India: 'Police last Friday (October 27) arrested a 25-year-old believer for “causing communal disharmony” after Hindu extremists harassed him for selling Christian literature at an evangelistic event in the eastern state of Orissa.' (Compass Direct).

Turkey: 'A Turkish prosecutor slapped criminal charges against two converts to Christianity earlier this month, accusing them of “insulting Turkishness,” inciting hatred against Islam and secretly compiling data on private citizens for a local Bible correspondence course.' (Compass Direct).

Iraq: 'Despite a large British military presence at the headquarters in Basra Palace, a private security assessment has advised the consul general and her staff to leave the building after experiencing regular mortar attacks in the last two months.' (Telegraph).

North Korea: 'As the international community struggles to cope with the political ramifications of a nuclear North Korea, a growing exodus of refugees into China is threatening a humanitarian crisis on the Korean peninsula.' (Independent).

Pakistan: 'At least 80 militants have been killed in an air strike by Pakistani forces on a madrassa (religious school) used as a militant training camp, the army says.' (BBC).

Afghanistan: 'One NATO soldier and about 70 insurgents were killed in southern Afghanistan when fighting broke out Saturday between insurgents and Afghan troops and NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), officials said.' (CNN).

West Bank: 'Three people have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the northern part of the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources say.' (BBC).

Australia: 'Australia's top Muslim cleric has been barred from preaching for up to three months, after comparing immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".' (BBC).

Bangladesh: 'Security was tightened in the Bangladeshi capital on Friday as Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia prepared to hand over power to a caretaker authority, after some 100 people were injured in clashes between political rivals.' (Reuters).

Iran: 'Iran has strongly criticised charges against former high-level Iranian officials over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.' (BBC).

Afghanistan: 'The Afghan government yesterday launched an investigation into claims dozens of civilians were killed in Nato bombing raids on suspected Taliban positions this week in southern Afghanistan.' (Telegraph).

India: 'Police this morning arrested a recent convert in Mayapuri, Madhya Pradesh state for the second time in three days in an apparent attempt to pressure him to give evidence that his pastor forcibly converted him. By nightfall in India, the new believer was charged with “insulting religious beliefs.”' (Compass Direct).

China: 'As Chinese officials host the Archbishop of Canterbury, the seriousness of the restrictions on Christian activity in the country have been highlighted by the sentencing of a disabled pastor for printing Bibles and Christian literature.' (Christian Solidarity Worldwide).

Kazakhstan: 'More limits to religious freedom planned?' (Forum 18).

Korean Peninsula: 'South Korea announced on Thursday it would ban the entry of North Koreans who are part of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, the first step taken by Seoul to adhere to U.N. sanctions' (Reuters).

Australia: 'Australia's most senior Muslim cleric has prompted an uproar by saying that some women are attracting sexual assault by the way they dress.' (BBC).

Middle East: 'A solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is within grasp if the international community commits to a blueprint and pursues dialogue, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said on Tuesday.' (Reuters).

China: 'Thousands of university students rioted in eastern China this week, officials and students said on Wednesday, as the police chief called for greater efforts to tame rising unrest.' (Reuters).

India / Pakistan: 'India's newly appointed foreign minister has said it is desirable that India and Pakistan live in peace.' (BBC).

Indonesia: 'Two militants jailed over the 2002 Bali bombings have been freed, having had their sentences cut to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.' (BBC).

Nepal: 'The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has proposed to feed Nepal's Maoist rebels and their families once a peace deal has been signed with the government.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'The possible break-up of Iraq into three separate states was acknowledged for the first time by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, yesterday as she scaled back expectations of what could be achieved before British and U.S. forces leave' (Telegraph).

Bangladesh: 'A Bangladeshi ferry packed with people sank in a river on Monday following a collision with a cargo vessel, killing at least five people, officials said.' (Reuters).

Gaza: 'Gunmen in the Gaza Strip have shot dead a well-known Fatah militant during a clash at the Bureij refugee camp' (BBC).

Lebanon: 'Israel has for the first time admitted it used controversial phosphorus shells during fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon in July and August.' (BBC).

UK: 'Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said on Monday that he had no problem with Muslim women wearing a veil but that there could be questions of practicality.' (CNN).

Iraq: 'Out of the population of 26 million, 1.6 million Iraqis have fled the country and a further 1.5 million are displaced within Iraq, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.' (Independent).

Iraq: 'Between 18 and 20 people were killed and dozens were wounded Saturday in an attack at an outdoor market in a Mahmoudiya town, Iraqi authorities said.' (CNN).

UK: 'John Reid has issued a dire warning that the Government risks losing the "battle of ideas" with al-Qa'eda.' (Telegraph).

Iran: 'Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Europe that it may pay a heavy price for its support of Israel.' (CNN).

Pakistan: 'A bomb blast has killed at least six people in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar, police say.' (BBC).

North Korea: 'China voiced optimism on Friday after talks aimed at bringing North Korea back into line over its nuclear ambitions, as Washington called for full implementation of U.N. sanctions imposed after Pyongyang's atomic test.' (Reuters).

England: 'A Muslim teaching assistant has vowed to pursue her right to wear a veil during lessons after an employment tribunal found that she had been victimised by the school which suspended her but dismissed claims that she was subjected to religious discrimination and harassment.' (Independent).

Pakistan: 'The planned execution of a Briton who has been on death row in Pakistan for 18 years was delayed again yesterday following the intervention of the Prince of Wales, whose forthcoming visit to the country would have coincided with the hanging.' (Independent).

Afghanistan: 'Several Afghans and two NATO soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber threw himself at the troops in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, witnesses and an army officer said.' (Reuters).

India: 'A man facing execution for helping militants in an attack on the Indian parliament in 2001 will file a mercy petition to the President APJ Kalam' (BBC).

North Korea: 'A Chinese envoy has met North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, according to Chinese officials, as tensions mount over the North's nuclear test' (BBC).

Egypt: 'A Muslim sheikh jailed in Egypt for 18 months has declared from his prison cell that he is under arrest for “insulting Islam” by becoming a Christian.' (Compass Direct).

Israel: 'Hezbollah fired cluster munitions into civilian areas in northern Israel during the recent conflict, Human Rights Watch reported today. This is the first time that Hezbollah’s use of these controversial weapons has been confirmed.' (Human Rights Watch).

Saudia Arabia: 'Saudi police have detained four people in a city in the Eastern region, which is home to the kingdom's Shi'ite Muslim minority, for supporting Hezbollah, residents said on Tuesday.' (Reuters).

Gaza: 'Israeli troops backed by tanks pushed deep into the northern and southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, clashing with militants as they stepped up a nearly four-month-old offensive, Palestinian residents said.' (Reuters).

Iraq: 'Violence in Iraq could end "within months" if Iran and Syria joined efforts to stabilise the country, says Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.' (BBC).

Afghanistan: 'The kidnappers of an Italian journalist in Afghanistan have offered to free him in exchange for a Christian convert who fled the country, an aid agency says' (BBC).

Afghanistan: 'Troops will be in Afghanistan for next 20 years, says commander' (Independent).

Uzbekistan: 'Sunday morning worship services have recently been a favoured time for police to raid Protestant churches, Forum 18 News Service has noted.' (Forum 18).

Myanmar: 'A 34-year-old political prisoner in military-ruled Myanmar has died in custody, where he had been tortured and suffered from malaria, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.' (Reuters).

North Korea: 'North Korea says UN sanctions imposed after its nuclear bomb test are a declaration of war, state media says.' (BBC).

North Korea: 'The US has urged China to cut back on supplies to North Korea as part of the international effort to make the reclusive Communist regime abandon its nuclear weapons' (Independent).

Tunisia: 'The Tunisian authorities have launched a campaign against the Islamic veil worn by some women to cover their hair.' (BBC).

UK: 'All new faith schools will have to offer up to a quarter of places to non-believers in a move ministers believe will promote integration and ease growing fears that British society is splintering on religious and race grounds.' (Telegraph).

Gaza: 'Israel and Hamas were on the brink of war last night as a senior member of the Islamic movement hinted that it would stop observing a 20-month-old ceasefire in retaliation for the latest Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'For the first time Pakistan's government is beginning a campaign to register all Afghans currently living in the country.' (BBC).

UK: 'The Conservatives today accuse Muslim leaders of encouraging "voluntary apartheid" in Britain by shutting themselves away in closed societies and demanding protection from criticism.' (Sunday Telegraph).

South Asia: 'A report released by a US-based group says South Asia continues to face "critical" levels of hunger.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'The United Nations estimates that up to 1.6 million Iraqis have left their homes for other countries in "a steady, silent exodus" as a result of the war and sectarian violence, forcing the U.N. refugee agency to announce a shift in priorities.' (CNN).

Turkey: 'Turkey has condemned a French parliamentary vote which would make it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks.' (BBC).

North Korea: 'The US has revised a draft UN Security Council resolution against North Korea, calling for a range of sanctions over its claimed nuclear test.' (BBC).

Australia: 'A religious feud between a Muslim doctor and his teenage daughter may have sparked a bloody domestic dispute which left the man's wife dead and the man fighting for life in hospital.' (Herald Sun).

India: 'A church in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district cancelled its weekly meeting yesterday (October 10) due to tensions in the region following false reports of conversions in newspapers. The reports led to two attacks in the past week.' (Compass Direct).

Iraq: 'Iraqi kidnappers who abducted a Syrian Orthodox priest three days ago left his beheaded corpse in an outlying suburb of the northern city of Mosul last night.' (Compass Direct).

India: 'The Indian army says it has recovered a massive cache of arms and ammunition in the eastern city of Calcutta.' (BBC).

Gaza: 'Israeli forces killed three Palestinian gunmen and two bystanders during a raid in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, pressing an almost 4-month offensive launched after a soldier was abducted, witnesses and medics said.' (Reuters).

Afghanistan: 'At least 16 people have been wounded in two explosions in eastern Afghanistan.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'Gunmen have killed eight people in an attack on the offices of a satellite television channel in Baghdad, Iraqi police say.' (BBC).

Tibet: 'At the end of their terrible journey, a group of Tibetan refugees yesterday told how a nun was shot dead and 14 children taken away at gunpoint by Chinese border guards during a 20-day march to escape across the Himalayas.' (Telegraph).

Vatican: 'Pope Benedict said on Wednesday Christians could not allow their beliefs and identity to be diluted for the sake of dialogue with other religions' (Reuters).

Iran: 'Iran's hard-line leaders said Tuesday their country would not retreat from its controversial nuclear program despite international demands that it do so.' (CNN).

North Korea: 'North Korea's second most powerful leader has threatened more nuclear tests if the US maintains its "hostile" policy, Japanese media report.' (BBC).

Uzbekistan: 'As part of the Uzbek authorities' determination to close down religiously-affiliated charities or those they suspect of being religiously-affiliated, a dozen foreign charities are believed to have been closed down this year, with one source telling Forum 18 News Service that "several hundred" foreign Protestants working in such organisations have been forced out of the country.' (Forum 18).

Afghanistan: 'At least 11 people, including a number of police officers, have been injured in an explosion in the Afghan capital, Kabul, say police.' (BBC).

Syria: 'Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the United States does not have "the will or vision" to pursue peace in the Middle East...and said Syria was prepared to hold talks with Israel but he said there needed to be "an impartial arbiter".' (BBC).

Burma/Myanmar: 'Another milestone in the long misery of the Burmese people passed yesterday, when the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 4,000th day under house arrest.' (Independent).

India: 'Hindu extremists in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh attacked at least four Christians in the last three weeks, including beating three Dalits and threatening to have their government benefits withdrawn.' (Compass Direct).

Iran: 'After nine days in secret police custody, Reza Montazami and his wife, Fereshteh Dibaj, were released on bail this morning by order of a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, Iran.' (Compass Direct).

Thailand: 'Thailand's military rulers have announced the post-coup Cabinet, chosen by new Premier Gen Surayud Chulanont.' (BBC).

North Korea: 'North Korea is boasting that it performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test today, saying it detonated a successful underground blast in a " great leap forward" - in defiance of international warnings' (Independent).

England: 'The Church of England has launched an astonishing attack on the Government's drive to turn Britain into a multi-faith society.' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'Pakistan united in mourning on Sunday to remember around 73,000 people killed in an earthquake exactly a year ago.' (CNN).

South Korea: 'South Korean troops have fired warning shots at soldiers from the North amid rising tension over North Korean plans to test a nuclear weapon.' (BBC).

Gaza: 'Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has collapsed while addressing tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in the Gaza Strip.' (BBC).

UK: 'Straw veil call sparks Muslim fury' (CNN).

Pakistan: 'One year on from the Pakistan earthquake on 8 October 2005, over 1.8 million people face a second winter in makeshift shelters and tents, warns aid agency Oxfam International in a report published today.' (Oxfam).

India: 'Indian PM Manmohan Singh has said India will share evidence with Pakistan about what he describes as its involvement in the July bombings in Mumbai' (BBC).

North Korea: 'North Korea sparked international alarm yesterday by saying it would test a nuclear weapon, an act of brinkmanship apparently intended to blackmail America into dropping economic sanctions' (Telegraph).

Kazakhstan: 'Amid an increasing number of fines on Baptist pastors for continuing to lead churches that refuse on principle to register with the authorities – including a massive fine in September - members of the Council of Churches Baptists have insisted to Forum 18 News Service that they will not pay the fines (Forum 18).

Uzbekistan: 'The United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday squandered a crucial opportunity to mount a principled response to the Uzbek government’s abusive crackdown on human rights following the massacre of hundreds of unarmed protesters in May 2005' (Human Rights Watch).

South Korea: 'South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said on Tuesday he bore "a heavy sense of responsibility" after an informal ballot that virtually assured he would become the next United Nations secretary-general.' (Reuters).

Vietnam: 'Asia's death toll from Typhoon Xangsane rose Tuesday to 119 and was expected go higher as authorities fully assess the disaster in the Philippines and Vietnam, where officials said tens of thousands of people were displaced.' (CNN).

Gaza: 'At least two people have been killed and 14 hurt in Gaza and the West Bank in new clashes between gunmen loyal to Hamas and the rival Fatah party.' (BBC).

UK: 'The Church of England has promised that all of its new schools will offer at least 25% of places to pupils from non-Christian families.' (BBC).

Nepal: 'Nepal's King Gyanendra called for the success of a fragile peace process in the Himalayan nation on Monday, his first public comments since being forced to cede political power in April.' (Reuters).

Iran: 'Iranian secret police arrested a Christian couple in the northeastern city of Mashhad three days ago, forcing them to leave behind their 6-year-old daughter and holding them incommunicado ever since. ' (Compass Direct).

India: 'Seven Christians working with the Indian Missionary Society (IMS) in India’s Gujarat state were released on bail this morning. The group was charged with attempted murder after Hindu extremists waylaid and assaulted them last week.' (Compass Direct).

India: 'More than 100 years after the first waves of a great Welsh religious revival reached faraway north-eastern India, Christian church leaders are claiming a religious reawakening in the region.' (BBC).