Asia
Startling contrasts between North and South Korea
The church in North Korea is growing at a remarkable 6% a year, far higher than the South Korean church's 0.7% growth rate, despite severe persecution under the Kim regime. With 400,000 Christians,…
Hong Kong: pro-democracy activists jailed
A group of 47 prominent pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, including activists, journalists, and former lawmakers, have been sentenced to prison terms of up to ten years on subversion charges. This marks the…
Sri Lanka: sweeping victory for president’s party
The National People’s Power (NPP) party, led by president Anura Kamara Dissanayake, has achieved a historic election victory, securing 159 seats. This was the most dominant result since the proportional representation system was…
Gaza: US says Israel has not violated its laws about blocking aid
The USA has stated that Israel has not violated laws regarding the blocking of aid to Gaza, even though a thirty-day deadline for increased humanitarian access has passed without full implementation. While acknowledging…
Pakistan / India: dreadful levels of smog
Record-breaking smog is blanketing eastern Pakistan and northern India, creating hazardous conditions which are even visible in satellite images. A dense haze stretches from Pakistan’s Punjab province to India, impacting tens of millions.…
Israel: protests after Netanyahu dismisses popular defence minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed defence minister Yoav Gallant amid Israel’s ongoing conflicts with Gaza and Lebanon, citing a lack of trust. Gallant’s opposition to ultra-orthodox military conscription and his differing views on hostages…
Indonesia: another deadly volcanic eruption
On 3 November Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia, erupted, triggering a deadly disaster. The eruption unleashed explosive lava, volcanic ash, and fiery rocks, and at least ten have…
North Korea fires ballistic missiles just before US election
Just a few hours before the US presidential election began, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The missiles were fired from a province south…
Gaza: Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA widely criticised
The recent decision by the Israeli parliament to ban UNRWA from operating in Israel and Gaza has met with widespread condemnation. Israel has justified the decision by citing alleged links between some UNRWA…
Malaysia: hundreds of investors hit by fraudulent scam
An Indonesian woman known as Suzy has reportedly lost over RM4 million (£700,000) to a Malaysian-based foreign currency investment scheme. She began investing in 2020, and received a 20% annual return in 2021…
