Showing 1 - 10 of 46
China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade
AFP, Published on 19/01/2026
» SUZHOU, China - In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.
Cambodia-Thailand border clashes send half a million into shelters
AFP, Published on 10/12/2025
» SAMRAONG, Cambodia - Half a million evacuees in Cambodia and Thailand were sheltering in pagodas, schools and other safe havens on Wednesday after fleeing renewed fighting in a century-old border dispute in which US President Donald Trump has vowed to again intercede.
Virtual Jesus? Virtual Buddha? People of faith divided as AI enters religion
AFP, Published on 03/10/2025
» NEW YORK — Artificial intelligence (AI), the technology upending nearly every corner of society, is creeping into religion, serving up virtual Jesus and automated sermons -- a change drawing mixed reviews from the faithful.
Taliban change tune towards Afghan heritage sites
AFP, Published on 22/04/2025
» GOWARJAN, Afghanistan - In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic relics.
Bangladesh monastery a haven of harmony after unrest
AFP, Published on 26/03/2025
» DHAKA - A Buddhist monastery in Bangladesh has found renown for opening its doors to the needy during Ramadan — a beacon of interfaith harmony in a time of religious tension.
Scam centre kidnap fears keep Chinese tourists on edge in Thailand
AFP, Published on 29/01/2025
» BANGKOK - Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for Lunar New Year are worried about being kidnapped by gangsters to work in hellish scam centres, despite efforts to reassure them.
Chinese artist cashes in on Buddha-like Trump statues
AFP, Published on 13/01/2025
» XIAMEN, China - Donald Trump is not typically known for his calm or reserve, but in a craftsman's workshop in rural China the US president-elect sits in divine contemplation.
Indian Ocean nations to mark 20 years since devastating tsunami
AFP, Published on 18/12/2024
» BANDA ACEH — Tsunami-hit nations will next week commemorate the more than 220,000 people who died in the Boxing Day disaster two decades ago, when huge waves tore into coastal communities around the Indian Ocean.
Phony claims swirl around Sri Lanka's holiest tree
AFP, Published on 02/06/2023
» ANURADHAPURA (SRI LANKA) - When social media was inundated with rumours that Sri Lanka's holiest tree was being harmed by 5G mobile signals, Colombo's cash-strapped government pulled out all the stops.
Myanmar pardons 2,153 prisoners jailed for dissent
AFP, Published on 03/05/2023
» Myanmar's junta on Wednesday announced it had pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners jailed under a law used widely in its crackdown on dissent since seizing power more than two years ago.