• Mon-01-2025
South Korea's birthrate set to rise for the first time in nine years (January 22, 2025, Reuters)

South Korea's birthrate is set to show a rise in 2024 for the first time in nine years, following a rebound in marriages that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian country has recorded the world's lowest fertility rates, but the number of newborns between January 2024 and November 2024 rose 3% from a year earlier to 220,094, monthly government data

  • Mon-01-2025
Week in Brief: 10 key developments shaping Kazakhstan this week (January 25, 2025, Kazinform International News Agency)

This week in Astana and beyond, Kazinform News Agency presents a roundup of the top headlines that shaped the past seven days in Kazakhstan.

  • Mon-01-2025
Vietnam: Alarm bells ring as birthrate hits record low (January 21, 2025, Deutsche Welle)

Vietnam's birth rate sank to a record low in 2024. This marked the third consecutive year the figure remained below the replacement level of 2.1 — and it's happening against the background of a booming economy. Both the West and China are pouring money into Vietnam, but its plummeting fertility rate might spell trouble for its economic boom.

  • Mon-01-2025
Top 10 sought-after destinations for Lunar New Year in 2025 (January 17, 2025, Money Control)

Agoda reveals the top 10 most sought-after destinations to celebrate Lunar New Year 2025. From Tokyo’s grand festivities to Phuket’s tropical charm, explore the best spots in Asia!

  • Mon-01-2025
When is Tết 2025? How Vietnamese New Year is celebrated (January 25, 2025, The Standard UK)

People in Vietnam and Vietnamese people around the world will celebrate the lunar new year with a festival that focuses on family, food and welcoming in good luck for the year to come. And although it falls on the same day, Tết differs from the Chinese New Year as Vietnam has its own zodiac and set of new year beliefs and traditions.

  • Mon-01-2025
The laws on what women can – and can't – do in Saudi Arabia (January 18, 2025, The Week)

After years of languishing in the bottom ten, Saudi Arabia has been inching up the ranks of the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Index. It's an improvement from the days when the Middle Eastern nation was consistently judged one of the world's worst when it came to equality between men and women. Eight years into Vision 2030, what has actually changed for women in Saudi Arabia? And what restrictions do they still face?

  • Mon-01-2025
Malaysia tightens grip on internet, in blow to online freedom (December 12, 2024, Rest of World)

New regulations give the government more control over online content. Authorities say the measures are aimed at curbing hate speech and bullying. Creators say they are starting to self-censor to avoid crackdown and that the new rules make it harder to make a living.

  • Mon-01-2025
Iraq’s Ancient Marshes Are Running Out of Time (January 24, 2025, Jacobin)

A Jacobin investigation reveals how Iraq’s southern marshes, the birthplace of early civilization, face ruin from environmental and political mismanagement. As the water disappears, so too does a 5,000-year-old culture.

  • Mon-01-2025
Beyond the Headlines: ‘Ever-Present’ Persecution in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (January 23, 2025, Persecution.org - International Christian Concern)

In countries like Myanmar and Nigeria, acts of persecution against Christians are more likely to make news reports because of their extreme violence. But in many other locations, persecution typically takes on a more subtle form. It likely won’t make the media news and might lack documentation. But it’s still an ever-present issue that diminishes the quality of life for many Christians.

  • Mon-01-2025
South Korea’s Protests Are Bringing Some Christian Families Closer (January 22, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)

Protests have erupted across Seoul in the wake of Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated martial law attempt. Almost every city in the country, from Daejeon to Busan to Jeju, held protests on its streets, outside their city halls, or in front of the Republican Party’s buildings. Differing opinions on Yoon’s impeachment are driving kin apart. But a few parents and children are finding more common ground.