South Korea: shifting social trends in Seoul
Seoul’s household landscape is shifting as single-person homes become the city’s most common household type, according to a 2024 report. Nearly 1.66 million residents now live alone - about 40% of all households - while two-person households make up 26.2% and four-person homes 12.3%. An aging population underscores the trend: people 60 and older represent 20.2% of residents, and more than 30% of households include someone 65 or older. Marriages, which plunged during the pandemic, rebounded to 42,471 in 2024, with an average first-marriage age of 34.3 for men and 32.4 for women; international marriages comprise roughly 10%. Divorces declined overall, but the average age at divorce has risen, with one-quarter now among those 60 and older. Meanwhile, households with young children have fallen over 40% since 2016, reflecting persistently low birth rates. City officials plan inclusive policies to counter social isolation, support young adults’ housing needs, and foster a more child-friendly environment.
Brazil: convicted president Bolsonaro rushed to hospital
Former president Jair Bolsonaro was rushed to a Brasília hospital after experiencing severe hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure while under house arrest, his son announced. Bolsonaro, who has endured ongoing intestinal problems and six surgeries following a 2018 stabbing, had visited the same hospital days earlier for skin lesion biopsies. On 11 September Brazil’s supreme court sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; he has not yet been imprisoned because of appeals and procedural delays. In a separate case, a federal court has fined him one million reais (£138,000) for racist remarks made in 2021. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of political persecution, and Donald Trump has also called the trial a ‘witch-hunt’, but Lula has spoken of a ‘historic decision’ which safeguards Brazil’s democratic principles. Public opinion remains sharply divided over his sentence and political future.
1,600+ Christians killed for their faith since 2000
A Vatican-led commission has confirmed that more than 1,600 Christians have been killed for their faith since the year 2000. The project, initiated by Pope Francis and supported by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), draws on verified testimonies to highlight persecution across denominations. ACN’s John Newton described how believers worldwide face discrimination, harassment, abductions, and killings. He cited the 2015 martyrdom of 21 Egyptian construction workers, as well as this year’s massacre of 200 Christians in Nigeria where families were displaced, homes burnt, and victims slaughtered. 'These tragedies are underreported,' Newton said, stressing that such violence rarely makes global headlines. The commission acknowledges the true death toll may be even higher. Yet Pope Leo XIV urges Christians to find hope in the faithfulness of martyrs, whose witness testifies to the gospel’s unstoppable power and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Their sacrifice continues to inspire courage and strengthen the global Church.
USA: Millennials and Gen Z flocking to Jesus and church - here’s why
Across the USA, a historic spiritual shift is unfolding as Millennials and Gen Z turn to faith in record numbers. At the premiere of CBN’s new film The Revival Generation, one commentator compared it to the Jesus Movement of the 1970s, describing it as 'seismic’. Former presidential candidate Dr Ben Carson says cultural conditions are ripe for revival, noting that past awakenings often followed crises. He sees growing openness among young people weary of empty alternatives and hungry for truth. The American Bible Society reports a 29% rise in Bible use among Millennials from 2024 to 2025, with Gen Z engagement increasing from 11% to 15%. Congressman Marlin Stutzman says this generation is searching beyond the flood of online information, longing for stability that only truth provides. From college campuses to local communities, many discern God stirring a new movement of faith, bringing hope to a generation eager for transformation.
