(ANALYSIS) The Maldives, the small South Asian island nation, recently passed a new law to tighten the noose of the media. But this new law also indirectly strengthens the state’s restriction on religious freedom. Under this law, media outlets will be punished if they publish any content that contradicts Islamic principles or that could be seen as offensive to Islamic sentiments.
Read MoreIndia recorded 1,318 in-person hate speech incidents in 2025, averaging more than three each day and overwhelmingly led by Hindu nationalist groups affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The report supports the inference that a political choice is behind the sustained scale of public incitement, which undermines both the rule of law and the idea of equal citizenship.
Read MoreViolence against Christians has reached an all-time high in 15 countries, with 388 million people facing severe persecution worldwide, Open Doors reported. Nigeria remains the deadliest nation, while Syria saw the largest single-year rise amid instability. Other dangerous parts of the world include North Korea, Somalia and Yemen.
Read MoreA Nigerian minister and humanitarian urged the U.S. government to use peaceful methods to address religious persecution during a Jan. 13 USCIRF hearing in Washington. Rebecca Dali said bombing worsened trauma for communities and encouraged intelligence-based cooperation, as witnesses testified about Christian persecution in multiple countries worldwide.
Read MoreNigeria, Rwanda, China, Mozambique and Mexico were the most dangerous countries for Christians from 2023-2025 in five distinct categories of persecution, Global Christian Relief said in its second annual Red List.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Japanese tea ceremony is deeply rooted in the ideals of Zen Buddhism, but the current matcha hype has little to do with the tea ceremony. Green tea has become part of the on-the-go coffee culture. On social media, a centuries-old spiritual practice is compressed into a 15-second reel.
Read MoreRaising up the next generation of church leaders is “vitally important,” says Brian Frable, pastor of Kona Baptist Church on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s important to Kona Baptist Church and the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention “as we advance God’s Kingdom work in the Pacific, Asia, and throughout the world,” he said.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV used an annual address to Vatican diplomats to warn that global politics had shifted toward militarism and force. Without naming any political leaders, he criticized war, erosion of international law and weakened human rights, positioning the Holy See as a moral counterweight to rising geopolitical tensions in many places around the world.
Read MoreA Hindu businessman was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on Dec. 31. He was beaten with sharp weapons, doused in petrol and set on fire. This was the third such attack in a month — part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities since the fall of the previous government.
Read MoreBuddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama — the Buddha — is a spiritual tradition centered on compassion, mindfulness, and the path to liberation from suffering. Over time, it evolved into three major sects. Theravada, practiced mainly in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, preserves the earliest teachings and emphasizes individual enlightenment through meditation and discipline.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In Laos, Christian burials are barred from cemeteries, churches have to find improvised worship spaces, and Christians are often pressured to engage in activities that go against their religion. And with neighboring China’s new influence, it may get even worse.
Read MoreThe line into one of the stadiums at Tokyo’s Komazawa Olympic Park stretched out the door and down the street. The crowd waited patiently in the crisp fall air for a chance to watch the volleyball semifinals at Deaflympics, a worldwide event that brings deaf athletes together to compete every four years.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In Myanmar, when the military has a hard time conscripting enough residents into their ranks, they turn to monks for help. The religious leaders — many of whom have been well-connected to the government — are backing the recruitment drive. The regime has been targeting men across all segments of society — including the urban poor, displaced populations and ethnic and religious minorities.
Read MoreFor thousands of devotees, the journey across the border is not just a trip; it is a reclamation of history, heritage and faith. As Prakash Purab approaches, the pilgrimage carries more than spiritual meaning. It represents the enduring resilience of a community whose beliefs and traditions transcend the walls of politics and conflict.
Read MoreThis year's floods in Pakistan damaged houses, disrupted livelihoods and displaced thousands of families. The National Disaster Management Authority reported that since June 26, over 1,000 people have died. In response, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs were among the volunteers who worked together to establish medical relief camps and provide safe drinking water.
Read MoreHerbie Newell, the president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services — said the agency some U.S. families are using for their adoption — is cautiously hopeful that something can still be done to unite the 300 waiting children with their new parents.
Read MoreChina has introduced sweeping new regulations that strictly control how clergy from the country’s five state-recognized religions can operate online. The 18-article “Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy on the Internet” bans livestreaming, social media preaching, AI-generated religious content and all online outreach to minors.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Justice cannot be replaced by roads and hostels. The violence in Manipur was not a clash between two aggrieved groups, but the targeting of the Kuki-Zo minority by extremist groups from the majority Meitei community, allegedly backed by the state government. Ignoring the killings and rape sends a message to future perpetrators that violence with political support can be excused or even rewarded.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Bangladesh grapples with political instability for a year since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country following mass student-led protests in August 2024, Islamist radicals have been trying to make a comeback in this South Asian nation of 173 million people.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The international legal team for Jimmy Lai, and his son Sebastien Lai, has submitted a new Urgent Appeal to the United Nations experts in relation to the serious and immediate risk to Jimmy Lai’s life posed by his ongoing detention.
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