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Religion

Religion
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Religion. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party supporters wave PAS flags in Kelantan ahead of the 2022 general election. Photo: Shutterstock
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

Afghanistan

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

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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.

Students take part in the street culture carnival to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day in Banda Aceh on August 19, 2023. Photo: AFP
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.

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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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Crime

Terrorism trial opens in stabbing of author Salman Rushdie

This is the second trial for Hadi Matar, who was earlier found guilty of attempted murder after attacking the writer on a state in New York.

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Hadi Matar walks into Chautauqua County court in Mayville, New York, in May 2025. Photo: AP
Religion in China

My Take | Churches must ensure that complaints of sexual abuse are taken seriously

As the city prepares for a sex crime legislation overhaul, every community sector should work to ensure that people are free from harassment.

St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, regarded as the heart of Catholicism. File photo: Reuters
India

1 dead, nearly 100 injured in crush at India chariot festival

Tens of thousands had gathered in the town of Puri for one of the world’s oldest and largest religious processions.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s anti-LGBT education push raises concerns about stigmatising youth

Critics warn the new material to discourage the spread of ‘LGBT culture’ could backfire with consequences for young people.

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Wellness

Indian spiritual leader on finding inner peace and ‘the charm of Hong Kong’

On a recent Hong Kong visit, Chinmaya Mission head Swami Swaroopananda spoke about meditation, mindset and the ‘happening’ city he grew up in.

Chinmaya Mission head Swami Swaroopananda in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, next to a portrait of Swami Chinmayananda. Swaroopananda grew up in Hong Kong and was back recently for a spiritual gathering celebrating his mission’s 75th anniversary. Photo: Edmond So
United States

Battle for the Bible, ballot: Democratic pastors fight US Christian nationalism

‘Christian nationalism is one of the biggest threats to democracy in the US,’ an Arkansas pastor vying for a congressional seat says.

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Indonesia

At Indonesia’s sharia frontier, a complicated love affair with flogging

Rights groups call it torture. Aceh’s residents reveal a more nuanced debate than outrage allows.

Japan

A Japanese city allowed Muslim park prayers for 30 years. Now, there’s unease

The Ichikawa mayor’s decision to restrict the gathering sparks debate on multicultural coexistence in Japan amid discrimination concerns.

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People pray at a mosque in Ichikawa, Japan’s Chiba prefecture, on May 27. Photo: Kyodo
Italy

Pope visits Africa-Europe crossing as anti-migrant policies rise in US, EU

The Catholic Church’s first US pope has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants.

Pope Leo XIV (centre) meets with a migrant family by the arch of the monument Door of Europe, during a visit to Lampedusa island, Italy, on Saturday. Photo: AFP
Thailand

8 monks killed in Thailand after boy, 11, crashes truck into pilgrims

Five monks were killed at the roadside in Mukdahan province, while three others later died in hospital.

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Indonesia

Unmarried Indonesian couple get 21 lashes each over viral live stream kiss

About 100 people witnessed the caning, carried out by a group of people wearing robes and hoods on a stage in Banda Aceh.

Holy See

Vatican excommunicates 6 bishops from rebel Catholic group

Holy See responds aggressively to a traditionalist society that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent.

Newly consecrated bishops pray at the end of their consecration ceremony in Switzerland on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Fifa World Cup 2026

Rima Edbouche – the anti-WAG? Meet Ousmane Dembélé’s modest hijabi wife

Ballon d’Or winner of 2025 and Paris Saint-Germain member Dembélé is repping France at the World Cup 2026 – supported by his low-key wife.

Ousmane Dembélé with his wife, Rima Edbouche, and daughter after his team Paris Saint-Germain’s victory at the UEFA Champions League Final last May. Photo: Getty Images
Singapore

Fewer children, more singles in Singapore, new data shows

The increase in proportion of singles was highest among women aged 25 to 29 and men aged 30 to 34.

Indonesia

Asian Angle | Liberal Islam in Indonesia is sliding into irrelevance

Political entanglements and ideological schisms have left the pioneering Liberal Islam Network in disarray.

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