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Religion
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Bull tamers grapple with a bull during the Jallikattu bull-taming event at the annual harvest festival called Pongal in Palamedu village on the outskirts of Madurai, India, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
India

Video | Men grab bull by the horns in Indian harvest festival

Critics have called the sport cruel, but for some it is a vital part of life in Tamil Nadu.

India

Journalists in Indian Kashmir face censorship as police demand ‘peace’ pledges

Japan

Video | Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life

Malaysia

‘Indecent’ aerobics: viral Zumba video triggers police probe in Malaysia

Headscarf-wearing instructors ignited a social media firestorm and religious backlash after being filmed performing in clothing considered skimpy.

The aerobics session, live streamed on Saturday morning, quickly triggered a social media pile-on. Photo: Facebook
Nepal

Video | Nepali village hosts festive bullfighting event

Although the bullfight forms a significant part of the tradition, animal rights activists are urging the community to abandon the use of animals in festival celebrations.

Malaysia

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

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Australia

South Korean church deploys ‘special force’ to recruit Australian youths

The Shincheonji church compiles profiles of potential members to draw up personalised recruitment plans, according to a former member.

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South Korean police officers bar entry to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu after a coronavirus outbreak in 2020. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Malaysia

FMT apologises for racial query tying Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ to Palestine

During a George Galloway lecture, a Free Malaysia Today reporter asked if the ‘Palestine problem’ parallels Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’.

Indonesia

Indonesian comedian hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

Pandji Pragiwaksono’s unfiltered set took aim at the president, but it was a quip about religious groups that triggered police reports.

Video | Japanese worshippers brave ice bath for the new year

Participants wearing traditional loincloths or white gowns immerse themselves in a ritual ice bath.

Participants pray as they take an ice-cold bath during a ceremony to purify their souls and to pray for the New Year at the Teppozu Inari shrine in Tokyo, Japan, January 11, 2026. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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Malaysia

‘We are not criminals’: Malaysian LGBTQ event faces conservative backlash

Police have launched an investigation into ‘Glamping With Pride’ after Islamic authorities raised an outcry.

A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBT pride. Photo: Shutterstock
Israel

UN accuses Israel of subjecting Palestinians in West Bank to ‘apartheid’

For first time, UN rights chief labels situation in occupied Palestinian territories ‘apartheid’, a term previously used only by UN experts.

Middle East

At least 16 dead in Iran during week of protests: rights groups

Rights groups report rising fatalities and hundreds of arrests in the biggest Iran protests in three years.

American cinema

Language Matters | How the word avatar went from visiting gods to video games and sci-fi films

An avatar was the earthly incarnation of a Hindu god, and seen in other religions. Today, it’s a well-known word in films and video games.

Varang, played by Oona Chaplin, in a still from Avatar: Fire and Ash. Avatar is a Sanskrit word for a god visiting Earth. Photo: AP
Middle East

Khamenei demands Iran rioters ‘be put in their place’ amid protests, Trump warning

As Trump warns the US is ‘locked and loaded’ to intervene, Iran’s supreme leader blames foreign enemies and orders a crackdown on nationwide unrest.

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks at a meeting, in Tehran, Iran on Saturday. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/AP
Middle East

At least 7 reported killed in Iran as unrest spreads beyond capital

Deaths may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran over demonstrations which started in Tehran and have emerged elsewhere.

Australia

Increased police presence in Sydney for New Year’s Eve following Bondi attack

New South Wales’ premier Chris Minns urged people to ‘show defiance to these evil terrorists’ by celebrating the event at Sydney Harbour.

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Australia

Bondi Beach attack hero wanted to protect ‘innocent people’

Recovering from gunshot wounds, Syrian Ahmed al Ahmed says he ‘saved lots’ but mourns the 15 victims of the tragedy.

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Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, is seen tackling one of the Bondi gunmen in this screengrab from a social media video. Photo: X
Syria

Sectarian tensions flare and turn deadly in Syria after mosque bombing

Clashes erupt between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterdemonstrators after a mosque attack in Homs.

Wellness

Why young people are turning to Gen Z and millennial Christian influencers

Christian influencers in the US are galvanising young people looking for meaning in a culture that lacks it, say those of faith.

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Middle East

Blast in Syria kills 8 at mosque targeting Alawite minority in Homs

Authorities investigate explosive devices planted during Friday prayers, heightening sectarian tensions and fears among minorities.

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The aftermath of the explosion inside Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs. Photo: SANA/AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Perlis state in turmoil after chief minister’s shock resignation

Mohd Shukri Ramli resigned due to health reasons amid a withdrawal of support from eight PN state assemblymen.

Mohd Shukri Ramli resigned as chief minister of Perlis amid party sackings. Photo: Facebook/Mohd Shukri Ramli
Africa

US launches strike on Islamic State targets in Nigeria, Trump says

US strikes targeting militants were carried out in cooperation with the Nigerian government.

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Indonesia

‘Starting anew’: Indonesians in flood-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass

Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the fatal disaster wreaked havoc on the island four weeks ago.

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Malaysia

Hair-raising: Malaysia arrests 2 over video of man in headscarf drinking alcohol

The pair are being investigated for causing religious disharmony and misusing social media.

Malaysian police have arrested two people over a video showing a man in a headscarf drinking alcohol. Photo: Shutterstock
Pope Leo XIV

Pope calls for end to all wars in first Christmas as pontiff

‘May the clamour of weapons cease … and may the parties involved find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue’.

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A Palestinian man lifts a baby next to the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza on Christmas Eve. Photo: AFP
Israel-Gaza war

Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war

After two years of cancelled festivities, the ‘City of the Nativity’ revives its iconic parades and tree lighting as a fragile truce holds in Gaza.

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South Korea

South Korean politicians agree to Unification Church special probe in rare move

The ruling DPK has accepted the opposition’s proposal to appoint special prosecutors to look into the church’s political meddling and bribes.

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