Damascus: Gang Suspected of Islamist Ties Robs and Kills Christian Jeweler

Today’s News: In the Philippines, more than 140 dead and 127 missing after Typhoon Kalmaegi; Marcos declares a state of emergency. The wife of Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh, kidnapped and missing since 2017, wins lawsuit against the government. Kathmandu and Delhi to build three major cross-border connection lines. Afghans in the north appeal to the Taliban for the reconstruction of the Blue Mosque damaged by the earthquake.

SYRIA

In Jaramana, on the outskirts of Damascus, the brutal murder of Elias Joseph al-Baba, a young jeweler, has shocked the local Christian community. An armed gang suspected of ties to former members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (the former Islamist militia now in power in parts of Syria) stormed his shop, robbed him, and then opened fire. According to local sources, the assailants stole cash and gold items before killing al-Baba in cold blood. The crime echoes a series of recent attacks against Christians in Hemto (Hama), Hmoth (Homs), and other areas of the country, where similar robberies, kidnappings, and murders have largely gone unpunished.

PHILIPPINES

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency today after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 140 people, with another 127 currently missing in central provinces. It is the worst natural disaster to hit the archipelago this year and the deadliest worldwide in 2025, according to the EM-DAT database. Most of the deaths were reported in the central province of Cebu.

MALAYSIA

The wife of a pastor kidnapped eight years ago has won a landmark case against the police and government, in a ruling that has gripped the nation. Raymond Koh was abducted from his car by masked men in a suburb of the capital Kuala Lumpur in 2017. His fate remains unknown, with his family repeatedly accusing law enforcement of being involved in his disappearance. Yesterday, the High Court ruled it was a case of enforced disappearance involving state agents and institutions — the first such ruling in Malaysia’s history. The state must also pay .4 million in damages to the family.

NEPAL – INDIA

Kathmandu and Delhi have agreed to build three major cross-border transmission lines: the 220 kV double-circuit Chameliya–Jauljibi line, the 400 kV double-circuit Nijgadh–Motihari line, and the 400 kV Lamahi–Lucknow line. The agreement was reached during the 17th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Technical Team in Pokhara. The capacity of four existing transmission lines will also be expanded.

HONG KONG – CAMBODIA

Authorities in Hong Kong have frozen 3 million in assets linked to a criminal syndicate known as the “Prince Group”, run by Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, 38, who has already been indicted in the U.S. for online fraud and money laundering. According to the former British colony’s police, the group is suspected of large-scale international cross-border fraud.

AFGHANISTAN

Residents of northern Afghanistan have called on the Taliban government to help rebuild the historic mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, damaged by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake on November 3, which killed 27 people and injured around a thousand. The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque, is considered one of the country’s holiest sites and is believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law.

RUSSIA

The state is tightening controls on Russian students’ access to higher education through new rules from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which last year barred 262 institutions from accepting fee-paying students in various fields. According to the website “To Be Precise,” next academic year students who score below 50 out of 100 on their final exams will be denied university admission.

KAZAKHSTAN

Unlike other Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan is moving toward legitimizing polygamy — at least for a second wife — as proposed in parliament by MP Abzal Kuspan. He noted that “despite all the prohibitions, many state officials and high-ranking men in society live comfortably with several wives,” and suggested aligning “de jure practice with de facto reality,” while personally stating he remains opposed to the practice.

• Asia Today