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Your kids aren’t lazy; they just don’t know how to revise independently (March 10, 2024, The Strait Times)
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Launch of the State of the Great Commission Report (April 19, 2024, Lausanne Movement)
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INDIA: Is this the end of religious tolerance in the subcontinent? (March 26, 2024, Release International)
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Celebration of Easter in Asian countries with tradition and rituals (March 19, 2024, Travel and Tour World)
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This is the happiest country in Asia, according to the World Happiness Report (March 19, 2024, CNBC)
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Uzbekistan Turning Down The Volume On Islam (September 20, 2023, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty)
But sources that attended the meeting and spoke to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on condition of anonymity said that along with the supposed rise in radical interpretations of the country's main religion, officials raised alarms about an increase in polygamy and the emerging problem of citizens -- including state officials -- attending prayers during working hours. Officials should either "choose religion or work for the state," Aripov said, according to the sources.
25 Countries with the Highest Muslim Population in the World (July 29, 2023, Yahoo Finance)
By 2050, the share of Muslims in the world’s population will come close to that of Christians, 10% of Europe will comprise of Muslims, and India will retain its Hindu majority but will surpass Indonesia to have the largest Muslim population in the world for any country.
A guide to Thailand’s next Senate and ‘the most complicated election in the world’ (April 17, 2024, Thai PBS World)
After the 250 junta-appointed senators complete their five-year term on May 10, they will be replaced by a 200-member Senate elected from thousands of candidates via a complex voting system that excludes full public participation.
Week of Iran-Israel Strikes Marks a Mideast ‘Game Changer’ (April 17, 2024, Bloomberg) (Sign in required)
“It’s a new Middle East, it’s a Middle East in which Israel every day must wonder if some action might provoke an Iranian missile attack or drone attack on Israel’s territory directly...
The Road Ahead of Algeria’s Elections: A Changing Status Quo? (March 28, 2024, Arab Reform Initiative)
The 2019 protest movement left its mark on Algerian society as a new generation of Algerians emerged with unique demands and aspirations. While the 2019 elections were essentially focused on sociopolitical stability, candidates for the December 2024 presidential race are expected to provide concrete reforms on domestic affairs and foreign policy.
War in Sudan is 'a crisis of epic proportions' as atrocities abound (April 19, 2024, The Manila Times)
Over 14,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands wounded, half the country's population – 25 million people – need lifesaving assistance and more than 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 1.8 million refugees.
The $2bn dirty-money case that rocked Singapore (April 12, 2024, BBC)
How did these men, some of whom had multiple passports from Cambodia, Vanuatu, Cyprus and Dominica, live and bank in Singapore for years without drawing scrutiny? It has sparked a review of policies, with banks tightening rules, especially around clients who hold multiple passports.
Sri Lanka cultivates sustainable fashion for an economic revival (March 5, 2024, Nikkei Asia) (Subscription Required)
Hosting an International Climate Change Forum last November, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe spoke of plans to transition to a clean economy and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
BBC Analysis: Morocco Faces Severe Drought as Al Massira Reservoir Dries Up (April 12, 2024, Morocco World News)
Morocco has been experiencing six consecutive years of drought, exacerbated by climate change, which has led to record temperatures and increased evaporation. This has threatened water supplies across the country and has had a significant impact on agriculture and the economy.
End of the Line? Saudi Arabia ‘forced to scale back’ plans for desert megacity (April 10, 2024, The Guardian)
Dreamed up as a linear city that would eventually be home to about 9 million people on a footprint of just 13 sq miles, the Line is part of a wider Neom project.
Where is the Church in China? (March 25, 2024, ChinaSource Blog)
Who speaks for the church in China? This has been a perennial question ever since the late 1970s, when China reopened to the outside world and Christians overseas began seeking to understand and to relate to China’s church.
Article 23: What is Hong Kong's tough new security law? (March 25, 2024, BBC)
Hong Kong has introduced a new security law that the government says is necessary for stability, but has raised fears that civil liberties will be further eroded. The law, called Article 23, covers treason, sedition and state secrets, and allows for trials to be held behind closed doors.
China Increasing Its Regional Power (March 19, 2024, NPR)
We go to two places where China has been exerting control. In Hong Kong, the government finally passed national security laws that are seen by critics as eroding civil liberties. In the Philippines, China's attempts to expand its territorial waters are being met with increasingly fiery rhetoric from senior officials.
All the Countries That Enjoy Visa-Free Travel or Transit in China (March 12, 2024, The Beijinger)
China continues to open up visa-free entry for foreign nationals, with six more countries slated to join a list that’s been growing since autumn of last year, reports Xinhua News. Citizens of Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg will now be able to enjoy visa-free entry to China for 15 days for travel, business, and family reunions from Mar 14 until Nov 30 of this year.
China's efforts to prop up its ailing stock market (March 14, 2024, Reuters)
China's blue chip CSI300 Index has rebounded from five-year lows hit in early February, after the country's securities watchdog ramped up efforts to revive investor confidence. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), led by newly installed chairman Wu Qing, has tightened scrutiny over quantitative trading, introduced fresh curbs on short-selling, and vowed zero tolerance toward securities fraud.
‘10 Don’ts’ for Chinese young people (March 13, 2024, Radio Free Asia)
Over the past year or so, young Chinese "refuseniks" have been swearing off marriage, children and mortgages – rejecting traditional milestones on the path to adulthood – amid apparent despair over their futures, the economic outlook and politics.
The Chinese Church in Transition: Navigating Mission in the Diaspora (March 11, 2024, ChinaSource Quarterly)
This book showcases mission attitudes and activities among Chinese churches in the US. The detailed data provide in-depth explanations that simultaneously confirm the impression of a same-ethnicity focus in mission while offering more nuanced reasons why such a focus can be advantageous.
The Great Repositioning (March 11, 2024, ChinaSource Quarterly)
The changing migration patterns discussed in this issue of the Quarterly take on eternal significance when viewed in light of the great repositioning taking place within the global Chinese church. The Lord of the Harvest is sovereignly at work, raising up laborers and sending them into new fields for his glory.
Key takeaways from China's annual Two Sessions (March 13, 2024, NPR)
Following China's annual Two Sessions meetings, NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Wilson Center's Robert Daly about China's state of affairs and its economy.
For many in China, the economy feels like it is in recession (March 10, 2024, Reuters)
"We were born in the wrong era," said the 24-year-old graduate from China's top Renmin University."No one cares about their dreams and ambitions anymore in an economic downturn. The endless job-hunting is a torture." A crisis of confidence in the economy is deterring consumers from spending and businesses from hiring and investing, in what could become a self-feeding mechanism that erodes China's long-term economic potential.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
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Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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