## Forced participation in religious activities to be classified as child abuse in Japan

Authored by straitstimes.com

- New health ministry guidelines in Japan will classify as abuse any acts by members of religious groups who threaten or force their children to participate in religious activities, or that hinder a child’s career path based on religious doctrine.

The controversial Unification Church came to attention in 2022 after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot by a man with longstanding grudges against the religious group.

Children of religious groups’ followers have criticised the authorities’ handling of this issue in the past.

In October, the ministry told local governments not to make perfunctory responses simply because a problem is religious in nature.

According to the sources, the envisaged guidelines will be in a question-and-answer format and will specify what faith-based acts against children fall under the categories of abuse as stipulated in the Child Abuse Prevention Law.

In addition, there are concerns that giving advice to parents may cause the abuse to escalate and bring increased pressure from religious groups on the families.

Guidelines already exist for child consultation centres on how to respond to abuse, but this will be the first time that they are devised specifically for children of religious followers. »

### China may ask Russia to attack NATO if Taiwan is invaded, Rutte says

Authored by kyivindependent.com

If China attacks Taiwan, Beijing may ask Moscow to open a second front against NATO states, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with The New York Times (NYT) published on July 5.

Fears of escalating Chinese military intervention in Taiwan have risen sharply since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Rutte previously warned that Russia could rebuild its military capacity to threaten NATO territory within five years, urging members to act with urgency. »

### Ukraine aid: Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized a pause on weapon shipments, sources say

Authored by edition.cnn.com

The pause was the second time this year that Hegseth had decided to halt the flow of US weapons to Ukraine, catching senior national security officials off guard, sources said.

But Trump did not specifically direct Hegseth to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine as part of that review, three of the sources said.

After the White House learned about the pause, White House officials told Hegseth and DoD that they would temporarily provide “cover” for the decision, two of the sources said. »

### Laser attack in Red Sea: Berlin accuses China of targeting German aircraft, summons ambassador over ‘unacceptable’ act

Authored by timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Poll Should international military forces face stricter rules of engagement in shared maritime zones?

Germany on Tuesday said a Chinese military vessel targeted a German surveillance aircraft with a laser in the Red Sea, triggering strong diplomatic protest and the summoning of the Chinese ambassador in Berlin.

The ministry clarified that there was no prior contact or reason given for the laser targeting. »

### European intelligence officials warn that a Russian sabotage campaign is escalating

Authored by yahoo.com

“When you start a campaign, it creates its own dynamic and gets more and more violent over time,” said one of the officials, who holds a senior position at a European intelligence agency.

They include young people with no criminal records who are frequently hired for a few thousand dollars, the intelligence officials said.

When Russia's disruption campaign started following the Ukraine invasion, vandalism – including defacing monuments or graffiti — was more common, said the senior European intelligence official. »

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