Asia

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its World Report 2025, noting a year of significant yet uneven progress for democracy and human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. The report highlights encouraging signs, including citizen activism in India, Bangladesh, and South Korea,…

China’s population decreased for the third straight year, reaching 1.408 billion at the end of 2024, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year, Arab News reported. This trend poses significant challenges for the government and economy, as the…

Kazakhstan launched the region’s first Shariah-compliant exchange-traded fund (ETF), the ITSS, on January 14, marking a significant milestone in Islamic finance, The Astana Times reported. The ETF, listed on the Astana International Exchange, aims to replicate the performance of the…

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the sentencing of Seylihan Rozi, a 49-year-old Uyghur Muslim woman in China, to 17 years in prison for teaching her children and a neighbor verses from the Quran, the organization’s website reported.…

Sri Lankan civil society groups are mobilizing to protect over 100 Rohingya refugees rescued off Indian Ocean island nation last month, Arab News reported. Following the government’s announcement on January 3 regarding potential deportation talks with Myanmar, protests erupted in…

A group of 43 Uyghur men detained in Thailand is at imminent risk of deportation back to China, where they fear persecution and torture, Arab News reported today. Recent recordings reveal that Thai immigration officials presented the men with voluntary…

Galagodaatte Gnanasara, a hardline Sri Lankan monk and ally of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has been sentenced to nine months in prison for insulting Islam and inciting religious hatred, BBC reported yesterday. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court convicted him for derogatory…

A group of approximately 300 Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines on Monday to process special immigrant visas (SIV) for resettlement in the United States, Arab News reported yesterday. This initiative, part of an agreement between Manila and Washington, aims…

Afghan refugees in Tajikistan are grappling with significant challenges related to residency and exploitation by organizations claiming to assist migrants, Khaama Press reported. Many refugees, despite having all necessary legal documents, report threats of deportation. An Afghan refugee shared with…

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, was reported on Friday as the most polluted city globally, Anadolu Agency reported citing daily weather data. Data from AirVisual, an independent source for global air pollution statistics, indicated that the PM2.5 concentration in Hanoi’s…