In Northern Cyprus, the desire for reunification and membership of the European Union is drawing opposition groups together.

The BBC website has a photo section, In Pictures. From it, here are three 'Day in the life' photo journals from Iraq: a day in the life of a Baghdad family; a day in the life of a US reservist; and a day in the life of a Baghdad police officer.

Turkey recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of its birth as a Republic. There are also some photos from the celebrations here.

Pakistan has welcomed India's recent peaceful overtures.

The issue of refugees from Bhutan in Nepal remains unresolved, despite talks between the two governments; international NGOs call for international action.

The Religious Liberty Commission quote a report from the South China Morning Post on moves in China to counter increased interest in religion by increased promotion of atheism.

The UN reports that opium cultivation in Afghanistan is thoroughly re-established and on the increase, with grim implications for the country.

An opposition politician in Pakistan has been arrested for treason, shortly after criticising the involvement of military men in politics.

A very public punishment for a shoplifter in China.

The Religious Liberty Commission, part of the World Evangelical Alliance, carries regular news and reports of persecution of and discrimination against Christians.

The Guardian's regularly-updated section of news and analysis on Iraq.

Kazakhstan has a plan to save at least part of the shrinking Aral Sea.

Some general information on Ramadan.

Yesterday was a particularly bad day in Iraq, with four suicide bombs leaving many dead and wounded.

A 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus resource, coinciding with Ramadan, is available on a day-by-day basis at the YWAM website.

An entrepreneur in Bangladesh is converting old Japanese cars into flashy Italian sports cars for the wealthier citizens of Dhaka.

There is some controversy in the Arab World over the nature of some female Arab pop singers' videos which appear on satellite tv.

Violence in Nepal continues.

British Foreign Office advises against travel to Saudi Arabia because of imminent terrorist threat; Saudi Arabia not amused.

A BBC feature article on the Russian and American bases in Kyrgyzstan.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun.

The prime minister of Jordan has resigned, and a new government is being formed.

Time magazine wonders if the nationalist Indian government is beginning to rein in Hindu hardliners.

The government in Afghanistan is launching a programme to disarm militiamen in their country - 100,000 within two years, they hope.

In Saudi Arabia, eighty-three people who took part in a rare street protest in favour of political reform are being sent to court.

India is making friendly gestures towards Pakistan - particularly in relation to travel and sport, but also suggesting possible meetings with moderate Kashmiri groups. Pakistan is hesitant.

Russia is establishing a military base in Kyrgyzstan. (The US currently uses an airbase 30 kilometres away, in relation to its work in Afghanistan.)

Amnesty International have published a report criticising the detention of children in Pakistan.

The United Nations voted to expand the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, allowing it to operate all over the country, not just in Kabul.

Ah, if only all diversified multinational companies were like ACME.

Saudi Arabia: a human rights conference, a rare protest demonstration, a promise of municipal elections.

Over a billion children in the world suffer the effects of poverty, according to a UNICEF-sponsored report on child poverty in the developing world

China completed its first manned space flight.

An international conference is being held in Bangladesh on the state of sanitation in South Asia; one of the statistics included in the report is that only 39 per cent of people in South Asia have adequate sanitation facilities.

A British army officer was among a group kidnapped, and subsequently released, by Maoist rebels in Nepal; the rebels had not previously kidnapped or harmed foreigners in seven years of civil war, according to the BBC.

The government in Laos is engaged in the systematic persecution of Christians, with the intent of eliminating Christianity, according to the World Evangelical Alliance.

Forum 18 have published their analysis of the religious freedom situation in Turkmenistan.

Apologies for the silence. A family bereavement took me away and I hadn't yet shown any of my colleagues how to work this thing!

Over the next couple of days I'll put up links to some of the stories which I - and perhaps you - have missed.

Riots in two cities in Pakistan follow the murder of a Muslim political leader.

In Pakistan, two tests in a week of missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Turkey's parliament has approved the sending of peacekeeping troops to Iraq, at USA's request; Iraq not so happy.

China hopes to send a research satellite to orbit the moon in the next three years.

Israel attacked Syria, after a terrorist attack in Haifa. Several countries have an opinion. As reported by BBC. CNN. Yahoo. The Independent. And Haaretz.

The United Nations say that almost a billion people, one-sixth of the world's population, live in slums.

Canadian soldiers have been killed in an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan. The link is to the website of ISAF - the International Security Assistance Force, currently administered by NATO.

(In their own words, the ISAF's task is 'to assist the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in creating a secure environment in and around Kabul so as to help establishing the Afghan Transitional Authority (Afghan TA). In particular, ISAF is to assist the Afghan TA in: Developing reliable security structures; Identifying reconstruction needs; Training and build up of future Afghan security forces.')

A new mosque opened today in Morden, England, is the largest in Western Europe. But is it really a mosque?

China has eased its marriage rules, meaning people no longer need a letter from their employers and a health check to get married.

Pakistan launches a major operation against Al-Qaeda fighters in border territory, coinciding with a visit from US politicians.

An article on the situation facing religious minorities in Iraq.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church takes place over the week (!) 9-16 November 2003. Information here.

The Asian Development Bank predicts that Asia will continue to be the fastest growing economic region in the world this year, despite the impact of SARS.

India's health minister hugged HIV-infected children who have been ostracised in the state of Kerala. The number of Aids cases in India is rising sharply.