Algeria: 'The worst snowfalls in more than 50 years have paralysed Algeria's capital, Algiers, and more than a third of the country, the authorities say.' (BBC)

China: 'China's students changed by Tiananmen.' (BBC)

World: 'Men and women in developing nations are marrying later, having fewer children and having them later in life, U.N. demographers reported on Tuesday. As a result of these trends, average fertility in poor countries has for the first time fallen below three children per woman, according to the latest data from the U.N. Population Division, which looked at 192 countries for its latest report on population trends.' (Reuters AlertNet)

Bangladesh: 'At least 40 people have been injured and another 40 detained after clashes between police and protesters erupted during a general strike in Bangladesh.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Afghanistan must address past war crimes if it is to find peace and stability, the country's independent human rights commission has said.' (BBC)

India: 'An irate mob set fire to a newly-opened Catholic school in the northeast state of Assam, India, on January 19, accusing school staff of attempting to convert Hindus. A news report appearing in the Assam Tribune claimed that local villagers opposed the establishment of the school. However, most parents welcomed the school and had even helped with the construction of the building that would have served as a classroom for their children. The building was destroyed by the arsonists. “The newspaper exaggerated the incident by alleging that a mob of about 10,000 people attacked the school, whereas the mob was only 70 people strong,” Vinay Masih of the Evangelical Fellowship of India told Compass. The Vicar General, Father Varghese Kizhakevely, told the Assam Tribune that the allegations of conversion were baseless and called for action against the arsonists and others involved in the attack.' (Compass Direct)

World: 'How psychiatrists can play their part in the tsunami relief effort.' An account from personal experience. (BMJ)

World: 'The tsunami and the dangers of goodwill.' (BMJ)

World: 'The headline concern for the tsunami victims, living and dead, will be with us for a few weeks; by contrast, their need for assistance and reform will stretch over decades. Huge sums have been pledged in aid and a bold commitment made to build an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system. But, if past is precedent, only a fraction of recent pledges will materialise and the already overdue warning system will remain a pipe dream for the affected communities. The headlines rightly applaud the compassionate outpouring of the public around the world but fail to question the logic of promoting one-off giving from individuals rather than sustained involvement by governments. Disasters are part of normality, and if we are to have a longlasting effect we need to rethink the way aid is delivered and invest in development to help minimise the effects of natural phenomena.' (BMJ)

World: 'Is the world safer now? As war ended, our correspondents examined key questions about Iraq's future. With the elections looming, the updated answers highlight the global impact of the conflict.' (Independent)

Pakistan: 'Christian Family Abducted, Humiliated and Beaten In Revenge for Wife's Integrity: Mrs Hanifan Bibi and three male relatives were abducted by her Muslim employer on 10th January, abused and mistreated for two days. Finally the family were taken to a police station and accused of theft.' (Barnabas Fund)

World: 'The British Foreign Office has become one of the first Government departments anywhere in the world to launch an Arabic-language version of their website.' (UK Government)

Afghanistan: 'Afghan authorities are launching a new push to persuade people to hand in Stinger missiles dating back to the war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said he will propose a series of confidence-boosting joint projects with India.' (BBC)

Morocco: 'Thousands of people have demonstrated in support of a Moroccan newspaper which claimed that the tsunami was an act of divine retribution. The newspaper of Morocco's Islamic party, PJD, said the disaster showed God's displeasure with South-East Asia's sex tourism industry.' (BBC)

Libya: 'US oil companies have been awarded most of the contracts on offer at the first open licence auction in Libya.' (BBC)

World: 'Government ministers from tsunami-ravaged Asian nations have failed to overcome their differences on which country should host a proposed early warning system in the Indian Ocean.' (CNN)

India: 'Normal life has come to a standstill in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh due to a strike by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The strike has been called to protest against the killing of a senior TDP leader, Paritala Ravi, who died in a bomb blast at his office on Monday.' (BBC)

Saudi Arabia: 'Heavy rain and flash floods have killed 29 people in Saudi Arabia's western city of Medina, according to reports.' (BBC)

World: 'Some of the aid agencies operating in Asia after the tsunami disaster lack the skills needed, charity Oxfam says.' (BBC)

World: 'A campaign to get life-saving vaccines to millions of children in poor countries received a $1 billion cash boost from Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates and the government of Norway on Tuesday.' (CNN)

India: 'A stampede of religious pilgrims, packed along a narrow road leading to a Hindu shrine, killed 258 people in western India on Tuesday afternoon, Indian officials said.' (CNN)

Nepal/Tibet: 'Global warming takes its toll on the world's highest mountain as Everest shrinks by 4ft.' (Independent)

Kazakhstan: 'A criminal case against a Baptist who has refused to pay fines for leading unregistered worship, the decision to seize the property of another Baptist who also led unregistered worship, and two simultaneous legal cases against a Hare Krishna commune, are the latest events in a series of incidents which, along with a controversial new law on "extremism", are leading religious believers to tell Forum 18 News Service that they expect mounting restrictions on their rights. The "extremism" bill, which does not define this term, mentions religion 10 times in its wording and would greatly increase state control over religious groups, including a provision to "forbid the activity of religious associations which have broken the Republic of Kazakhstan's laws on countering extremist activity." The draft law, including amendments to ban religious organisations before a court decision, is now with the lower house of the Kazakh parliament.' (Forum 18)

Sudan: 'Leaders of Sudan's main southern rebel movement unanimously endorsed Monday an agreement to end Africa's longest-running civil war, paving the way for a new constitution and power sharing government.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'The Asian Development Bank - a major multilateral donor to Nepal - has said that Nepal is the world's 12th poorest country, with an annual per capita of US$ 241 - the lowest in the South Asian region.' (NB article date 30 Nov 04) (Nepal News)

World: An article by Ajith Fernando of Youth For Christ Sri Lanka entitled 'What should we be doing now? Some biblical reflections. A message to the church in Sri Lanka'.(Youth For Christ)

Saudi Arabia: 'Hajj pilgrims welcome rain in Saudi desert: Deluge means 'God has accepted our prayers,' one says.' (CNN)

Kazakhstan: 'Officials forced schoolchildren on Tuesday (18 January) in central Kazakhstan to answer a questionnaire about their religious beliefs and whether they attend a place of worship. This is illegal under Kazakh law, according to lawyer Roman Podoprigora, who told Forum 18 News Service that teachers do not have the right to do this. It follows an earlier directive to conduct compulsory "educational work" with children who attend places of worship and to ban children under the age of 18 from attending places of worship or Sunday School, Forum 18 has found. This is claimed, according to an instruction from the Ministry of Education and Science, to have "the aim of ensuring the security and health of the life of children". The central Education Ministry has denied sending the instruction, although the head of a regional education department has confirmed to Forum 18 that it was sent by the Education Ministry. The instruction is thought to be part of a wider increase in state action against religious activity in Kazakhstan.' (Forum 18)

Afghanistan: 'The Feast of Eid in a new Afghanistan: As George Bush was sworn in as President for a second term yesterday, Shah Mohammed was spending the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha at home in Kabul with his family.' (Independent)

India: 'Racism from home shocks Britons working at call centre in India.' (Daily Telegraph)

Nepal: 'At least 13 Nepalese troops and police have been killed in fresh clashes with Maoist rebels, the army says. Authorities say they have lost contact with 50 more security personnel since the fighting in eastern Ilam district.' (BBC)

Saudi Arabia: 'Raising their hands to the sky, about 2 million Muslim pilgrims prayed for salvation Wednesday at Mount Arafat, where Saudi Arabia's top cleric said the greatest test for the nation of Islam comes from its sons who are "lured by the devil," a reference to violent Muslim militants.' (CNN)

Afghanistan: 'The Taliban are gone but Afghan women still learn to read and write in secret classrooms.' (Independent)

China: 'The new Religious Affairs Provisions, to go into effect on 1 March 2005, have been claimed by Chinese officials to represent a "paradigm shift" in official thinking about religious affairs. But most analysts agree that they represent almost no real change. However, the rules do offer insights into the "everyday forms of resistance" that religious believers – such as 'underground' and 'overground' Protestants and Catholics, Falun Gong practitioners, Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists - practice against arbitrary state regulations and oppressive actions by officials. Chinese believers are not just passive victims of the state's repressive religious policy. While few are openly defiant, they are certainly resisting - in many cases quite effectively. It is still too early to see who will eventually win in this continuing struggle between a state with ever-declining control over society and a society becoming more assertive in protecting its rights against the state.' (Forum 18)

China: 'A new law governing the freedom of religion in China takes effect March 1. The government first announced the new Religious Affairs Provisions on November 30, 2004. The New China News Agency characterized the law as “a significant step forward in the protection of Chinese citizens’ religious freedom.” New provisions may help Christian believers cut through often impenetrable bureaucracy when applying for official registration and could safeguard religious property rights. One article grants permission for churches to establish social service projects such as kindergartens, orphanages and clinics. However, improvements are more than offset by new provisions to punish members of unregistered religious groups. It also appears that religious believers outside the state-controlled church were not consulted while drawing up the law. Thus, tensions between the state and China’s rapidly growing religious communities are likely to be exacerbated.' (Compass Direct)

India: 'India says it is now willing to accept foreign aid to help rebuild from the December 26 tsunami, which killed more than 10,000 people across the country and left another 5,700 missing.' (CNN)

Pakistan: 'Anwer Masih has been acquitted of blasphemy in Lahore, making him the first Pakistani Christian ever acquitted of such charges in Pakistan’s lower courts. Judicial Magistrate Dr. Mohammed Anwar Gondal ruled on December 17 that the accusations against Masih were based only on hearsay evidence and that the police report filed against Masih was nullified because it violated the criminal procedure code. Masih, now 32, was arrested on November 30, 2003. A neighbor who had converted from Christianity to Islam claimed that Masih had mocked his new beard and derided Islamic beliefs. Although cleared of blasphemy charges, Masih remains in hiding, unable to be reunited with his wife and four children because extremists from the Islamic Religious Army have vowed to kill him. He joins more than a dozen other Pakistani Christians who, despite their innocence, have been forced to apply for asylum abroad to live under new identities.' (Compass Direct)

Sudan: 'Second peace agreement in Sudan: The Sudan government has signed a preliminary peace agreement with the main opposition umbrella group, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).' (BBC)

China: 'China's greying population: At a funeral in the central Chinese countryside, hundreds of mourners gather, wearing the traditional white colour of death. Tempering the sadness, though, is the fact that the deceased woman was over 100. Among those mourning her was one of her daughters - aged 80. This family's longevity may be quite exceptional. But the fact that people are living longer is a key factor in China's changing population structure.' (BBC)

China: 'Zhao Ziyang, who was toppled as leader of China’s Communist Party for opposing the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, has died aged 85. Had he not been deposed, China might be a very different place from what it is today.' (Economist)

India: 'The Indian government should ensure that tsunami victims receive assistance in an equitable manner without caste or religious bias. Human Rights Watch has received credible reports of discrimination in tsunami-stricken areas against Dalit (so-called untouchables) communities by the authorities as well as by some aid groups and local communities.' (Human Rights Watch)

Egypt: 'The Egyptian Christian director of a home for troubled Coptic girls goes on trial January 16 in Cairo on charges of holding a 16-year-old Coptic girl against her will and without her parents’ permission, and also of trying to rape her. Shafik Saleh Shafik, 57, claims the case against him is an attempt to close down his recovery ministry among Coptic girls who are being enticed to leave their Christian families and convert to Islam. “The state security police wrote on their report about me that I am a ‘very dangerous man,’ because I am preaching Christianity,” Shafik told Compass. The case began September 6 when Magda Refaat Gayed escaped from Shafik’s facility the morning after her family placed her there, claiming she was beaten and raped. In violation of Egyptian law, police have refused to return the girl to her parents’ custody, sending her instead to a facility operated by an Islamic group. Shafik’s “safe-house” has been closed down.' (Compass Direct)

World: 'Finance officials from the Paris Club of rich creditor nations are discussing whether to agree a freeze on the debts owed by tsunami-affected countries.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'The London-based human rights group, Amnesty International, has accused Maoist rebels in Nepal of committing serious human rights abuses.' (BBC)

UK: 'To mark the centenary of Dr Barnardo's death, the charity that bears his name commissioned a report on child welfare in Britain over the past 100 years. As Maxine Frith reports, not much has changed.' (Independent)

Pakistan: 'Eight paramilitary security men were killed and four were seriously wounded Tuesday night when dozens of armed tribesmen attacked Sui gas fields in Balochistan province, government sources and oil managers tell CNN. Sui is the biggest gas field in Pakistan. Authorities say tribesmen who want more royalties from gas taken from their lands are causing the violence.' (CNN)

Pakistan: 'The authorities in Pakistan's northern city of Gilgit have maintained a curfew because of continuing tensions between rival Shia and Sunni communities.' (BBC)

Kazakhstan: 'Both the South Korean-led Synbakyn Protestant church and the Ahmadi Muslim community in southern Kazakhstan have come under pressure from south Kazakh authorities recently, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Late in 2004, the authorities tried to close down the Synbakyn church's seminary, and both foreign Protestant and foreign Ahmadi Muslim missionaries have encountered visa problems. The regional local authority's chief specialist on religious affairs, Vladimir Zharinov, told Forum 18 that "all our region's authorities are trying to do is to ensure that religious associations operate in accordance with the laws of Kazakhstan." But Zharinov could not say in what precise ways religious believers were breaking the law.' (Forum 18)

Sudan: 'One of Africa's longest and deadliest civil wars was declared at an end yesterday when Sudan's government signed a peace treaty with southern rebels after decades of conflict. But jubilation at a cacophonous ceremony in Kenya was tempered by the fact that the deal does not take into account a separate clash in the western provinces of Darfur, described by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.' (Daily Telegraph)

Nepal: 'Protesting students have clashed with police in Nepal a day after the government announced an increase in fuel prices.' (BBC)

India: 'India’s Supreme Court has asked the federal government why Dalits (or “Untouchables”) who convert to Christianity are denied access to a quota system for state employment. Under India’s caste system, about 26 percent of government jobs are reserved for members of Scheduled Castes with the aim of bringing them into the social mainstream. Initially, Dalits converting to other religions such as Sikhism or Buddhism were also excluded; however, the law was amended to provide a job quota for Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists. “Only the Christian community is now excluded,” said senior advocate Shanti Bhushan of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation. Quota rights were denied to Dalit Christians on the grounds that Christianity does not discriminate between castes. However, this argument ignores the fact that Indians live in a society bound by centuries of caste tradition. The court expects a response from the federal government before the end of January.' (Compass Direct)

Yemen: 'Britain closed its embassy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, yesterday due to security concerns, saying terrorists were in the final stages of planning attacks against western targets there.' (Daily Telegraph)

Kazakhstan: 'A northern Kazakh local authority has closed a Baptist-run orphanage, although local people say it was one of the best in town – an opinion confirmed by staff of a state-run orphanage, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Baptists fear that the closure of the Hope orphanage, which cared for 30 children, will be followed by the forced closure of the Baptist-run Sion charitable fund, enabling the authority to seize the orphanage building. Businessmen have privately expressed interest in buying the building from the local authority. Questioned by Forum 18, officials dispute the opinions of local people and state orphanage staff, claiming that conditions in the Baptist orphanage were "atrocious," and also stating – falsely – that the Kazakh religion law bars orphanages from operating without state registration. The founder of the Baptist orphanage, Dmitri Yantsen, told Forum 18 that other local orphanages do not have state registration either, "but no-one is bothering them." He believes the real reason for the closure is the increasing severity of Kazakh state policy against religious believers.' (Forum 18)

World: some links to Christian agencies engaged in relief work in tsunami-affected areas. National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. World Concern. Tear Fund. EFICOR (The Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief).

World: 'British schoolgirl saves lives in Phuket: A ten-year-old girl has saved her family and 100 other tourists on a beach in Thailand because she had learnt about Tsunamis at school.' Perhaps the finest story from the tsunami disaster. (ITV)
- Update: the ITV page has gone. This is the Daily Telegraph page. And, for good measure, this is the Ireland Online page.

World: this page of 'tsunami disaster resources' links at Gospelcom contains, amongst other things, a number of links to articles dealing with the issues of suffering and evil in the world. (Gospelcom.net)

World: the holiday period news was dominated by the tsunami disaster. This post links to the relevant section of the BBC news site. (BBC)