Religious duel in Japan: Pastor rock vs. Buddhist monk blues
The band Boxi Rocks features Sekino and three other pastors, who don church robes during their raucous performances.
Lucky Thai dolls 'non-human' says aviation authority
Thailand's air safety body warned passengers that lucky 'child angel' dolls cannot be considered real people and must be properly stowed.
Japanese monks karate chop, chant in funeral contest
Japanese Buddhist monks strutted their stuff in a contest highlighting sutra chanting skills, giving funeral sermons and loud karate chops.
A dying business: family graves in Japan
Every once in a while, Kumiko Kano meets a group of people with whom she has decided to spend eternity, one of a growing number in Japan who are shunning the expense and commitment of a traditional family grave.
Sri Lanka detains British tourist over Buddha tattoo
Sri Lanka has detained a female British tourist for having a Buddha tattoo on her right arm and ordered her deportation, police said.
Dalai Lama says no problem with gay marriage
The celibate Dalai Lama has thrown his considerable moral weight behind gay marriage, condemning homophobia and saying sex was fine as long as it was consensual.
Muslim clergy to teach Religious studies at schools?
Member of the Majilis Talgat Yergaliev proposed engaging members of the Muslim clergy in teaching Religious Studies at schools.
Japan Buddhists launch Monks Without Borders
First it was the doctors, then came the reporters, now a group of religious men in Japan have formed Monks Without Borders.
Thousands take to Cambodia's streets on Human Rights Day
Thousands of Cambodian opposition supporters and activists, including Buddhist monks, took to the streets Tuesday to mark Human Rights Day and call for improvements in the kingdom's rights record.
Malaysian family jailed over child's 'exorcism' death
A Malaysian high court on Friday jailed three family members who suffocated their two-year-old to death by piling on top of her in a suspected exorcism ritual.
Indian temple to glitter with 300 kilos of Thai gold
India's Mahabodhi temple, one of the world's holiest Buddhist shrines, is to have its dome inlaid with 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of gold donated by Thailand's king and other devotees.
China temple fresco 'restored' with cartoon-like paintings
Chinese authorities have "restored" ancient Buddhist frescos in a temple by painting them over with cartoon-like figures from Taoist myths.
Monasteries decline as TV and smartphones grip Bhutan
Kencho Tshering, a red-robed Buddhist monk, takes a call from the King of Bhutan's office, then duly dashes off to start a ceremony praying for a break in the monsoon rains.
Digital reincarnation for Dunhuang's Buddhist art
Inching their cameras along a rail inside the chamber, specialists use powerful flashes to light up paintings of female Buddhist spirits drawn more than 1,400 years ago.
Buddhist constructs stupa to save Almaty from quake
Kazakhstan citizen Aleksander Gritskov has offered a new way to save Almaty city from earthquakes.
Myanmar apologises to monks over mine protest injuries
Myanmar's government has apologised to senior Buddhist clerics over injuries sustained in a violent police crackdown on a rally at a Chinese-backed copper mine.
Meet Mr Happy: French geneticist turned Tibetan monk
As he grins serenely and his burgundy robes billow in the fresh Himalayan wind, it is not difficult to see why scientists declared Matthieu Ricard the happiest man they had ever tested.
UN says over 26,000 displaced by Myanmar unrest
Homeless people fled to packed camps or clustered near their charred houses in western Myanmar on Sunday, amid ongoing unrest that the UN said displaced 26,500 from mainly Muslim communities.
Muslims flee Myanmar unrest as death toll rises
A new wave of sectarian violence in western Myanmar has left five people dead and dozens injured in recent days, triggering another exodus of Muslims to emergency camps.
Couple's love bridges Myanmar religious divide
Praying with a Koran on his knees in a mud-strewn camp, Rohin Mullah is one of thousands of Muslims uprooted by sectarian bloodshed in Myanmar. But the former monk's story is far from normal.