Asia
Iraq: new church at historic site of Ur
A bell has chimed for the first time at Ibrahim Al-Khalil Church in Ur, heralding its upcoming inauguration and marking a significant step in the region's religious and cultural landscape. The church, part…
Kim Jong Un inspects North Korean troops and orders heightened war preparations
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for enhanced military capabilities against the US and South Korea, responding to ongoing joint military exercises between the two nations. During a visit to a…
Floggings, fines and confiscated cars — how Iran has intensified its ‘morality war’
Iran's morality police have escalated their enforcement of Islamic dress codes, leading to severe punishments for women, including car confiscations, floggings, and fines, reports Amnesty International. This crackdown follows protests ignited by the…
Gaza: Israel accused of blocking food aid, fire on crowds
UN officials have accused Israel of systematically blocking aid from reaching desperate Palestinians in Gaza, warning that a quarter of the population is ‘one step away from famine’. On 29 February over a…
Nepal: repurposing discarded rubbish
A group led by Sunita Chaudhary are repurposing discarded mountain climbing ropes into handcrafted items like jewellery boxes and table mats. These ropes, once vital for climbers but later discarded, are now collected…
Pakistan: Christian man falsely accused of blasphemy released
72-year-old Christian Younis Bhatti has been discharged from a blasphemy case after the accuser, Sosan Fatima, admitted to falsely accusing him. Fatima had alleged that Bhatti desecrated the Quran, but confessed to a…
Strangers save each other's lives
Marius Werner, a young German, anonymously donated stem cells that saved the life of British doctor Dr Nick Embleton, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Unable to find a match in…
Red Sea: further strikes by US military against Houthis
The US military has conducted four ‘self-defence’ strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, destroying seven cruise missiles, a mobile ballistic missile launcher, and a drone aimed towards the Red Sea. These were regarded…
Pakistan: coalition government to be formed
Two major parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), have agreed to form a coalition government following inconclusive national elections. PMLN president Shehbaz Sharif, who will be the…
Southeast Asia: adverse effect of proposed fossil fuel projects
A new database by Malaysian climate watchdog RimbaWatch has shown that despite global efforts to combat climate change, Southeast Asian countries are still planning to develop numerous fossil fuel projects, which could significantly…
