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Religion

Religion
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Religion. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A Dalit woman sits with a child in Humla district, in Nepal’s remote northwest. Photo: AFP
Nepal

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

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Africa

Mob retaliates after gunmen kill 12 in Nigeria bar

Israel-Gaza war

Jerusalem police stop Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday mass

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Pope Leo XIV

Pope slams widening ‘chasms between the poor and the rich’ on Monaco visit

Monaco is one of the few places in Europe where Catholicism remains the state religion.

Pope Leo greets faithful as he leaves at the end of the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Britain

Nurse to archbishop: Mullally enthroned as first woman to lead Church of England

The new Archbishop of Canterbury begins her ministry with a historic ceremony attended by British royals.

Malaysia

‘I’ve never held my son’: the Rohingya families Malaysia keeps apart

More than 5,000 Rohingya languish in detention in Malaysia, leaving fathers like Farouk to watch their children grow through a screen.

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Malaysia

Should wives always obey? Most in Malaysia and Indonesia say yes

A new study also shows 64 per cent of respondents in Singapore agree that efforts to give women equal rights with men ‘have gone far enough’.

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A Malaysian couple hold hands. A new study has found that 60 per cent of respondents from Malaysia agreed with the statement that “a wife should always obey her husband”. Photo: Shutterstock
US, Israel war on Iran

Netanyahu compares Jesus and Genghis Khan in Iran war speech, drawing backlash

Christians, in particular, were angered by the Israeli PM’s remarks, which some say suggest a ‘might is right’ approach.

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Thailand

Video | Thai ‘Death Fest’ offers new look at the end of life

Three-day event brings together exhibits, discussions and workshops to encourage visitors to talk about the inevitable.

Indonesia

Half of Indonesia is travelling for Eid as US$100 oil threatens state finances

A US$100 oil shock is ballooning fuel subsidies towards a deficit cap breach.

People carry their belongings as they arrive for a free bus trip to their hometowns organised by the Jakarta provincial government in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Africa

Suicide attacks in Nigeria kill 23, wound more than 100

Attacks in Maiduguri are among the deadliest in the conflict-battered city in recent history.

An injured man looks out of an ambulance at a hospital in Maiduguri. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia charges 2 men and seeks extradition over religious posts

Two men have been hauled up in court and a third is being tracked amid a crackdown on inflammatory social media posts.

Gun violence in the US

Brother of Michigan synagogue attacker was Hezbollah commander: Israeli military

Ibrahim Ghazali was killed in Lebanon on March 5 along with 3 other relatives of Detroit attacker Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, the IDF said.

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Cease fire’! Pope Leo escalates call for Middle East war to end

The pope did not cite the US or Israel by name but did mention the strike on a school in Iran that killed over 165 people.

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Pope Leo leads prayers from a window at the Vatican on Sunday. Photo: Handout via Reuters
Crime in Hong Kong

2 monks brawl during temple ceremony in Hong Kong, leaving 1 injured

Police say one monk has been arrested after fight at repentance service at Chuk Lam Sim Yuen.

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Chuk Lam Sim Yuen in Tsuen Wan. Photo: Google Maps
Asia travel

The quiet Japanese islands where Christians once hid their religion

Those searching for solitude in these tranquil Japanese isles follow in the footsteps of persecuted Christians forced to practise their faith in secret.

Gun violence in the US

Assailant dead after ramming vehicle into Michigan synagogue

Authorities identify the deceased assailant as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali; reports suggest he recently lost family members in Lebanon.

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Malaysia

Malaysian man jailed for 10 months, fined US$12,700 over Facebook post insulting Islam

Malaysia has warned that ‘stern action’ will be taken against content that insults, incites hatred or touches on race, religion or royalty.

A Muslim man reads the Quran while waiting to break fast during the holy month of Ramadan in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

1 holy month, 1 year’s income: Malaysia’s Ramadan bazaar boom

Rents have doubled, ingredient costs keep climbing, yet for the stallholders at Malaysia’s bazaars, no other month comes close.

Germany

Berlin jails man for 13 years over stabbing at Holocaust memorial

The man, 20, said he had been motivated by his radicalisation and belief he was acting with a religious mission.

Religion in China

What are Buddhist relics? The bones and teeth with great power for followers

Buddhist relics are seen as living, active sources of blessings imbued with supernatural qualities, but authenticity can be an issue.

The Shakyamuni Buddha Tooth is displayed at the Wei Mountain Temple in Rosemead, California, on February 17, 2026. Buddhist relics like these are revered by followers of Buddhism, providing connections to the Buddha and other revered monks. Photo: AP
Japan

Muslims in Japan were falsely blamed for illegal buildings. Then came the fires

It started with social media posts falsely blaming Muslims for building violations. Then came the fires.

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The aftermath of a fire on Saturday at Ebetsu Masjid, a mosque in the city of Ebetsu, central Hokkaido, Japan. Photo: Facebook/Kamran Khan
Japan

Japanese court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church over donations

The order will take immediate effect, with the group losing its religious corporation tax status and liquidation procedures to begin.

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Japan

How the Unification Church is facing fallout in Japan from Shinzo Abe’s murder

Critics have called the group a ‘money-making business’, with many people having lost huge sums of money from its ‘spiritual sales’.

Crime

French court reduces prison terms for 3 involved in 2020 teacher beheading

Samuel Paty was murdered by radical Islamist teenager Abdoullakh Anzorov after showing a class cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Members of the public stand in front of a photograph of Samuel Paty as they attend a memorial in Eragny-sur-Oise, northwestern Paris, France in October 2021, a year after the teacher was beheaded. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s ‘ridiculous’ push to curb LGBTQ apps tests limits of digital control

Officials are examining legislative steps to curb apps like Grindr, though removal from global stores is beyond direct state control.

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Malaysia is considering new laws to curb LGBTQ dating apps like Grindr. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Row over speakers on Indonesian ‘island of 1,000 mosques’ sparks debate on rules

A New Zealander’s disruption of a prayer session over the use of loudspeakers at a mosque has prompted some to call for a law on their use.

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Malaysia

Malaysia blocks Grindr, Blued for promoting ‘deviant’ relationships

The move signals tightening social climate and civil liberties concerns in the country.

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