Bangladesh: 'The United Nations has urged the international community to offer more aid to help the victims of devastating floods in Bangladesh. Millions of people are expected to be dependent on food aid there for the next five months.' (BBC)

Bangladesh: 'A Democracy is Shaken: In a divided nation, an attack against Bangladesh's opposition party leader marks a new low.' (Time)

Bangladesh: 'Shops, schools, offices and businesses across Bangladesh were shut on Monday for the fourth day in a week as a strike called by the opposition to protest a deadly grenade attack got underway.' (Reuters Alertnet)

Nepal: 'The United Nations and human rights groups have expressed concern over the number of people who have disappeared in Nepal. The warnings have been issued on the International Day of the Disappeared. The London-based Amnesty International said it received reports of 378 people disappearing last year, more than in the previous five years put together.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Taliban spectre returns as 17 die in blasts: The Taliban claimed responsibility for a car bomb that ripped through Kabul yesterday. The Afghan government said two Americans, three Nepalese and two Afghans were killed in what was the largest attack for months in the Afghan capital.' (Guardian)

India: 'India's population: A problem for all? By 2050, India is predicted to have overtaken China as the world's most populous nation. In an already overcrowded world, richer countries are being asked to share responsibility for the problem of this population explosion, which to a large extent is due to poverty.' (BBC)

Sudan: 'Rebel groups walked away from peace talks with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Saturday in protest of alleged attacks by the government-supported Janjaweed militia in the embattled Darfur region, a government spokesman said.' (CNN)

China: 'China's parliament has passed a law banning the buying or selling of blood to prevent the spread of AIDS and outlawing discrimination against victims of infectious diseases, state media said.' (CNN)

Uzbekistan: 'Is headscarf ban "enlightened" Islam? Insisting that all women who wear a Muslim headscarf (the hijab) have links with terrorists, the authorities in Lagman, part of Karshi in southern Uzbekistan, have banned the public wearing of the hijab, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. City authorities have claimed to Forum 18 that "anyone in Uzbekistan can wear whatever they consider appropriate," even though Uzbekistan's religion law bans the public wearing of undefined "religious clothing", which attacks both Muslims and Hare Krishna devotees. Abdurakhman Erkayev, head of the city's secretariat for social and economic issues went on to tell Forum 18 that "We have asked the mahalla authorities to explain to people that the essence of Islam in Uzbekistan has never been distinguished by fanaticism and extremism. We feel that it is very important to promote this form of "enlightened" Islam."' (Forum 18)

Pakistan: 'Pakistan's former finance minister, a close ally of President Musharraf, has been sworn in as prime minister. Shaukat Aziz was elected to the post by the National Assembly, securing 191 of 342 votes. The opposition abstained, calling the process undemocratic.' (BBC)

India: ' Parliament in Indian-administered Kashmir has rejected a bill withdrawing the permanent resident status of women who marry a non-permanent resident. The bill failed because of opposition from the Congress party. The bill was supported by the main Kashmir parties but opposed by the main national parties.' (BBC)

China: 'Evidence is emerging of a renewed crackdown on “illegal religious activities” in China and a tightening of controls on academic and media activities related to religion. Several government meetings held this year have encouraged provincial leaders to step up their efforts to control house church movements, leading to a wave of mass arrests in June, July and August. Even official church leaders have been targeted. Jin Da, a leader of the officially recognized Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), was arrested in mid July. A few weeks later, the government approved detailed new regulations for the administration of religious affairs in China. Partly in reaction to a controversial book and DVD documentary released earlier this year, the government has also downplayed the growth of the church in China.' (Compass Direct)

India: 'India's first execution in 13 years has claimed an additional toll of at least two children dead in mishaps as they re-enacted the highly publicised hanging of a man convicted of raping and murdering a schoolgirl.' (CNN)

Jordan: 'In a surprise decision, the Supreme Islamic Court of Jordan has accepted Christian widow Siham Qandah’s last possible appeal to retain custody of her two minor children. Qandah’s lawyer was informed on August 20 that the Supreme Court will hear his appeal of a lower court decision granting custody of the widow’s daughter Rawan, 16, and son Fadi, 14, to the children’s maternal uncle. The ruling came two months after Amman’s Al-Abdali Sharia Court refused to cancel Abdullah Al-Muhtadi’s guardianship of the children, despite evidence that he had withdrawn nearly 12,000 Jordanian dinars ($17,650) from their U.N.-allocated trust funds. Al-Muhtadi, Qandah’s estranged brother who converted to Islam as a teenager, first filed for custody of the children in 1998 so that he could raise them as Muslims. The case has since come to the attention of several members of the Jordanian royal family, who have pledged that Qandah will not lose her children or be sent to jail. Nevertheless, a formal judicial solution has remained elusive.' (Compass Direct)

Nepal: 'Tour operators in Nepal say that they lost up to five million dollars due to cancelled bookings by foreign tourists last week. They blame the cancellations on what they say was exaggerated reporting on the week long Maoist-imposed blockade of the capital, Kathmandu.' (BBC)

China: 'Tibet clings to frontier life as modern China encroaches: Chinese minders keep a watchful eye on journalists in the ancient Buddhist theocracy while highlighting improvements in literacy, health, and infrastructure.' (Christian Science Monitor)

Afghanistan: 'Corruption gives impunity to Afghanistan's drug lords.' (Independent)

Uzbekistan: Police break state and international law: Police have raided a Jehovah's Witness meeting in Samarkand [Samarqand], without any legal documentation, closely questioning participants in the meeting under great psychological pressure, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The police told participants that they would be fined under Article 241 "breaking the law on giving religious instruction" of Uzbekistan's administrative code, and the internal affairs administration told Forum 18 that "we were acting within the law". Both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Uzbekistan has freely signed, and Uzbekistan's own religion law contradict this claim.' (Forum 18)

China: 'China has begun evacuating almost 250,000 people from coastal areas as it braces for the onslaught of Typhoon Aere.' (CNN)

Bangladesh: 'Authorities in Bangladesh braced for more violence on the second day of a countrywide strike on Wednesday as the main opposition party prepared to bury a popular woman leader who was among 19 killed in a deadly grenade attack.' (Reuters Alertnet)

India: 'A top Indian politician has been sent to jail over charges that she incited violence between Hindus and Muslims 10 years ago. Uma Bharti, who belongs to the opposition Hindu nationalist BJP, surrendered in a court in the southern state of Karnataka.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Maoist rebels are to lift their blockade of Kathmandu from today after listening to requests from the business community, human rights activists and ordinary Nepalese. The week-long siege of the capital has been maintained by the threat of violence, rather than physical roadblocks, but has been remarkably effective.' (Guardian)

Afghanistan and Pakistan: 'Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf have met in Islamabad to discuss terrorism and economic issues.' (BBC)

Bangladesh: 'Bangladesh strike shuts down cities, 12 hurt: Supporters of Bangladesh's opposition party clashed with police on Tuesday on the first day of a two-day national strike called to protest a grenade attack that killed 19 people and injured more than 150 at the weekend.' (Reuters Alertnet)

Cyprus: 'Turkish Cypriots have begun trading with their Greek Cypriot compatriots in the south of the island for the first time in three decades. The introduction of inter-island trade is part of a package of EU measures to boost the economy of northern Cyprus.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'The man chosen to become Pakistan's next prime minister has won a by-election that will enable him to take office, officials say.' (BBC)

Turkey: 'Nine months after he was beaten into a prolonged coma by ultra-nationalists opposed to his conversion to Christianity, Yakup Cindilli, 31, has for the first time made personal contact with Protestant Christian acquaintances in Turkey. Without telling his conservative Muslim family, Cindilli left his home in Orhangazi in late July and made the three-hour bus trip to Istanbul, where he attempted to make contact with some of his Christian friends. Friends noted that Cindilli spoke rationally, but was not always able to pronounce his words clearly. “He showed us that he did not have full use of his right arm,” commented one of his friends. “But he was able to walk normally and seemed to be in good spirits.” Another friend said, “He prayed that God would bring him back to full health. His faith appears to remain intact, even after all that has happened.” Following the unexpected visit, Pastor Ismail Kulakcioglu drove him back to his home in Orhangazi.' (Compass Direct)

China: 'Voice of the People: Protests in China are spreading like wildfire, and local officials have no idea how to put out the flames.' (Newsweek)

China: 'It's hard to imagine a labor shortage in China, but there is. With 120 million "farmer workers" having migrated to the cities, and at least 300 million more expected to follow them by 2020, many rural areas are desperately short of labor. Ironically, the unskilled migrants find themselves unemployed in the cities, where there is an unsatisfied demand for skilled workers.' (Asia Times)

Kyrgyzstan: 'A Kyrgyz government newspaper in the capital, 'Vercherny Bishkek', has greatly exaggerated a minor failure to register with the authorities by Taiwanese and Russian missionaries at an Evangelical Christian Church in the capital Bishkek, and has announced that unspecified "measures" "are now being decided" by the government. Natalya Shadrova, a state religious affairs official, denied the newspaper's claims to Forum 18 News Service and described them as "ill-considered" and creating "a false impression of freedom of conscience in Kyrgyzstan." Her concern was echoed by the church's leader, Sergei Bachkala, who told Forum 18 that that "such articles give our church a negative image in the republic." The newspaper denied that the article was published on government instructions, describing it as "restrained" and in neutral tones".' (Forum 18)

Mongolia: 'Mongolia's parliament has named a new prime minister, ending two months of deadlock following disputed elections. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of the Democratic Coalition was appointed after agreeing to share power with the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP).' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Welcome to the kingdom ruled by fear: Tourists are still beating a path to Nepal as its bloody civil war enters a critical phase.' (Independent)

Uzbekistan: 'Police have raided a Jehovah's Witness meeting in Samarkand [Samarqand], without any legal documentation, closely questioning participants in the meeting under great psychological pressure, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The police told participants that they would be fined under Article 241 "breaking the law on giving religious instruction" of Uzbekistan's administrative code, and the internal affairs administration told Forum 18 that "we were acting within the law". Both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Uzbekistan has freely signed, and Uzbekistan's own religion law contradict this claim.' (Forum 18)

Bangladesh: 'Bangladeshi security forces are on high alert with more protests planned after Saturday's attack on an opposition rally in Dhaka that killed 19 people. Many schools were closed on Monday and the opposition has called a general strike for Tuesday and Wednesday. Leader of the opposition Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, who escaped the blasts unhurt, blamed the government for the attacks - a charge it denies.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Government officials from the US have helped broker a ceasefire between two rival militia commanders in western Afghanistan. The pair have been involved in clashes in recent days. Earlier on Tuesday forces supporting Commander Amanullah were reported to have moved within 20kms (12 miles) of the city of Herat. They are believed to have overpowered troops controlled by the provincial governor, Ismail Khan.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Voting is under way in Pakistan to determine the future of the man chosen by President Pervez Musharraf to be the country's next prime minister.
Shaukat Aziz must by law win a seat in parliament in order to take up the post and is fighting two by-elections to improve his chances.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Rebels enforce Nepal 'blockade': An indefinite rebel blockade of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu has disrupted food and other supplies to the city. Two major highways linking Kathmandu with the rest of the country are deserted, say reports. The rebels say they will stop food and other supplies reaching the city unless a series of conditions are met.' (BBC)

UK: 'Although most white Britons call themselves Christian, most admit religion plays little part in their lives, a government study shows. But a strikingly different picture emerges in black and Asian communities, who say that their faith is a crucial part of their identity. And in a sign that Britain's religious map is likely to change dramatically over the next decade, the numbers of young Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus who stressed the importance of their religion far outstripped the young Christians who professed a similar strength of faith.' Further interesting statistics in the article. (Independent)

India: 'Gladys Staines, wife of the Australian Baptist missionary Graham Staines who was murdered by extremists in 1999, left India in July for a time of rest and reflection, accompanied by her 13-year-old daughter Esther. Gladys and Graham moved to India in 1981 to work with a leprosy mission. However, Graham and their two sons Philip and Timothy died in January 1999 when Hindu extremists set fire to a car in which they were sleeping. Since the tragedy, Gladys has maintained and extended the work of the leprosy mission. She now feels the need to rest and take time out, but denies reports that she has left India permanently. “I want to carry on what Graham was doing,” says Gladys, “and I will soon return to India.”' (Compass Direct)

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India and Bangladesh: 'Authorities in northeast India have urged Bangladesh not to kill about 100 wild elephants that have strayed across the border and gone on a rampage, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'A number of big businesses in Nepal have shut down following threats from Maoist rebels. The rebels have ordered the companies to close indefinitely as part of efforts to pressure the government. The move is in protest at the alleged exploitation of workers, the rebels say. The companies deny this. Security has been tightened after a bomb attack in the capital, Kathmandu, forced the closure of a luxury hotel on Monday.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'A newly revealed summit of terrorists in Pakistan raises fears of a fresh plan to attack the US.' (Time)

Vietnam: 'Government authorities continue to apply unrelenting pressure on tribal Christians in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The most recent phase of the long-standing conflict commenced in April 2004, when thousands of Montagnards joined protests against the confiscation of tribal lands and the severe repression of the Christian faith. The government subsequently sent a special “peace corps” to the poverty-stricken region. But the corps really serves as “spies and guards,” according to sources in Vietnam. After its arrival, eight men in Dak Lak province were arrested and severely beaten. Church sources report that eight men were killed in Gia Lai province; four were shot and four were beaten to death. In July, 198 Montagnard refugees were airlifted from the Cambodian border province of Ratanakiri to Phnom Penh. One Vietnamese source told Compass that the rescue operation could encourage others to flee Vietnam. “It’s hard to describe the desperation people are feeling,” he said. “Vietnamese authorities tell everyone that the highlands are a place of peace, happiness and ethnic equality. But in reality they make it a hell for the Montagnards.”' (Compass Direct)

Sudan: 'The Rwandan government’s pledge that its troops in Darfur will protect civilians should encourage the international community to press Sudan to accept an enlarged African Union mission with a mandate for civilian protection'. (Human Rights Watch)

Burma: 'In its survey analysis of the religious freedom situation in Burma, Forum 18 News Service reports on religious freedom violations against Christians, Muslims and Buddhists as part of the military regime's systematic oppression of ethnicity and dissent. Christians amongst the Karen, Karenni, Chin and Kachin ethnic national groups have found that they have been targeted through practices such as destroying churches, forcible conversion to Buddhism, and the use of forced labour. The regime also attempts to attack the religious freedom outside Burma, Burmese Buddhist monks in the United Kingdom being threatened with serious punishment if they join religious ceremonies at a Buddhist monastery in Colindale, north London. The regime often uses the language and imagery of Buddhism. But the regime's real mentality was summed up by a Burma Army battalion commander, speaking as he urinated on the head of a Buddhist monk: "I do not believe in any religion. My religion is the trigger of my gun."' (Forum 18)

China: 'Rescue workers in China are searching for more victims after the death toll from Typhoon Rananim rose to 115. The most powerful storm of the season had slammed into the country's southeastern coast, reportedly injuring more than 1,800 people.' (CNN)

Turkmenistan: 'Despite gaining state registration under the much-trumpeted "liberalisation" of the religion law, secret police raids and threats against a Baptist congregation in Turkmenistan have not stopped, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Last Wednesday (4 August), NSM secret police raided a meeting for prayer and bible study, arrested participants for three hours, confiscated bibles and hymn books, and threatened a "big problem" if meetings continued. Another state registered community, the Hare Krishnas, have been told by state officials that they do not know whether the community should be allowed to operate. A wide range of religious communities have either been unsuccessful with registration applications, or do not want to apply because of the harsh controls they would be subjected to. Asked about making a registration application, one Jehovah's Witness said to Forum 18 "Why should we when persecution continues?"' (Forum 18)

India: 'India's Independence Day celebrations were marred by violence that claimed the lives of 15 people. The attacks came on a day when the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, addressed the nation and pledged to fight terrorism.' (Independent)

India: 'New protests in India's Manipur against terror law: Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells at hundreds of women in India's northeastern Manipur state on Wednesday as protesters marked the first month anniversary of the killing of a local woman by soldiers. The killing of 30-year-old Thangjam Manorama, suspected to be a rebel, on the night of July 10 has triggered widespread demands for the repeal of a federal anti-terror law under which troops have wide-ranging powers.' (Reuters Alertnet)

Afghanistan: 'Afghan election officials have approved 18 candidates for landmark presidential elections due on 9 October.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'More Nepalese troops have been sent to the remote west of the country as part of an offensive against Maoist rebels.' (BBC)

Sudan: 'The Sudanese government’s pledges of progress in Darfur show little credibility as civilians face further atrocities amid growing insecurity in the region, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Instead of disarming the government-backed militias known as the Janjaweed, Khartoum has begun to incorporate them into police and other security forces that could be used to secure proposed “safe areas” for displaced civilians.' (Human Rights Watch)

Turkey: 'Rival groups claim Turkey blasts: Al Qaeda-linked organization, Kurds take responsibility. Two separate terror groups have claimed to have mounted the explosions in Istanbul which killed two people Tuesday.' (CNN)

China: 'The other side of Shanghai's success story: 'Corrupt, pleasure-mad, squalor-ridden'. This description of Shanghai was written in the 1930s. But as Jasper Becker reports, China's economic boom has resurrected old problems in its second city.' (Independent)

Iraq: 'SAT-7, the first Arabic satellite channel for the Christians of the Middle East and North Africa, has inserted special messages for Iraqi Christians into its regular broadcasts.' (SAT-7)

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudis over 21 allowed to vote, except military: Saudi regulations for first municipal polls scheduled for November onwards leave women vote unclear.' (Middle East Online)

East Asia: 'Asians can't sprint? Two world-class athletes are determined to disprove that stereotype.' (Time)

China: 'The Price of Gold: The path to glory is long and painful in China's athlete factories.' (Time)

Turkey: 'Simultaneous explosions have hit two small hotels in the Turkish city of Istanbul, reports say. Two people were killed and at least seven others injured in the blasts early on Tuesday, police said. "It appears to be a terrorist attack," police chief Celalettin Cerrah told the semi-official Anatolia news agency. Shortly afterwards, two more blasts hit a gas storage site on the outskirts of Istanbul. There were no casualties and a small fire was put out.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Two deadly blasts struck different parts of Pakistan on Monday, killing four people, three of them children. Since Saturday, a total of four blasts have killed 15 people and wounded dozens. Pakistani authorities have not determined who was responsible for the blasts. The government is engaged in a war against al Qaeda, and the terrorist network has threatened attacks against military and civilian sites.' (CNN)

Pakistan: 'An untimely diplomatic spat erupted between Pakistan and the United States yesterday after it emerged that an FBI sting to snare two leaders of a mosque on terrorist-related charges in Albany, New York, was built around a purported plot to assassinate the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations.' (Independent)

Turkey: 'An apparently deranged young Turk barricaded himself inside the Diyarbakir Evangelical Church in southeast Turkey on July 19, breaking windows and setting fire to curtains, Bibles and cassette tapes until dense smoke finally forced him to surrender to the police. Medet Arslan, 27, stopped by the Protestant church that afternoon, and some of the church members offered him tea. As he sat and talked with them, he loudly quoted Quranic verses, saying that he wanted to become a martyr. When he threatened them with a long butcher knife, they locked the man inside the room. He then barricaded the door as police tried to reason with him. Three hours later, Arslan was led away by police authorities who transferred him to a mental hospital in Elazig shortly after the attack. The church sustained some $1,500 in damages from the attack, requiring them to replace the destroyed furnishings and books, repaint the room and install new windows. Meanwhile, Diyarbakir’s first Protestant church in the history of the Turkish Republic continues to await a formal decision from Turkish authorities regarding its legal zoning status in the city.' (Compass Direct)

Afghanistan: 'Afghanistan faces serious short-term problems and the world would be unwise to lose interest in the war-torn country now, the outgoing head of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kabul said on Friday.' (Reuters)

Yemen: 'The Yemeni government has ended an offensive that lasted more than a month against a rebel cleric in the north of the country, say officials.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishna devotees, Muslims and independent human rights groups Forum 18 News Service has spoken to all agree that, in marked contrast to the situation after the March/April terrorist attacks, the authorities reactions after the most recent terrorist bombings have not caused a substantial deterioration in the religious freedom situation.' (Forum 18)

Arab World: 'Prickly, paranoid and occasionally pragmatic: Why is it so hard for Arabs to act together to solve the region’s manifold problems, from the humanitarian crisis in Sudan to the turmoil in Iraq and Palestine?' (Economist)

Jordan: 'A lawyer who has fought for the past year for Christian widow Siham Qandah to retain custody of her two children expects the Supreme Islamic Court of Jordan to rule against her in the next few days. After filing a final appeal on July 18, the veteran Amman lawyer said he is now forced to expect Jordan’s highest court to rubberstamp a lower Islamic court ruling in June supporting the children’s Muslim guardian in the custody battle, despite accusations that he embezzled money from the children’s trust funds. If Qandah loses the appeal, she will be ordered by the court to surrender her daughter Rawan, 15, and son Fadi, 14, to their Muslim guardian. In a desperate search for some legal solution, Qandah went last week to several family law experts. Qandah said she was blinded by her tears as she left the office of one Muslim lawyer, who attacked her because she hadn’t raised her children as Muslims. “I am a Christian, and I don’t want to become a Muslim. I just want my very small right, here in my country, to raise my children,” Qandah said.' (Compass Direct)

World: 'The resumption of vaccinations against polio in a northern Nigerian state, suspended almost a year ago, has gone better than expected, raising a glimmer of hope that the virus can be eradicated by year's end, officials said Monday.' (International Herald Tribune)

Sudan: 'Darfur abuses continue, UN says: Darfur has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis Sudanese government officials are still seeking to force displaced villagers in the Darfur region to return to their homes, United Nations aid workers say.' (BBC)

China and Pakistan: 'Troops from China and Pakistan have begun a joint anti-terrorism exercise in western China. Pakistan says it is the first time the two country's troops have carried out such an operation inside China.' (BBC)

Saudi Arabia: 'An Irish engineer was shot dead yesterday after a gunman burst into his office in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, officials said last night.' (Guardian)

Afghanistan: 'The woman who wants to be Afghan president.' (Independent)

Bangladesh: 'Bangladesh will need food aid for 20 million people, or one-seventh of its population, over the next five months because of massive flooding that has destroyed crops, the South Asian country's disaster minister said Tuesday.' (CNN)

Saudi Arabia (text reproduced here; link to changing page): 'Four months after he was tortured and jailed for “spreading Christianity” in Saudi Arabia, Indian Christian Brian O’Connor received his first official prison visits this week. O’Connor, 36, was lured out of his home in Riyadh on March 25 and arrested by a group of Saudi muttawa (religious police), who beat him severely, claiming he was dealing in drugs, alcohol and the spread of Christianity. This week two representatives of O’Connor’s embassy visited him at Riyadh’s Al-Hair Jail, followed the next day by an official representing the office of the governor of Riyadh. At the end of that interview, the man told O’Connor that within 10 to 15 days’ time, he would either be sent back to his job or deported to India. “I am confident that the Lord will turn this mess into a message and my test into a testimony,” O’Connor told a visitor last week. Although Saudi government officials claim to exercise “practical tolerance” toward non-Muslims who worship privately in their homes, in legal terms freedom of religion does not exist within the kingdom.' (Compass Direct)

Uzbekistan: 'In what he describes as "a vicious circle", Baptist Vsevolod Kalinin has again been refused a residence permit to live in his own home in the capital Tashkent, Forum 18 News Service has been told. In an open court hearing, a representative of the commission of the Tashkent city administration responsible for residence permits said that Kalinin's religious convictions were the main reason for refusing him a residence permit. It is unusual for Uzbek authorities to take a close interest in residential addresses, but Kalinin has since 2002 been the target of close scrutiny by authorities in Tashkent. As well as visits from the police, a military recruitment office has told Kalinin that he could be detained while his place of residence was checked. All Kalinin's appeals, including to Uzbek president Karimov, are met with the reply that he should appeal again to the commission which denied him a residence permit.' (Forum 18)

Kazakhstan: 'A draft law on "combating extremist activity" and amendments to existing laws about the "battle against extremist activity" do not define what "extremism" is. This makes it possible to use the proposed measures against religious communities the state dislikes, such as the unregistered Baptists. For example, concern has been expressed that the word "religious" appears 10 times in the draft law on combating extremist activity. One local lawyer told Forum 18 News Service that, if the law is passed, Kazakhstan could decide to close down religious communities based on information from oppressive regimes such as North Korea. Very few religious leaders are aware of the law's text.' (Forum 18)

South Asia: 'Unnatural Disaster: Record floods and drought are devastating South Asia, but man is as much to blame as nature.' (Time)

Afghanistan: 'Terrorism's Harvest: How al-Qaeda is tapping into the opium trade to finance its operations and destabilize Afghanistan.' (Time)

Asia: Article on Asia's road deaths. 'One of the dismaying side effects of the region's economic growth — and the accompanying boom in motor-vehicle purchases by the newly prosperous — has been a staggeringly high traffic-fatality rate.' (Time)

World: 'The European Union and the United States have agreed to remove agricultural export subsidies and to reduce other farm subsidies in a deal that rescues the Doha round of world trade talks. However, the details of the deal remain to be negotiated.' (Economist)

Iraq: 'Baghdad's Christians bear brunt of association with the West.' (Independent)

India and Pakistan: 'India and Pakistan have begun talks in Delhi to promote tourism and meetings between people of the two countries. The two countries will also discuss easing visa restrictions to enable people to travel more, a Pakistani official said.' (BBC)

Mongolia: 'How Mongolia learnt to love its leopards: No one knows how many snow leopards inhabit the remote mountains of Asia. But the struggle to protect them may have changed the Mongol view of this elusive predator.' (Independent)

India: 'India’s explosive AIDS epidemic is being fueled by widespread abuses against children who are affected by HIV/AIDS, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. The Indian government’s failure to address these abuses is undermining its anti-AIDS policy and putting millions of lives at risk.' (Human Rights Watch)

China: 'ZGBriefs is a condensation of China news items gathered from published sources. It is a free weekly news summary sent to subscribers via email. ZGBriefs helps readers keep up with emerging trends of China.' (ZGBriefs)

USA: 'Almost 60% of Arab Muslims living in the US fear for the future of their families, according to a new report. Almost a quarter of those asked said a family member had been insulted because of their race or religion.' (BBC)

UK: 'Doctors can give abortions to children without telling their parents, the Government said yesterday as it issued new and explicit advice on treating unwanted pregnancies among under-16s.' (Daily Telegraph)

Pakistan: Fiftieth anniversary of the first ascent of K2. (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'Uzbekistan officials say a number of people have been arrested following bomb attacks in the capital Tashkent. The blasts went off near to the Israeli and US embassies and the prosecutor general's offices on Friday. The death toll rose to three overnight after a police officer died of his injuries, said the prosecutor's office.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Pakistan has detained some people in connection with an assassination bid on prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz that has been claimed by a group with purported links to al Qaeda, officials said on Sunday. Information Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said "a few suspects" were being interrogated, but it was too early to say who was behind Friday's deadly attack on Aziz.' (Reuters Alertnet)

China: 'Thousands of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops paraded in Hong Kong yesterday in an unprecedented display of military power aimed at drumming up patriotism and reminding opposition democrats who is boss of the territory.' (The Guardian)

India: 'India looks to 'brain gain' as new affluence draws migrants back in their thousands.' (Independent)

World: 'World trade deal hailed as 'historic', but pressure groups fear a 'catastrophe': Ministers from the world's richest and poorest countries struck an 11th-hour deal yesterday to boost trade by cutting farm subsidies and import tariffs worldwide.' (Independent)

Sudan: 'Sudan is calling a U.N. Security Council vote on the Darfur crisis "illogical," after being given 30 days to disarm Arab militias or face economic and diplomatic penalties.' (CNN)

Iraq: 'More than 14 Christian worshippers were feared killed yesterday and scores injured in co-ordinated bomb attacks against five churches across Baghdad and Mosul in a chilling change of tactic by terrorists.' (Daily Telegraph)