World: 'Brian Walden considers the expression "the West" and if it will soon be politically meaningless.' (BBC)

India: 'India's prime minister has said a borderless Kashmir and more autonomy for the areas India administers could help resolve the dispute with Pakistan.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'A suicide bomber blew himself up during evening prayers at a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Karachi, injuring more than a dozen people, after a shootout that left another attacker, a police officer and a guard dead. A worshipper was also killed in the blast. A crowd outraged by the attack went on a rampage afterwards, torching cars and shops nearby. Eight people were injured in Monday's rampage.' (CNN)

Kazakhstan: 'The harsh new religion law has not yet been passed, but the authorities are already behaving as if it is law Forum 18 News Service has found. Religious communities do not yet need state registration – a requirement imposed by the new law. But a Protestant church in the Caspian Sea port of Aytrau is the latest religious community to be attacked because it does not have registration. Diyaz Sultanov, the prosecutor's assistant, told Forum 18 that "it is impermissible for a church to operate without registration." Another proposal put forward – but then apparently withdrawn - allowed religious communities to be closed without a court hearing. New Life Protestant Church, close to Almaty, has been "banned" by local administration chief Raspek Tolbayev, who told Forum 18 that "I will take the decision whether or not to open the church." Parliamentary deputies Forum 18 has spoken to described the new law as a weapon against the "ideological diversity" of the West.' (Forum 18)

Afghanistan: 'An explosion shook the headquarters of NATO's 8,000-strong security force in the Afghan capital on Monday but there were no immediate reports of injuries, a spokeswoman for the force said.' (CNN)

Afghanistan: 'Women all over Afghanistan are still being murdered, raped and imprisoned with impunity, the human rights group Amnesty International has said. It says entrenched feudal customs mean Afghan men often treat women as chattels and abuse them without any official retribution.' (BBC)

Lebanon: 'The opposition bloc led by a son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has won a decisive victory in the first round of Lebanon parliamentary sections. In the first vote since the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanese territory, unofficial results indicated the list led by Saad Hariri won all 19 seats up for grabs in the capital of Beirut amid low turnout in the first of four rounds of balloting.' (CNN)

Afghanistan: 'When the US withdraws many of its troops from Afghanistan in 2006, Nato forces will take over in areas of the country where they can expect far tougher challenges than they face at the moment. Paul Adams spent a week with a Nato general to get a closer look at the problems that may lie ahead.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'The authorities in Nepal have ordered the closure of a radio production company serving FM stations nationwide. The ban is being seen as a further move to tighten controls on the media, which were imposed after King Gyanendra seized direct power in February.' (BBC)

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudi Arabia's King Fahd -- the leader of the world's largest oil-producing nation -- was doing "well" late Friday after being hospitalized earlier in the day, the official Saudi Press Agency said.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'Up to 10,000 protesters have held a rally in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, demanding democratic rights be restored in the country. It was the largest pro-democracy rally held in Nepal since King Gyanendra assumed direct rule on 1 February.' (BBC)

Kyrgyzstan: 'Kyrgyzstan has reportedly pledged not to expel Uzbek refugees who fled after a violent crackdown on protesters. The United Nations said the government had given "assurances", following talks between senior officials on both sides.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'A bomb blast at a Muslim shrine in Pakistan's capital Islamabad has killed at least 17 people and wounded many others, according to police. An official at an Islamabad hospital said Friday at least 40 wounded had been treated.' (CNN)

Kazakhstan: 'Teachers north of the capital Astana are putting pressure on children not to attend Protestant prayer meetings, telling children that prayer "can even cause death," Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Children who attend prayer meetings are kept behind after school for "educational talks" in which they have been told that they are being turned into "shahids and zombies". (The Islamic term "shahid" is frequently used in former Soviet countries to describe suicide bombers.) Parents have been ordered by teachers not to take their children to prayer meetings. The head of the regional Education Department has confirmed to Forum 18 that she ordered "educational work" with children who attend prayer meetings, and also that the national Education Ministry orders officials "at every meeting" to stop children going to church. Religious believers in Kazakhstan link these ongoing actions of the Education Ministry with current parliamentary moves to seriously restrict the religious freedom of all faiths.' (Forum 18)

India: 'A Christian couple in Gujarat, India, are recovering from serious injuries received in an attack in early May. Jamubhai Choudhary was slashed with an ax, and his wife, Jathriben, suffered a bone fracture. Meanwhile, the brutal murder of the Rev. K. Daniel in Hyderabad on May 20 by pouring acid over his body has shaken the Christian community in that city in Andhra Pradesh state. Law enforcement officials deny the attacks were religiously motivated, but Christian leaders believe they are the work of Hindu extremists. “Pastor K. Daniel had been threatened many times by the local Rashtrya Swayamsevak Sangh,” Sam Paul of the All India Christian Council told Compass. “Hindu fundamentalists have changed their usual way of attacking minorities ... so that their attacks can be attributed to ‘personal disputes,’” AICC’s Samson Christian added.' (Compass Direct)

India: 'India, which has the second highest number of HIV-infected people, has said it has seen a dramatic slowdown in the number of new infections. The health ministry said initial estimates showed only 28,000 people became infected in 2004, compared to 520,000 in 2003.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'The government of Uzbekistan is trying to block information about the killings of hundreds of people in Andijan on May 13, Human Rights Watch said today.' (Human Rights Watch)

Uzbekistan: 'More than a week after Uzbek troops opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, life in Andijan is far from returning to normal.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'Uzbek President Islam Karimov has begun an official visit to China, his first foreign trip since a bloody crackdown on protesters at home. China is one of the few countries to have backed Mr Karimov's handling of protests in eastern Andijan on 13 May. Uzbek officials say 170 people they called Islamic extremists died, but witnesses say at least 500 were killed.' (BBC)

Egypt: 'Voting has ended in the referendum on a change to the Egyptian constitution allowing presidential elections with more than a single candidate.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'U.S. FBI agents operating in Pakistan repeatedly interrogated and threatened two U.S. citizens of Pakistani origin who were unlawfully detained and subjected to torture by the Pakistani security services, Human Rights Watch said today.' (Human Rights Watch)

Nepal: 'Nepal’s King Gyanendra dealt a further blow to respect for basic human rights by increasing his control over the country’s already beleaguered National Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Watch said today.' (Human Rights Watch)

India: 'Neary 1,000 people have been arrested in the northern Indian state of Bihar after clashes between opposition party supporters and the police. The BJP-led opposition has called for a strike in Bihar, following a surprise move to call an election.' (BBC)

Lebanon: 'The UN has verified that Syrian troops have fully withdrawn from Lebanon, but says it is uncertain whether all intelligence agents have left.' (BBC)

China: 'China's dangerous sexual ignorance.' (BBC)

China: 'Relations between China and Japan appear to have suffered another setback following the surprise cancellation of a top-level meeting between political leaders.' (CNN)

Afghanistan: 'Bush rules out Afghan command over US troops: George Bush served notice that US forces in Afghanistan would remain under American control, despite renewed allegations of prisoner abuse by US troops.' (Independent)

Libya: 'Libya has taken important steps to improve its human rights record over the past year, Human Rights Watch said today, following its first-ever visit to the country. But serious problems remain, including the use of violence against detainees, restrictions on freedom of expression and association, and the incarceration of political prisoners.' (Human Rights Watch)

Afghanistan: 'Afghanistan’s security situation has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks, with a spate of political killings, violent protests, and attacks on humanitarian workers, Human Rights Watch said today. The instability comes as President Hamid Karzai visits the United States this week.' (Human Rights Watch)

Egypt: 'A top leader of the banned Egyptian opposition Muslim Brotherhood has been arrested along with a number of other members, the group has said.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'A mini-marathon in the Pakistani city of Lahore at the weekend has become the unlikely touchstone for a battle between liberals and Islamic conservatives over women's rights.' (Independent)

Mongolia: 'The candidate from Mongolia's former communist ruling party has won the country's presidential election, government radio reported early Monday. Nambariin Enkhbayar received more than 50 percent of the vote, the minimum required to avoid a run-off, Mongol Radio reported.' (CNN)

India: 'Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, are on alert after two bomb attacks on cinemas showing a film considered offensive by some Sikhs. One person died in Sunday's attacks and at least 49 others were injured.' (BBC)

Afghanistan/USA: 'On the eve of a tense US-Afghan summit, the United Nations condemned as "utterly unacceptable" the alleged abuse prisoners at the main American base in Afghanistan. The UN joined Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, in demanding that the Pentagon agree to an independent investigation of conditions at Bagram airbase by local human rights investigators.' (Independent)

Uzbekistan: '"Purges are already underway – religious organisations have immediately fallen under suspicion," Protestants in the capital Tashkent who preferred not to be named have told Forum 18 News Service, following the Uzbek government's bloody suppression of a popular uprising in the Fergana Valley. "Local authority and secret police officials are visiting and inspecting churches, and checking up on documentation," Forum 18 was told. Such visits have taken place throughout Uzbekistan, not just in the Fergana Valley. Jehovah's Witnesses say numerous cases against members caught up in coordinated raids in March are now in the courts. "Almost weekly there are new cases of fines or interrogations – this is merely business as usual," Forum 18 was told. The official reason given for the uprising – "Islamic radicalism" - is widely disbelieved, but as long as Islam and other faiths remain highly restricted, fundamentalist Islam is seen as a valid alternative to the current political structure. Some fear the Uzbek crackdown will complicate the stuation in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.' (Forum 18)

India: 'Hindu extremists physically attacked 11 Christian families from Jamanya village in Jalgaon district, Maharashtra state, India, on May 15 and 16. Village officials had summoned the families to a panchayat (community court) on May 15 and asked them to renounce their faith. When the families refused, the men were beaten with heavy sticks and chased from the village. On the following day, the mob attacked the women and children; some children fainted after being beaten. Witnesses said the mob also tried to disrobe the women. Police are investigating the case, and local Christians say they will push for a resolution to the three years of hostility in the village.' (Compass Direct)

Lebanon: 'Elections will entrench Christian marginalisation.' (World Evangelical Alliance)

China: 'A groundbreaking survey has revealed a pattern of widespread physical abuse of children in China.' (BBC)

India: 'An Indian court has commuted a death sentence handed down to a man convicted of murdering an Australian missionary and his two young sons.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'Uzbek troops have retaken the border town of Korasuv, where locals threw out their leaders last week in a popular protest.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Six Afghans working for an aid agency have been shot dead by suspected Taleban militants, officials say. It is not clear which aid organisation the men worked for. The attack came a day after suspected Taleban ambushed and killed five Afghans working on a US-funded anti-drugs project in the south. In a separate incident, an Italian female aid worker was kidnapped in Kabul on Monday.' (BBC)

Jordan: 'A court issued Jordan's harshest punishment ever for an honor killing: 7 1/2 and 10-year jail terms for two brothers who stabbed their pregnant sister. But the judge said Wednesday while he wasn't setting a principle, he felt the men deserved hard time because they didn't act in a sudden fury. The ruling comes amid a campaign led by Jordan's Queen Rania to amend lenient laws that provide for sentences as light as six months in prison for honor killings. An average of 20 women a year are killed by male relatives each year, some for simply dating, according to government figures.' (CNN)

China: 'The U.S. has stepped up trade pressure on China, announcing a new range of restrictions on Chinese-made clothing and textile imports -- the second such move within a week.' (CNN)

India: 'The fishing community of M.G.R. Thittu near here netted a substantial catch on Friday, the first day of going to sea after the tsunami struck last December. Many of the fishermen had abandoned their houses after the giant waves struck their hamlet. The Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, inaugurated the fishing expedition in which 22 boats donated by the Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR), set sail. The EFICOR general director, Dino L. Touthang, and the project director, David Chandran, were also present. By afternoon, the fishermen returned with huge catch of "Perum Parai" fish that was expected to fetch Rs. 1 lakh in the market. Each fish weighed between 10 to 20 kg. The fishermen said the size of the catch had instilled confidence that it was safe to go back to the sea.' (The Hindu)

Afghanistan: 'Meeting an Afghan drugs smuggler.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will seek to stay on in power when his present term of office expires in 2007, the government says. "He will stay as president beyond 2007 because Pakistan needs his leadership," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told the AFP news agency.' (BBC)

Syria: 'Syrian authorities have made a series of arrests ahead of a planned meeting of the ruling Baath party, at which reforms are expected to be announced. Most of those detained are thought to be Islamists with suspected ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which was banned in Syria in 1980.' (BBC)

Kazakhstan: 'Although wide-ranging national security amendments now in parliament will negatively affect a whole range of groups – including the media, NGOs, business people and religious communities – religious believers will suffer the most, argues Aleksandr Klyushev, chairman of the Association of Religious Organisations of Kazakhstan (AROK), in this personal commentary for Forum 18 News Service http://www.forum18.org . If adopted, these amendments will cause unjustified suffering to law-abiding believers, who could be punished for peacefully practising their faith. He believes national security will suffer as they will also allow incompetent law-enforcement personnel to claim successes in combating illegal but harmless religious organisations instead of effectively policing real threats to Kazakh society. He calls on the international community to influence the Kazakh government not to adopt the amendments.' (Forum 18)

Uzbekistan: 'Foreign diplomats and journalists have arrived in the Uzbek city of Andijan to assess the death toll from the country's recent explosion of violence.' (CNN)

India: 'A group of extremists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attacked and beat eight students from Beersheba Bible College of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God at Maraman, Chettimukku, on May 12. The students were making their way on foot to attend a funeral when about 15 motor-cycle-mounted RSS members assaulted them with sharp weapons. All eight Beersheba students were treated for injuries at a district hospital in nearby Kozhencherry; three of them required hospitalization. Despite continuing RSS threats against the college, Beersheba principal Shibu Nalweli said the campus community has chosen to forgive the attackers and does not wish to press charges. However, local police have registered a criminal case against the 15 RSS members involved in the incident.' (Compass Direct)

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudi Arabia: Political Reformers Sentenced. Petitioners for Reform Punished for Exercising Their Right to Free Speech.' (Human Rights Watch)

Kuwait: 'The Kuwaiti parliament has voted to give women full political rights. The amendment to the Kuwait's electoral law means women can for the first time vote and stand in parliamentary and local elections.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: ' The US says it is "deeply disturbed" by reports that troops in Uzbekistan fired on unarmed civilians during a protest in the east of the country. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for political reform in the country following the recent violence.' (BBC)

China: ' Chinese President Hu Jintao says China aims to lift the size of its economy to $4 trillion by 2020 -- effectively quadrupling its gross domestic product of five years ago.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'Dozens of Maoist rebels in Nepal have been killed in clashes with government troops in the eastern hill district of Sindhuli, officials say. Two soldiers are also said to have died and four others wounded. Military officials say more than 50 rebels may have died but this cannot be independently confirmed and there has been no word from the Maoists.' (BBC)

Uzbekistan: 'Troops in Uzbekistan have sealed off the eastern town of Korasuv, where locals took control on Saturday. The unrest had spread from nearby Andijan, where protests over the trial of 23 local businessmen turned bloody on Friday after troops opened fire. Several hundred people were killed during Friday's protests, according to local doctors and NGOs.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Newsweek magazine backed away Sunday from a report that U.S. interrogators desecrated copies of the Quran while questioning prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay naval base -- an account blamed for sparking violent riots in Afghanistan and elsewhere. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured last week when thousands of demonstrators marched in Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world, officials and eyewitnesses said.' (CNN)

Egypt: 'An Egyptian convert to Christianity is being held in a Cairo mental hospital, where supervising doctors have told him he will stay until he recants his faith and returns to Islam. Gaser Mohammed Mahmoud, 30, was committed to the El-Khanka Hospital in early January by his adoptive parents after they learned he had become a Christian two years earlier. The hospital medical committee placed Mahmoud under the care of a female physician identified only as Dr. Nevine, whom sources describe as a “fanatic Muslim.” Since his forced confinement, Mahmoud has reportedly endured beatings, whippings and potentially fatal injections. El-Khanka Hospital earned international notoriety in 1997, when an escaped patient claimed he had bribed his way out of the institution to launch a terrorist attack in Cairo that killed nine German tourists.' (Compass Direct)

Uzbekistan: 'Hundreds of people have been killed by government soldiers in the wake of violent anti-government protest in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan, Russia's Interfax news agency report human rights monitors as saying. A U.N. official and news reports said Saturday that Uzbeks fled to neighboring Kyrgyzstan as well toward the Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad.' (CNN)

Kazakhstan: '"The ban on the activity of unregistered religious associations and the draconian amendments to the administrative code significantly limit believers' rights," Aleksandr Klyushev, of the Association of Religious Organisations of Kazakhstan (AROK) told Forum 18 News Service after 12 May Majilis parliamentary approval of sweeping "national security" amendments to eleven laws. The parliamentary debate had been expected on 18 May, but was suddenly brought forward. Klyushev said to Forum 18 that "deputies discovered that the discussion of the draft would take place on 11 May only on the day of the session. I believe this was done deliberately to prevent deputies from preparing for the consideration of the draft and from submitting amendments." Communist party deputy Yerasyl Abylkasymov told Forum 18 that "in the time of Genghis Khan such ideological saboteurs were hung, drawn and quartered. Alas it is now unfortunately not possible to do this and so we have to defend ourselves by means of laws." Having been approved by the Majilis, the lower house of parliament, the amendments now go to the upper house, the Senate, for approval.' (Forum 18)

Vietnam: 'New evidence shows that Vietnamese security forces are continuing to mistreat and arbitrarily detain Montagnards, indigenous hill people from the Central Highlands, Human Rights Watch said today in a new 16-page briefing paper.' (Human Rights Watch)

Uzbekistan: 'At least nine people have been killed in Uzbekistan as thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the resignation of President Islam Karimov and his authoritarian government.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'A visiting senior US official has urged Nepal's king and political parties to work together to restore democracy and deal with the Maoist insurgency. US Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Christina Rocca, said US development aid would continue to Nepal but military aid was under review.' (BBC)

India: 'Locked Out: The 65,000 Indians on the wrong side of the fence. A 2,500-mile barrier along the border with Bangladesh is intended to keep out smugglers and illegal immigrants. But thousands of innocent villagers will also be caught in a trap.' (Independent)

USA: 'The pastor of a Baptist church in North Carolina who used his pulpit to urge the faithful to support President George Bush has resigned after nine members of his congregation accused him of throwing them out over their political beliefs. The controversy over Chan Chandler, the church's 33-year-old preacher who once described John Kerry as a "non-Christian" who "kills babies", has ignited a national debate over the growing politicisation of America's religious institutions - itself a symptom of the ever more poisonous divide between Republicans and Democrats. The Rev Chandler's resignation on Tuesday evening came as a surprise to his supporters in the tiny town of East Waynesville, because he had previously sought to deny that he had tried to throw out anyone. However, an audio tape of one of his sermons has him clearly telling his congregation that anyone who planned to vote for Senator Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, needed to "repent or resign".' (Independent)

World: 'Western governments are undermining the global ban on torture by transferring suspects to countries known for routinely torturing prisoners, Human Rights Watch and seven partner organizations said today in a joint statement.' (Human Rights Watch)

Tajikistan: 'Officials of the government's religious affairs committee have claimed that the Sonmin Grace church in the northern town of Khujand has been ordered closed for violating the law, but have refused to explain their decision to Forum 18 News Service. Yet committee official Madhakim Pustiev admitted: "The activity of the church had annoyed Muslims and some of them asked for the Khujand branch of the church to be closed." Preacher Alisher Haidarov said the church is still open at the moment. "The most absurd thing is that we cannot even understand what specific legal violations we are accused of. Our church has existed in Khujand for 11 years and we have never broken any laws," he told Forum 18. The religion committee chairman has called for local authorities to supervise closely the activities of religious organisations.' (Forum 18)

Egypt: 'The Foreign Office has warned British travellers of a continuing terrorist threat in Egypt following a series of attacks aimed at tourists. However, it stopped short of advising people not to go. Egypt's tourist officials said the attacks were isolated incidents and did not signal a return to the era of Islamic militancy when tourists were systematically targeted.' (Daily Telegraph)

Iraq: 'Six bombings killed at least 54 Iraqis and wounded 96 others Wednesday, including 20 civilians who died as they lined up to join the Iraqi army in Hawija when a suicide bomber detonated explosives hidden under his clothing, Iraqi officials said.' (CNN)

Egypt: 'Egypt's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that will allow presidential elections to be contested for the first time. Under the new law, all 15 Egyptian opposition parties may put forward their candidate for the vote.' (BBC)

India: 'At least one person has been killed and 34 others wounded in an explosion in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Riots over US Koran 'desecration': At least four people have been killed and many injured after police opened fire to break up an anti-US protest in eastern Afghanistan, officials say.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'Villagers in eastern Afghanistan are being shown the country's first anti-opium movie, combining heroism, romance and an educational message, in an attempt to eradicate the flourishing drug culture in the region.' (Independent)

Uzbekistan: 'When Christian convert Khaldibek Primbetov appealed to the prosecutor's office against fellow-villagers who had beaten him, told him to "return" to Islam or leave his home village in the north-western region of Karakalpakstan, an investigator showed no interest in his complaints, a Protestant source told Forum 18 News Service. The investigator instead told Primbetov he had "betrayed" the faith of his ancestors and threatened to imprison him after he refused to withdraw his complaint. Local prosecutor Rustam Atajanov confirmed to Forum 18 his investigator had visited, but claimed that "he did not threaten local Christians".' (Forum 18)

Egypt: 'Scores of alleged Islamist militants have been sent back to Egypt, where they have faced torture and serious mistreatment, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United States is among the countries that have rendered such suspects to Egypt.' (Human Rights Watch)

Afghanistan: 'Two US marines have been killed in a battle in eastern Afghanistan in which up to 23 militants are also thought to have died, the US military has said. The marines engaged the band of militants in Laghman province, east of Kabul, on Sunday, the Associated Press reported the military as saying. There has been an upsurge in attacks on US-led forces following a winter lull.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Nepalese soldiers say they have killed 26 Maoists after the rebels launched three simultaneous attacks against security posts along a key highway.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Increased international pressure seems to be forcing the Pakistani authorities into taking action against piracy and copyright violations. In a surprise raid in Karachi last week, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) recovered over 100,000 DVD copies of Indian movies and twice as many blank CDs from an illegal replication plant.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Seven of Nepal's opposition parties have said they will unite to fight for the restoration of democracy. They demanded King Gyanendra give up the direct power he assumed in February and reinstate the parliament he dissolved three years ago.' (BBC)

Egypt: 'An Egyptian opposition group has urged parliament to reject a constitutional amendment allowing rival candidates to run for president for the first time.' (BBC)

Afghanistan: 'A United Nations employee has been killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, after the worst week of fighting further south in Afghanistan for nine months. About 70 Taliban fighters and 10 government security personnel have also been killed and seven US soldiers wounded in two battles, confounding hopes that the Taliban insurgency may be petering out. In Kabul, a bomber apparently ran into an internet café, popular with foreigners, and detonated a grenade which killed himself and two others, and wounded six. One of the dead was a Burmese engineer who had worked for the UN for about a year, the first UN employee to be killed in Afghanistan since 2001. He was checking e-mails when the attack happened at the Park internet café in the city centre on Saturday.' (Independent)

Arab World: 'Finance ministers from six Gulf states met Saturday to discuss economic integration, including a unified currency and a free trade agreement with the United States, an official said.' (CNN)

Lebanon: 'Michel Aoun, a former Lebanese Army general who opposed his country's occupation by Syria, made a triumphant return to his homeland Saturday after nearly 14 years of exile in France.' (CNN)

World: 'After months of deadlock, the Doha round of global trade talks has taken a big step forward, thanks largely to an abstruse but important deal over agricultural tariffs.' (Economist)

China: 'Does the Future Belong to China? A new power is emerging in the East. How America should handle unprecedented new challenges, threats—and opportunities. Americans admire beauty, but they are truly dazzled by bigness. Think of the Grand Canyon, the California redwoods, Grand Central Terminal, Disney World, SUVs, the American armed forces, General Electric, the Double Quarter Pounder (With Cheese) and the Venti Latte. Europeans prefer complexity and nuance, the Japanese revere minuteness and minimalism. But Americans like size, preferably supersize. That's why China hits the American imagination so hard.' (Newsweek)

Pakistan: 'Islamic religious scholars meeting in Pakistan have called for renewed efforts to tackle population growth. A joint declaration issued after talks in Islamabad stopped short of a clear statement in support of birth control. But the scholars urged fresh efforts to push population planning and better reproductive health services.' (BBC)

Lebanon: 'At least one person has been killed in an explosion in Lebanon's Christian heartland, security sources said. More than seven people were reported injured in the blast, near the centre of the port town of Jounieh. It was the latest in a string of bombs in Christian areas. Three people were killed in a bomb in Jounieh in March.' (BBC)

Egypt: 'Police in Egypt have arrested four leading members of the opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood. Less than 48 hours earlier the group held rallies across the country.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'A prominent Hindu leader has been shot dead in south-western Nepal. Narayan Pokharel, president of the Nepal branch of the World Hindu Council, died when six gunmen opened fire in the district of Rupandehi. No one has admitted carrying out the attack. However, police say the manner in which it was carried out hints at the involvement of Maoist rebels.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'Police have arrested a Christian couple who manage an orphanage in Nepal and charged them with forcibly converting minors. Babu and Sabitri Varghese were arrested on April 27 after a disgruntled former employee stole a photo of an adult baptism and told the police that the couple was baptizing Hindu children. Local newspaper editors printed the photo and then demanded the Vargheses pay them 100,000 rupees ($2,300). When the couple refused, the paper printed calls for them to be jailed for six years. Babu, 36, and Sabitri, 32, are confined at separate police stations, while their children Blesson and Benson are being cared for by orphanage staff. Some observers fear the Nepali government may try to make an example of the couple to discourage Indian Christians from establishing charitable institutions in the country.' (Compass Direct)

World: 'Kingdom of Heaven, the new Orlando Bloom epic set during the Crusades, looks set to open on Friday amid a blaze of controversy. But what were the Crusades, and what do they mean to us now?' (BBC)

India: 'An Indian woman who was raped has rejected a marriage proposal from the rapist, calling the idea "horrible". She had been asked in court whether she would accept the proposal from her attacker who had hoped it might lower his sentence. The convicted rapist said he was offering to marry the woman because the stigma of rape in India meant no one else would. Following the rejection, the court sentenced the rapist to life in prison.' (BBC)

China: 'Hong Kong's highest court has quashed the convictions of eight members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. They were arrested after demonstrating outside a Chinese government building in the territory three years ago. The case was seen as a key test of judicial independence in the former British colony, now a part of China.' (BBC)

Pakistan: 'Al-Qa'ida No 3 is arrested in Pakistan: Abu Farraj al-Libbi, an al-Qai'da leader wanted for two assassination attempts against Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, has been captured after 17 months on the run. According to intelligence sources, he is believed tocoordinate Islamist cells in Britain and the US. The arrest was hailed by George Bush as a "critical victory in the war on terror".' (Independent)

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it wants to sign an obscure agreement that the U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned could keep international inspectors from monitoring any atomic activities within its borders.' (CNN)

Nepal: 'Following the lifting of the state of emergency in Nepal by King Gyanendra, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International (AI), and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called for the restoration of all fundamental rights formally suspended under the state of emergency.' (Human Rights Watch)

Saudi Arabia: 'One week after arresting 40 Pakistani Christians, Saudi Arabia’s muttawa religious police broke into another private worship service of expatriate Christians, arresting five elders of a house church in Riyadh’s central Al-Olaya district. High-ranking Muslim sheikhs reportedly took part in the April 29 raid on a congregation of 60 Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians who had gathered for prayer. The muttawa confiscated the worshippers’ personal Bibles and one woman’s cross necklace. Permitted telephone contact with their families during the initial fours days of their incarceration, the five elders have reportedly been transferred to prison facilities of the Ministry of Interior, where they are being held incommunicado.' (Compass Direct)

India: 'A crowd of nearly 500 Hindu villagers attacked a house church in Mangalwarapete village, Karnataka state, India, on May 1. Assailants molested some of the women among the 60 people present at the Sunday service and burned Bibles and other Christian literature. The mob beat Pastor Paulraj Raju of King Jesus Church until he bled profusely. His wife and an elder of the church were also seriously injured in the attack. According to Pastor Charles Isaac of the Evangelical Free Church Urban Movement of India, the attackers identified themselves as members of the Hindu fundamentalist group Bajrang Dal and the nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party. Raju, who is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries, was beaten by local people in January and later arrested by police on charges of attempting to convert Hindus.' (Compass Direct)

Vietnam: 'After just two days of freedom, Vietnamese prisoner-of-conscience Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien was arrested for attending a Bible study with other Christian believers on May 1 at the home of imprisoned pastor Nguyen Hong Quang. A “work team” of about 30 local officials came to the residence, which serves as a meeting place for the Vietnam Mennonite Church in District 2, Ho Chi Minh City. When Mrs. Quang went out to talk to them, a number of police officers pushed their way past her into the house, loudly demanding that all religious activity cease. They ordered everyone to the ward police station for interrogation. A particularly abusive officer said he had orders to harass the Christians until they no longer went to the Quang house to worship. Lien remained silent throughout the interrogation, even though she was threatened with force. She was released at about 10:30 p.m. along with others of the group. She reportedly returned to the Quang home exhausted and terrified.' (Compass Direct)

Pakistan: 'The death toll from several explosions that leveled a four-story building in Lahore early Tuesday has climbed to 32, according to police and hospital sources.' (CNN)

China: 'Beijing has moved to stem anti-Japan rallies after having been happy to let them rage through several Chinese cities last month. It has shut down nationalist websites, detained dissidents and sent out text messages warning against illegal demonstrations. The moves come ahead of a sensitive anniversary in China-Japan relations - the 4 May student protests against Japan, which took place in 1919.' (BBC)

India & China: 'After years of competition, the world's two most populous countries -- China and India -- are starting to embrace cooperation. At the heart of this warmer business relationship is the melding of Indian software and Chinese hardware -- or what some analysts have described as "laboratory of the world meets factory of the world".' (BBC)

Nepal: 'About 1,000 journalists have marched in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, to demand the restoration of press freedoms following the royal takeover.' (BBC)

Kuwait: 'A plan to allow Kuwaiti women to participate in local elections was postponed indefinitely yesterday when Islamist and conservative legislators abstained from a vote.' (Independent)

World: 'Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general, warned yesterday that the cornerstone international treaty curbing the spread of nuclear weapons was in urgent need of repair, if it was to keep pace with globalisation and the advance of atomic technology. Mr Annan delivered his bleak warning as delegates from more than 180 countries began a conference at the UN in a bid to strengthen the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The month-long review comes at a time of rising tensions, spurred by North Korea's suspected development of a nuclear weapon, and Iran's apparent pursuit of such arms.' (Independent)

China: 'Taiwan's pro-independence leader on Tuesday said he would welcome a visit by China's president, an invitation that appeared to be a conciliatory attempt, though Chen remained steadfast in his pro-independence stance.' (Guardian)

World: 'The director Ridley Scott has been attacked by Christians and Muslims over his new film, 'Kingdom of Heaven', which premiered last night. Cahal Milmo looks back at a conflict which tore the 12th-century world in two.' (Independent)

India: 'Muslim men are being urged against instant divorce of their wives, in a new marriage code from an authoritative body of Muslim clerics in India. But the code stops short of banning the controversial "triple talaq" pronouncement which allows a man to divorce his wife with immediate effect.' (BBC)

Nepal: 'The leader of Nepal's largest communist party has been freed from house arrest, two days after King Gyanendra lifted a state of emergency. Madhav Kumar Nepal was detained three months ago. His United Marxist Leninists (UML) were in a coalition government dismissed on 1 February.' (BBC)

Egypt: 'Police on Sunday detained about 200 people from the home villages of the three attackers responsible for a bomb blast and tour bus shooting near Cairo tourist sites the day before, authorities said.' (CNN)

Vietnam: 'Vietnamese authorities released children’s Bible teacher Le Thi Hong Lien from Bien Hoa Mental Hospital yesterday. Her unexpected freedom came two days before her scheduled release as part of a special amnesty program. A delegation of 15 people picked up Lien at the Center II in Ho Chi Minh City shortly before noon. “Ms. Lien exhibited joy in being greeted by her family and by the Vietnam Mennonite Church committee,” stated a press release issued by the church. Both Lien and her father refused to sign an amnesty paper indicating “release before end of sentence” because it included a clause stating that the punishment was just. Ms. Lien, 22*, reportedly endured severe torture and abuse while incarcerated at Chi Hoa Prison.' (Compass Direct)