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Members of the Unification Church protest in Seoul against the media coverage of their group after the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. Photo: AFP
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

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United States

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

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.

The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong held a special prayer session at Kowloon Mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui to pay respect to the victims of the Tai Po fire. Photo: Dickson Lee
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.

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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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.

Pope Leo speaks at the National Library of the Presidential Palace, during his first apostolic journey, in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. Photo: AP
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.

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.

Nigerian government officials and police officers inspect a school compound after gunmen attacked a government girls’ boarding school on Monday. Photo: Africa Independent Television/Reuters
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?

Indonesia

Preacher misconduct prompts Indonesia rethink on religious vetting

The controversy has boosted calls for a certification programme to increase the quality of Muslim preachers and prevent inappropriate conduct.

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Indonesia

In Indonesia, US and Canada, ‘online hoaxes’ fuel measles deaths

With over 3,400 confirmed cases and more than 20 child deaths, Indonesia’s outbreaks reflect immunisation gaps and growing vaccine hesitancy.

A healthcare worker administers a measles vaccine to a junior school student in Jakarta on August 4. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Isis-linked group used video games to radicalise Indonesian children: police

Over 110 children have been targeted by terrorist recruiters this year alone, a ‘massive’ spike from 17 between 2011 and 2017, police say.

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Malaysia

Malaysia pulls US children’s show off the air over LGBTQ kiss

State broadcaster RTM pulled ‘Santiago of the Seas’ after viewers claimed two animated mermaids had shared a same-sex kiss on the cheek.

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Sexual harassment and assault

Danny Masterson alleges anti-Scientology bias in bid to overturn rape conviction

That ‘70s Show actor Masterson, jailed in 2023, claims a police investigation was biased against his faith and led to a wrongful conviction.

Danny Masterson in 2017. The actor was found guilty of two counts of rape in 2023. Photo: Invision via AP
India

45 Indian pilgrims killed in devastating Saudi bus crash

One of the deadliest crashes in the Gulf Kingdom in years reignites concerns over transporting worshippers to holy sites.

Heart-wrenching scene on Mecca-Medina Highway near Jeddah, as a bus with Indian Umrah pilgrims collides with a tanker truck. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

Malaysian girl group Dolla’s ‘immoral’ video pulled over religious backlash

Dolla’s label axed the retro diner-themed video after religious critics and officials slammed their styling as indecent.

Syria

Syria detains security forces over sectarian violence that killed hundreds

The arrests follow a July rampage in Sweida where government fighters effectively sided with Bedouin clans against the Druze.

Indonesia

Can Danantara’s haj village bid reshape Indonesia’s global presence?

Sovereign fund, led by Pandu Sjahrir, aims to boost economic growth by investing in key sectors like healthcare and renewable energy.

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A sign for Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara is seen in front of its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Reuters
Fame and celebrity

Pope hosts Hollywood stars at Vatican, laments decline in cinema-going

The pontiff urged filmmakers to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, and to resist ‘the logic of algorithms’.

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Pope Leo greets Australian actress and producer Cate Blanchett in Vatican City on Saturday. Photo: Vatican Media via EPA
India

Modi’s alliance poised for Bihar poll win, boosting 2029 hopes

Victory in Bihar is crucial, as the the Hindi-speaking state sends a major bloc to India’s parliament.

Malaysia

Meet the Muslim trans woman whose 50-year-old secret reshapes Malaysian history

From being one of the first to undergo gender-affirming surgery to a kadi-blessed marriage, Sari Kartina’s life has been a journey of faith.

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