Day of Silence

He boasted on social media that he had defied restrictions prohibiting residents and visitors from leaving their homes or accommodation.

Malaysia

‘Is this China?’: Malaysian preacher under fire over Chinese festival remarks

Ridhuan Tee Abdullah publicly questioned why a Hungry Ghost Festival banner was in Chinese rather than Malay.

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Paper money being burned during Hungry Ghost Festival. Photo: Getty Images
India

7 die in Indian temple stampede after electric wire snaps

Thousands of devotees had gathered at Ashok Dham Temple to offer prayers on Shravan, one of the holiest months in the Hindu calendar.

A Hindu devotee lights an earthen lamp during the holy month of Sawan at a temple in Jammu, India, on August 10. Photo: AP
Malaysia

PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition

The move aims to signal to Malay voters that PAS is committed to Islamic values ahead of the next general election, analysts say.

Australia

Australian jury convicts ex-Catholic bishop of sexually abusing 2 men

Christopher Saunders, 76, is one of the most senior Australian Catholics to be convicted in a global clergy abuse scandal.

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Afghanistan

2.4 million Afghan girls banned from schools 5 years after Taliban takeover: UN

The United Nations is urging an end to the ‘discriminatory’ Taliban policy that prevents girls from studying beyond primary school.

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Afghan girls at a primary school in Kabul. The Taliban does not permit girls to study beyond primary education. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesian Islamic body warns against cross-dressing in Independence Day games

The warning comes amid rising fear following attacks on gay people and a regulation classifying LGBTQ culture as a security threat.

The Philippines

Video | Inside Asia’s only dedicated exorcism centre

Manila facility trains priests and clergy as cases of alleged possession continue to rise.

Malaysia

‘This is not hijab’: unpicking controversy behind Uniqlo Malaysia’s new line

Critics are taking issue with images showing the cloth wrapped turban-like around the head, leaving parts of the neck and chest visible.

Models wear hijabs from Uniqlo Malaysia’s modest-wear line. Photo: Uniqlo Malaysia
Canada

UN experts urge Canada to protect Sikh activist facing threats to life

Rights monitors press Ottawa over alleged foreign intimidation targeting Moninder Singh.

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Sikh activist Moninder Singh in 2023. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Losing religion, not belief: Singapore’s fluid spiritual shift

Formal religious affiliation has been slipping in the city state, but surveys show belief in a higher power endures.

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India

India’s West Bengal shells out for eggs in school meals after outcry

The BJP, elected for the first time in the state in May, often promotes vegetarianism as a part of its broader nationalist agenda.

Crime

Man who stabbed Salman Rushdie convicted in US terrorism trial

Already serving a 25-year state prison sentence for the attack, Hadi Matar now faces a potential life sentence for the federal conviction.

Hadi Matar is escorted from the courtroom in Mayville, New York, in February 2025. Photo: AP
Crime

Rushdie attacker declines to testify in US terror trial

Already serving 25 years for state attempted murder, Hadi Matar faces life in prison if convicted on federal charges.

Novelist Salman Rushdie was left blind in one eye after the 2022 attack. Photo: AP
Singapore

Singapore detains 3 ‘self-radicalised’ teens over planned attacks

The teens, aged 14 to 19, were held under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.

India

India’s education minister quits in major win for youth protesters

India’s latest street protests have been a challenge to PM Narendra Modi as politicians joined youngsters’ calls ‌to demand action.

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