Headlines- On Monday at 14:00 GMT, the US military says it would start blockading Iranian ports, preventing ships from entering or leaving Iran from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
- In the southern town of Biyyada, Hezbollah claims that its men have attacked Israeli soldiers with "a swarm of attack drones."
- US President Donald Trump's threat to block the Strait of Hormuz was deemed "ridiculous" by Iran's navy chief, Shahram Irani.
- Any military ships approaching the Strait of Hormuz "will be considered a violation of the ceasefire and will be met with severe force," according to a statement released on Sunday by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- The speaker of Iran's parliament Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf is leading the delegation that has arrived to Pakistan for talks with the United States.
- Nawaf Salam, the prime minister of Lebanon, stated that he was working to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces and to put an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
- Viktor Orban, the longtime prime minister of Hungary, has conceded defeat to Peter Magyar in the country's legislative election.
Tag: Religious Freedom
China Arrests Underground Church Founder, Pastors
The founder of one of China’s most prominent underground churches and dozens of its pastors and members have been arrested, the founder’s family and a church spokesperson said, part of a multi-city crackdown in recent days.
Tensions High in Bangladesh District After...
Religious tensions were high in a central Bangladesh district as hundreds of demonstrators started fires and blocked roads on Wednesday to protest last week’s deadly beating of two Muslims by a mob, allegedly of Hindus, police said.
China Gives Monks a List of...
In the event of the Dalai Lama’s death, Buddhist monks are banned from displaying photos of the Tibetan spiritual leader and other “illegal religious activities and rituals,” according to a training manual Chinese authorities have distributed to monasteries in Gansu province in China’s northwest, a source inside Tibet and exiled former political prisoner Golok Jigme said.
No New Monks Allowed at Buddhist...
Chinese authorities have forbidden the admission of new monks of all ages into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Chamdo prefecture in eastern Tibet amid growing restrictions on religious activities in the country, two sources familiar with the development told Radio Free Asia.
Bangladesh Govt Asks Hindus to Hush...
A Bangladesh government circular asking Hindus to stop or limit the use of loudspeakers during daily Muslim prayers infringes on religious freedom, leaders of the minority group said as their community prepared to celebrate the Durga Puja festival.
‘Contrary to public interest’: Malaysia bans...
Malaysia’s government has banned a locally made feature film about a Muslim girl who explores other religions’ views on reincarnation after her mother dies, saying it runs “contrary to public interest.”
Pakistani Christians in Shock Following Violent...
After a Muslim mob attacked churches and homes belonging to the Christian community in the city of Jaranwala in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, authorities in that country have arrested at least 170 people.The attack came as allegations of desecration of the Quran by two Christian men emerged Wednesday, August 16.However, some attack victims say they may never feel safe again as residents return to secenes of destruction and officials step up efforts to restore
Chinese Police Stop Tibetan Buddhist Gathering,...
Tearing down tents and destroying a colorful sand mandala, Chinese authorities on Wednesday stopped a gathering where a Tibetan Buddhist lama was scheduled to preach – and tried to block online photos and descriptions of the incident, two Tibetans with knowledge of the situation said.
Malaysian Govt Withdraws Appeal Against Ruling...
The Malaysian government has decided to withdraw its appeal against a High Court ruling that allowed non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” to refer to God, the Attorney General’s office confirmed Monday, about a highly divisive issue in the Muslim-majority country.
Analysts: Rising Intolerance,Religious Conservatism in Malaysia...
An International Women’s Day march, a film about a Muslim character exploring other religions’ views on the afterlife, and an interfaith program have all recently become targets of religious conservatives’ outrage in Muslim-majority Malaysia.