Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Religion

Religion
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Religion. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Crowds watch as Pope Leo walks under a processional canopy. Photo: AFP
Spain

Pope Leo in Spain: over 1 million people flood Madrid streets for mass

Mass held on day two of Leo’s seven-day visit to Spain, a traditional Catholic bastion.

European Union

Pope Leo urges end to ‘polarising narratives’ on Spain visit

Britain

UK Sikhs defend right to carry sacred dagger after student murder backlash

4
Japan

‘Harassment exploded out of nowhere’: Muslims face rising prejudice in Japan

Growing anti-Muslim discrimination fuelled by hate speech worries residents, who fear the hostility may escalate into violence.

videocam
Muslims pray at a mosque in Tokyo, Japan, on March 20. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Crime

Life sentence for UK Sikh man who falsely claimed his dying victim racially abused him

Court sentences Vickrum Digwa to 21-year minimum for the murder of Henry Nowak, whose handcuffing by police sparked a fierce backlash.

Malaysia

Shotgun sacrifice: anger as Malaysian state leader shoots Eid cow

A viral 38-second clip of Perlis chief minister Abu Bakar Hamzah shooting a cow with a shotgun has sparked a police investigation.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Viral stories

Japan Buddhist monk bar has ‘heaven and hell’ drinks, offers beating service

Offbeat drinking venue provides everything from calligraphy to a ‘coffin’ experience in bid to popularise Buddhist culture.

A bar in Japan, run by Buddhist monks, serves drinks inspired by the concepts of heaven and hell. Photo: japaholic
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s top monk suspended over alleged child sex abuse

Police arrested the 71-year-old on May 9 over allegations that he had sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022.

Malaysia

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat

Conflating local governance concerns with racial and religious slights threatens pluralism and stifles legitimate public policy debate.

Malaysia

Beyond bans: why fringe Islamic movements still find followers in Malaysia

Observers say the appeal of alternative religious communities cannot be addressed by bans and rehabilitation classes alone.

Groups of Muslims recite the Quran on the first evening of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on February 18. Photo: Reuters
India

India orders new deportation centres days after BJP election victory

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centres for undocumented migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fear of arbitrary expulsions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) congratulates newly elected Chief Minister of Assam state Himanta Biswa Sarma (centre), and elected minister Atul Bora after the oath taking ceremony in Guwahati, India, on May 12. Photo: AP
European Union

Pope calls for ‘disarming’ of AI, technology should be ‘human friendly’

Pope Leo called for the ‘disarming’ of artificial intelligence, and warned of ‘new forms of slavery’ behind its rise.

videocam
Pakistan

UAE deports Pakistani Shiites: jobs lost and savings frozen amid Iran war

Over one hundred deported Pakistanis said they were unable to retrieve their luggage or savings before being placed ‌on deportation flights.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s ruling coalition faces test over Selangor non-Muslim worship rules

The dispute began after an MP flagged state planning guidelines stating that non-Islamic places of worship cannot be in commercial zones.

videocam
8
A Taoist temple in Klang, Selangor. Photo: Shutterstock
Middle East

Muslims begin haj in sweltering heat and shadow of Middle East tensions

Over 1.5 million faithful gather as annual sacred rites in Mecca officially get under way.

Pilgrims pray around the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. Photo: AP
India

Young Indians protest through parody ‘cockroach’ party

The Cockroach Janta Party echoes a broader trend across South Asia, where youths have played a central role in anti-government movements.

United States

Trump-backed mass prayer rally draws thousands to Washington

Worshippers flock to the National Mall for an America-themed jubilee featuring Trump reading from the Bible in a video.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
India

Canada’s spy report hints at India reset despite meddling claims

A Canadian spy report validates New Delhi’s concerns about Sikh extremism, even as it accuses India of foreign interference and espionage.

videocam
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speak before a meeting at last year’s G7 Summit in Alberta. Photo: The Canadian Press/AP
Italy

Rubio meets Pope Leo at Vatican to defuse tensions with Trump

The meeting comes amid the US president’s repeated attacks on the pontiff over the Iran war and nuclear weapons.

videocam
Spain

Pope to inaugurate Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia in June trip to Spain

He will also visit a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands.

Donald Trump

‘He’s endangering a lot of Catholics’: Trump takes another shot at pope

US president’s latest criticism threatens to derail Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s high-stakes mission to Rome.

videocam
Pope Leo speaking to journalists on Tuesday. Photo: AP
My Life

Meet the Reverend Will Newman, chaplain of Hong Kong’s St John’s Cathedral and Stanley Prison

From India to Hong Kong, Reverend Will Newman’s journey from missionary child to prison chaplain is a fascinating tale of faith, family and service.

The Reverend Will Newman, chaplain of Hong Kong’s St John’s Cathedral and priest-in-charge of St Stephen’s Chapel, in Hong Kong's Stanley district. Photo: Alexander Mak
India

India PM Modi’s party takes control of West Bengal in key state election

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has never governed the state of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold.

Italy

Rubio to visit Rome, meet Pope Leo who has clashed with Trump

US secretary of state also seeks a meeting with Italy’s Meloni, whom Trump has also turned against.

videocam
4
Africa

Vigilantes in Nigeria kill herders amid jihadist tensions, kidnapping gangs

Central and northwestern Nigeria have for years been terrorised by cattle rustling and kidnapping-for-ransom gangs working with local jihadists.

Soldiers carry a coffin during the funeral of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and other troops killed by foreign jihadists, in Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria, on April 15. Photo: AFP
Britain

UK raises terror threat level to ‘severe’ after Jewish-targeted stabbings

UK declares an ‘antisemitism emergency’ and police probe potential Iranian proxy links to Golders Green attack.

CCTV captures the moment a Jewish man is stabbed in Golders Green, London. Photo: Reuters
Trending in China

Video game-loving China monk says hobby and religion have similar life purposes

Buddhist brother says engaging with others in ‘violent’ and ‘bloody’ online game is like playing chess; only worries he may become addicted.

Britain

London stabbing of 2 Jewish men is terrorist incident: police

The victims, aged 34 and 76, were hospitalised with knife wounds. A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement