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World's most powerful passport rankings [2024] (June 26, 2024, Forbes India)
  • Asian countries have dominated the Henley Passport Index for several years now. Countries like Japan, Singapore, and South Korea consistently rank in the top spots among the world’s most powerful passports, offering their citizens visa-free access to many countries. This is a testament to the diplomatic relations these countries have established and maintained with countries worldwide.

  • Sun-07-2024
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Poorest Countries in the World 2024 (May 6, 2024, Global Finance)
  • The numbers are striking: in the 10 richest countries in the world the average yearly per-capita purchasing power it is over $110,000, in the 10 poorest is less than $1,500. The worst part is that poverty is often likely to foster more poverty.

  • Sun-07-2024
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5 most popular hill stations in South Asia (July 5, 2024, The Daily Star thru Asia News Network)
  • As an elevated town from the nearby plain and valley, hill stations offer a stunning retreat. Away from the chaos of urban hustle and bustle, its clean atmosphere and exclusive nature uplifts one’s physical and mental being. Especially, the splendour of the tropical wet climate in South Asia accounts for some of the most majestic hill stations in the world. So, get set to relax and explore the 5 best hill stations in South Asia.

  • Sun-07-2024
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What is Evangelicalism in Asia? (June 19, 2024, World Evangelical Alliance)
  • The webinar explored different things that we can celebrate about how evangelicalism has thrived in the region of Asia: deep sacramental dimension to spirituality, pursuit of harmonious relationship among people and with the rest of God’s creation, a strong sense of being a collective community, emphasis on radical discipleship and holistic transformation, and an intentional focus on the younger generation.

  • Sun-06-2024
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07-07-2024

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Religion and Spirituality in East Asian Societies (June 17, 2024, Pew Research Center)
  • By some measures, East Asia seems like one of the least religious regions in the world. Relatively few East Asian adults pray daily or say religion is very important in their lives. And rates of disaffiliation – people leaving religion – are among the highest in the world. Yet, the survey also finds that many people across the region continue to hold religious or spiritual beliefs and to engage in traditional rituals.

  • Sun-06-2024
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World’s Most Peaceful Country 2024 Global Peace Index (June 12, 2024, Global Finance)
  • Over the past two decades, most indicators of peacefulness have deteriorated, according to the 2024 Global Peace Index. Old and new conflicts, and our political and cultural polarization, are the main culprits.

  • Mon-06-2024
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How is Father's Day celebrated in Asia? (n.d., Budget Air)
  • How do you celebrate Father's Day? Is Father's Day the same everywhere? Whether you and your father-figure in life are craving for knowledge, or want to adopt a certain tradition for your own Father's Day, there are many different countries to learn from that have their own unique history and customs on this special date. So, we made a list about 20 Father's Day traditions from around the world, including its celebrations in Asia.

  • Mon-06-2024
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ICC Perspectives: Christians are Leaving the Middle East. So Why is Persecution Increasing? (May 24, 2024, Persecution.org)
  • Places such as Iraq, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, and, to a lesser degree, Egypt and Lebanon have seen a continuation of the historic exodus of Christians during the past decade alone. The decline is especially significant when one considers that these communities are among the oldest Christian communities in the world.

  • Mon-06-2024
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Sudan: the war the world forgot (May 24, 2024, The Economist)
  • There is no shortage of global headlines that make grim reading. But while the world’s eyes are focused on Russia’s looming assault in Ukraine, the war in Gaza and China’s naval provocations in the South China Sea, far less attention is being paid to the war, genocide and famine in Africa’s third-largest country.

  • Sat-05-2024
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Polycentric mission: Whose centres? Whose mission? (November 15, 2023, Evangelical Focus)
  • At the centre of the argument for polycentric mission is the suggestion that mission is no longer something that only Western Christians get to do in other parts of the world. Mission in the 21st century must involve all Christians worldwide.

  • Sun-05-2024
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  • Sun-07-2024
VIDEO: Inspiring Testimony of an Iranian Christian Woman | Naghmeh Panahi (February 24, 2024, Back to Jerusalem)

Naghmeh was born and raised in the Middle East until she was nine years old when her family moved to the United States. In 2001 Naghmeh returned to Iran as a young adult and lived there for many years experiencing the oppression and violence women are subjected to everyday in the Middle East. In 2012, her husband Saeed Abedini was arrested while visiting Iran.

  • Sun-07-2024
Türkiye incursion targets PKK, spares Iraqi Christians (July 17, 2024, Mission Network News)

Türkiye’s latest incursion in northern Iraq “neutralized” at least 11 members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. The incursion is part of a more comprehensive operation aimed at removing PKK forces from strategic locations by November 2024.

  • Sun-07-2024
As Georgia presses on with ‘Russia-style’ laws, its citizens describe a country on the brink (July 21, 2024, The Associated Press)

The “foreign influence” law requires media, civil society groups and nonprofit organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. It also subjects them to intense state scrutiny and imposes steep fines for noncompliance.

  • Sun-07-2024
Why Tunisia Lost Faith in Democracy (July 18, 2024, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

Today, Tunisia is on the verge of an economic meltdown. Yet many Tunisians no longer support the political framework of a democracy. They have lost faith that a democratic system is preferable, much less needed, for achieving economic prosperity.

  • Sun-07-2024
All eyes on poll date in Sri Lanka amid concern over Bill (July 19, 2024, The Hindu)

While constitutional experts noted the gazette had no implication on the coming presidential election, government critics and lawyers question the timing of the gazette.

  • Sun-07-2024
Border Dispute No More: Are Bishkek and Dushanbe Ready to Make Peace? (June 24, 2024, The Times of Central Asia)

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have long been restless neighbors from Tashkent and Astana’s point of view. In many respects, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan forced the current rapprochement of the Central Asian republics, as expressed on the outer perimeter in the C5+1 format, where the region strives to put forward a consolidated position. After all, investment does not come to problematic areas.

  • Sun-07-2024
Nguyen Phu Trong, who led Vietnam’s outreach and crackdowns, dies at 80 (July 19, 2024, The Washington Post)

On the world stage, Mr. Trong was seen as an artful practitioner of Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” — called so for bending in different directions — as the country navigated ties with its most important economic partners, China and the United States, while also building bonds with nations such as India and Russia.

  • Sun-07-2024
Tribal leaders in Iraq call for action to “stop Turkey’s crimes against humanity (July 18, 2024, ANF News)

Turkey's systematic attacks on people and nature in the Kurdistan Region continue. Villages and cities are being evacuated, burnt down and people's safety of lives is being jeopardised. The local population is forced to leave their homes and the region is being turned into a military zone.

  • Sun-07-2024
Scandalous Shawarma Plot: Enormous Currency Smuggling Operation to Kuwait (July 13, 2024, Arab Times Kuwait)

Authorities at Cairo International Airport intercepted a peculiar smuggling attempt involving over a million pounds concealed within shawarma meals, destined for Kuwait. The incident, which gained attention on social media platforms, unfolded as airport security detained an Egyptian passenger during routine checks before a flight to Kuwait.

  • Sun-07-2024
Personal income tax in Oman: Will other Gulf countries follow suit? (July 7, 2024, The National News)

The proposed tax targets high-income earners, with citizens taxed on net global income above $1 million and foreign nationals on Oman-sourced income above $100,000.

  • Sun-07-2024
The Last Mile (July 12, 2024, ChinaSource)

It is crucial to remember that the purpose of Bible engagement surpasses mere reading: its essence lies in understanding the divine revelations within its pages, which leads to transformative life experiences and a deeper connection with God.

  • Sun-07-2024
Chinese Upbringing and US Culture (July 10, 2024, ChinaSource)

Because I grew up in China and because this environment is nearly completely non-Christian, I was accustomed to being in a room where most views opposed my own. As a Christian, my faith has never been defined by my surroundings. I am able to befriend people who hold completely different beliefs than mine, but I’m still strong in my own faith.

  • Sun-07-2024
Will Nepal’s new coalition government tip the scales of India-China rivalry? (July 21, 2024, South China Morning Post)

Nepal will continue its delicate balancing act between India and China, according to observers, after political manoeuvrings saw a new government coalition formed and a new prime minister sworn in this week.

  • Sun-07-2024
China and Russia Are Breaking the World Into Pieces (July 21, 2024, Bloomberg)

From Ukraine to Gaza to the South China Sea, the world is littered with crises. International cooperation is paralyzed by diplomatic rivalry; techno-optimism has given way to a pervasive techno-anxiety . The sole superpower is limping toward an election with fateful consequences, as its rivals feverishly arm themselves for wars present and, perhaps, future. Each of these challenges, in turn, is symptomatic of a deeper historic shift underway.

  • Sun-07-2024
Taiwan’s military drills turn serious as China threat escalates (July 21, 2024, Financial Times)

Taiwan’s armed forces will use combat exercises next week to rigorously test its warfighting capabilities for the first time, in a radical departure from decades of scripted performances as the military steels itself against the growing threat from China.

  • Sun-07-2024
A trip to Shanghai’s AI mega-conference showed me that China’s developers are still playing catch-up to Silicon Valley (July 14, 2024, Fortune) (Subscription required)

The critical problem is that China’s LLMs are limited to using data within the Great Firewall. As investment bank Goldman Sachs noted late last year, “LLM performance improves with scale—more parameters, more and better training data, more training runs and more computation.” There is simply less information in the isolated Chinese-language internet compared to an open internet with sources in many different languages.

  • Sun-07-2024
Semiconductor analyst theorizes that China might want to destroy TSMC instead of capturing it — Chinese invasion of Taiwan would destroy supply chains, cripple South Korean chipmakers (July 6, 2024, Yahoo News)

"What if China is not deterred by potentially mined TSMC factories and ASML kill switches? What if the reunification plan is based on eradicating the TSMC factories and the Semiconductor supply chain in Taiwan and beyond?"

  • Sun-07-2024
China Offers 5-Year Mainland Travel Permit to Non-Chinese Hong Kong and Macao Permanent Residents (July 3, 2024, China Briefing)

China’s National Immigration Administration announced the introduction of a five-year multi-entry travel permit for foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao, aiming to streamline travel to the Chinese mainland, fostering economic integration and enhancing global connectivity within the Greater Bay Area. Such travel permits can be applied starting from July 10, 2024.

  • Sun-07-2024
China rocked by cooking oil contamination scandal (July 11, 2024, BBC)

The Chinese government says it will investigate allegations that fuel tankers have been used to transport cooking oil after carrying toxic chemicals without being cleaned properly between loads. The controversy has spread online as social media users express concerns about potential food contamination.

  • Sun-07-2024
China stabbing attacks raise concerns of growing social tensions (July 7, 2024, Financial Times)

In an acknowledgment of the potential racial motivation for the Suzhou attack, major Chinese internet platforms banned hate speech against Japan. But the tragedy was just the latest in a series of recent violent incidents hinting at rising social tensions, said analysts.