Asian

Hong Kong court rejects Jimmy Lai’s plea for foreign lawyer

A Hong Kong court has rejected a plea from Catholic pro-democracy activist and business tycoon Jimmy Lai challenging a government decision to deny permission for a foreign lawyer for his trial in a slew of criminal cases. Lai, 75, had requested a judicial review last month after Hong Kong’s national security committee had advised the […]

Changing the Japanese narrative of parenthood

In recent years, Japan’s identity as the renowned land of manga art and high tech has taken a backseat to a pressing concern: the country’s declining birth rate. Various reasons have been attributed to this demographic challenge, such as economic concerns, changing societal norms, and the high cost of child-rearing. However, a recent online survey on Twitter […]

Probe against Sri Lankan pastor for hurtful remarks

The Sri Lankan president has ordered a probe against a Protest-ant pastor for allegedly making controversial comments about Buddhists and followers of other religions. President Ranil Wickremesi-nghe while announcing the probe on May 15 said the irresponsible statement by Pastor Jerome Fer-nando, whose followers include famous cricketers, film stars and businessmen, can cause religious strife that […]

Poverty drives maternal mortality in the Philippines

Francisco Sales believes he could have saved the lives of his wife Gloria Operario and their unborn child during childbirth three years ago if he had enough money. Gloria had a risky third pregnancy due to gestational diabetes and high blood pressure and needed special treatment in a good hospital, which the poor couple could […]

Blasphemy bail ruling wins praise in Pakistan

Christian leaders in Pakistan have cheered a court granting bail to a local Christian woman and a Muslim man accused of blasphemy less than a month after their arrest, terming it a new record and a hopeful sign. Usually, it takes years for bail to be granted in such cases, often because judges fear possible […]

World Bank: one in two people in rural Sri Lanka live below the poverty line

Sri Lanka has lost half a million jobs in industry and services. With the rising cost of living, this has doubled the national poverty level to 25 %, this according to the World Bank’s latest report titled, “Sri Lanka Development Update 2022”. One of the consequences has been the growth in regional disparities. While poverty […]

Asian nations among worst religious freedom violators

China, Myanmar, North Korea, India, and Pakistan were listed among the worst offenders against religious freedom or belief last year, according to an annual report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The commission’s report, released on May 1, documented “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of the right to freedom of religion or […]

Nearly half of world’s child brides are in South Asia

South Asia faces the daunting task of eliminating child marriages as the region is home to nearly half of the world’s child brides, says a report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). South Asian countries account for 290 million or 45 % of the total of 640 million child brides globally, according to the […]

Page 14 of 114« First «...12 131415 16...20 30 40...»Last »

Pope: Red Cross’ humanitarian work shows that fraternity is possible

New Vatican document lists ‘grave violations’ of human dignity