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A sign outlining Sunway Square Mall’s pet-friendly house rules, and a dog-themed installation at the Selangor shopping complex. The mall has since barred pets from enclosed indoor areas following a backlash online. Photos: Facebook/Sunway Square Mall
Malaysia

Paws for thought: Malaysian mall reverses pet-friendly policy after uproar

The reversal comes after videos of a dog being wheeled through the mall in a trolley stirred anger in the Muslim-majority country.

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Australia

Millions raised for ‘hero of Australia’ who stopped gunman at Bondi Beach

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Malaysia

Malaysian religious authorities clear woman of ‘2 husbands’ allegations

India

Kick-off in Kolkata: how Lionel Messi was dragged into an Indian election battle

The BJP has latched on to the crowd chaos during Messi’s visit to West Bengal to demand the resignation of the state’s chief minister.

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A man ducks to avoid chairs being thrown by fans after Argentine football star Lionel Messi leaves the Salt Lake Stadium during his tour in Kolkata on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Crime

Video | Mourners lay flowers for Bondi shooting victims

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Pavilion to pay tribute to the victims of Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades.

Australia

Isis-inspired Bondi gunmen visited Philippines before shooting: police

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sajid Akram and his son Naveed had been radicalised by an ‘ideology of hate’.

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Malaysia

Malaysian religious authorities probe viral claim of woman having ‘2 husbands’

The allegation has renewed focus on cross-border marriages between Malaysia and southern Thailand that are used to bypass domestic approvals.

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Images shared on social media purporting to show a couple seated before religious officials, which were cited in a Facebook post alleging a woman had married a second man in Thailand. The claims are under investigation by Malaysian religious authorities. Photo: Facebook / Ekin Derahim
Australia

Video | Bystander tackles, disarms gunman in Australia

Shooting happened in the popular tourist area of Bondi Beach.

Australia

World leaders express horror at Bondi Beach attack as vigils held for victims

Israel’s Herzog condemned the ‘cruel attack on Jews’ by ‘terrorists’; Trump branded the shooting that killed 15 people ‘purely antisemitic’.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu accuses Australia’s PM of inaction in tackling antisemitism

After the Bondi Beach shooting, the Israeli PM said he warned Albanese months ago that Australia’s policy was ‘encouraging antisemitism’.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Reuters
Britain

‘Make Christmas Great Again’: hundreds join far-right Robinson’s London rally

UK bishops express grave concern over the use of Christian symbols to ‘justify racism and anti-migrant rhetoric’.

British far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses supporters in central London on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysian religious leaders urged to provide evidence of South Korean ‘cult’

Perlis state’s senior Islamic scholar alleged Muslim political elites were linked to the ‘deviant’ cult movement.

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South Korea

South Korea’s threat to dissolve corrupt religious groups risks blowback

President Lee’s move comes as a widening Unification Church bribery scandal implicates lawmakers from both major parties.

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Japan

Can Japan find space for Muslim burials? Not if right-wing rhetoric prevails

A viral video showing a Sanseito MP telling foreign residents to cremate their dead or ship them home spotlights discomfort with diversity.

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Muslim residents of Japan gather for a Friday service at Japan’s largest mosque in Tokyo in 2015. Photo: AFP
United States

‘If Jesus were born in America now’: church’s nativity challenges ICE policy

Mother Mary in a gas mask, Baby Jesus zip-tied by ICE agents. A Chicago church’s nativity scene sparks debate by mirroring immigrant detention.

A nativity scene in suburban Chicago features Baby Jesus bound with zip ties and wrapped in an aluminum foil-like blanket. Photo: Facebook/Lake Street Church of Evanston
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong’s religious communities unite in prayer to mourn Tai Po fire victims

Muslims and other faith groups express solidarity and sorrow for victims of deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court.

Religion in China

On This Day | The pope visits Hong Kong for 3 hours in 1970 – SCMP archive

Fifty-five years ago on December 4, 1970, throngs of Hongkongers greeted Pope Paul VI during his historic three-hour trip.

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South Korea

Unification Church leader denies knowing about gifts for Kim Keon-hee

South Korean prosecutors reject the claim, saying Han Hak-ja is an ‘absolute power holder’ and no funds can be used without her approval.

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Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja arrives at court to attend a hearing on September 22. Photo: Reuters
Turkey

Pope warns ‘piecemeal’ third world war ‘threatening’ humanity

In Ankara, Pope Leo urged for global peace amid rising conflicts and geopolitical tensions during his first trip outside Italy.

Singapore

Singapore tells TikTok, Meta to block accounts of man fanning racial tension

Singapore said Zulfikar ‘repeatedly continued to stir up discontent within the local Malay/Muslim community against the Chinese community’.

Indonesia

Jakarta bans dog and cat meat sales to curb rabies, in win for animal rights

Indonesia’s capital prohibits meat consumption of the animals, challenging a cultural delicacy and cheap protein source for some.

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Dogs in a cage at a slaughterhouse in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia in 2023. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Anger mounts over missing Malaysian girl linked to religious conversion

The long-standing custody row has reignited after her mother staged a march demanding that police enforce a court order to find the girl.

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In this 2014 photo, M. Indira Gandhi shows photos of her youngest daughter Prasana Diksa at her house in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Photo: AP
Colombia

Colombia raids hotel hosting Jewish sect members, rescues 17 children

Intervention was prompted by local tips and Interpol yellow notices issued for some of the missing children.

Africa

Dozens kidnapped from Catholic school in Nigeria escape captors

Hundreds of children and staff remain held by gunmen amid a spate of school attacks in the West African country.

Africa

315 kidnapped in Nigeria school attacks as security crisis deepens

Gunmen attacked a school in Niger state on Friday after abducting 25 girls from a Kebbi state secondary school on Monday.

Empty bunk beds and scattered belongings are seen inside a student dormitory at St Mary’s Catholic School on Saturday. Photo: Bulus Dauwa Yohanna/Christian Association of Nigeria/AFP
Tourism

Interactive museum dedicated to the Shroud of Turin opens in the US

US$5 million museum features 360-degree projection rooms, Shroud of Turin replicas, interactive kiosks and a life-size sculpture of Christ.

Nora Creech, director of Othonia North America, points to a replica of the Shroud of Turin at a new interactive museum in California dedicated to the shroud. Photo: AP
Africa

Gunmen kidnap students from Nigerian Catholic school, second attack in a week

The attacks come weeks after US President Trump threatened military action over what he said were targeted killings of Nigeria’s Christians.

Good Schools Guide

Do faith-based school curricula contribute to academic excellence?

Nurturing compassionate individuals is a key tenet of such schools, from Anfield to Carmel Hong Kong – but how well do they prepare students for life beyond the classroom?

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