Syria: 'The United States and Europe must talk to Syria and Iran if they want a comprehensive solution to Iraq and other Middle East conflicts, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Friday.' (Reuters).

India: 'Doctors from India's most prestigious medical institute have begun a hunger strike in the capital Delhi.' (BBC).

Iran: 'Iranian secret police began to raid and arrest leaders of the Islamic republic’s indigenous “Jesus Only” movement last Sunday (December 10), arriving unannounced in the early morning hours to search their homes in Tehran, Karaj, Rasht and Bandar-i Anzali.' (Compass Direct).

China: 'A Beijing court convicted human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng of “inciting subversion” on Tuesday (December 12) after he mysteriously entered a “guilty” plea, according to reports.' (Compass Direct).

Egypt: 'Egyptian police detained the deputy leader of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, about 10 other prominent members and scores of Brotherhood students in dawn raids on Thursday, Brotherhood and police sources said.' (Reuters).

Thailand: 'Having ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to end what they called "rampant corruption", Thailand's army rulers took just 11 weeks to award themselves a 34 percent hike in military spending.' (CNN).

Bangladesh: 'A US based rights group says an elite-crime force in Bangladesh in responsible for killing more than 350 suspects in custody.' (BBC).

India: 'A strike called by India's biggest trade unions to protest against rising prices and lack of jobs has shut down two states ruled by the communists.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has blocked a key piece of reform legislation passed last month to broaden religious freedoms in Turkey.' (Compass Direct).

China: 'China is to abolish tuition and other fees for 150 million rural students, in a bid to narrow the gap between wealthy coastal provinces and poorer regions.' (BBC).

Yemen: 'A Yemeni court banned a newspaper editor and a journalist from writing for one month on Wednesday after finding them guilty of denigrating Islam by reprinting cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.' (Reuters).

Afghanistan: 'A peace deal between Pakistan's government and Islamic militants in North Waziristan has created a virtual Taliban mini-state where mullahs dispense justice and fighters are launching cross-border attacks into neighboring Afghanistan, a think tank said.' (CNN).

Iraq: 'Iraqi police say the number of people killed when a suicide attacker set off a large bomb in a central Baghdad square has risen to at least 70.' (BBC).

Kazakhstan: Foreign Baptist forced out for "illegal" bible discussion (Forum 18).

Nepal: 'Nepal's Maoists will only be included in an interim government after their arms are locked in stores under U.N. supervision, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said on Monday.' (Reuters).

Turkey: 'EU foreign ministers met on Monday for crucial talks on how to penalize Turkey for failing to normalize trade with Cyprus at the start of a week that could derail Ankara's troubled entry negotiations with the bloc.' (Reuters).

Algeria: 'One man has died and nine others have been injured in a roadside bomb attack beside two buses carrying oil company workers in Algeria.' (BBC).

Pakistan: 'Pakistan has successfully test-fired a short-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the Pakistani military has said.' (BBC).

Bangladesh: 'Bangladesh's interim government has deployed army troops in the capital ahead of January's general elections.' (BBC).

UK: 'Tony Blair formally declared Britain's multicultural experiment over yesterday as he told immigrants they had ''a duty" to integrate with the mainstream of society.' (Telegraph).

Lebanon: 'Prime Minister Fouad Saniora sharply denounced Hezbollah and its leader on Friday, a day after the guerrilla group's chief launched a scathing attack against the U.S.-backed government, promising to eventually bring it down.' (CNN).

India / Pakistan: 'The fog of nearly three decades which has persistently clouded the Kashmir dispute could be beginning to dissipate.' (BBC).

Lebanon: 'The leader of Hezbollah has vowed to continue mass protests calling for Lebanon's Western-backed government, led by Fouad Siniora, to resign.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'Differences have emerged between Tony Blair and George Bush on strategy in the Middle East, even as the two leaders agreed that a major change of course was necessary in Iraq' (Independent).

Turkey: 'The European Union received a last-ditch Turkish proposal to open a major seaport to Greek Cypriot vessels, a top EU official said Thursday, describing the move as a positive step toward breaking a deadlock in Ankara's efforts to join the EU.' (CNN).

Turkey: 'Turkey has offered to open a port and an airport to traffic from Cyprus in a dramatic last-minute bid to avert a partial suspension of its European Union membership talks, EU President Finland said on Thursday.' (Reuters).

Pakistan / Afghanistan: 'The Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, is starting a two-day visit to Afghanistan for talks aimed at stemming the Taleban insurgency.' (BBC).

Syria could have an important role to play in the future of Iraq, says this report (BBC).

Turkey: 'Ankara’s top government religious official accused Pope Benedict XVI yesterday of “doing injustice to Turkey” by declaring after his historic visit to Turkey last week that the country’s Catholics live under difficult conditions.' (Compass Direct).

China: 'Chinese officials have secretly executed a demonstrator who took part in a massive protest in 2004 against a hydro-electric dam in the south-western province of Sichuan, lawyers and family members said yesterday.' (Independent).

Bangladesh: 'Hopes for an end to pre-election turmoil in Bangladesh dimmed on Wednesday as rival political groups again took to the streets and the country's legal system was virtually paralyzed by feuding lawyers.' (Reuters).

India: 'Hundreds of thousands of low-caste Hindus, known as Dalits, have gathered in India's financial capital Mumbai (Bombay) for a mass rally.' (BBC).

Lebanon: 'Hundreds of people in Lebanon's capital Beirut have attended the funeral of an anti-government protester.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'One man was shot dead and nearly 100 people were injured in clashes in eastern Turkey between security forces and an armed mob trying to lynch a confessed child rapist, authorities said on Tuesday.' (CNN).

Iran: 'Officials from six world powers meet in Paris on Tuesday seeking progress toward ending a deadlock that has held up agreement over a sanctions resolution on Iran's nuclear program.' (Reuters).

Pakistan / India: 'Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said Pakistan would give up its claim on the region of Kashmir if India accepted some of his peace proposals.' (BBC).

Vietnam: 'At least 12 people have died as Tropical Storm Durian lashes Vietnam, sweeping away fishing boats, destroying houses and downing power lines.' (BBC).

Egypt: 'Egyptian police have arrested an American, 11 Europeans and several others from Arab countries for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.' (CNN).

Bangladesh: 'One person was killed and more than 50 injured in Bangladesh as supporters of rival political groups clashed during a nationwide transport strike.' (BBC).

Lebanon: 'Lebanon's political crisis is continuing as demonstrators remain camped in the centre of Beirut in an attempt to bring down the government.' (BBC).

Afghanistan: 'Three British Royal Marines have been injured, one seriously, in a suicide car bomb attack on a British convoy in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.' (Telegraph).

Lebanon: 'Fears grew on Monday that Lebanon's anti-government protests could turn into sectarian violence after an anti-government Shiite Muslim protester was shot dead in a Sunni district of Beirut.' (CNN).

Iraq: 'More than 50 people have been killed in three car bomb blasts in the centre of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police say.' (BBC).

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudi security officials said Saturday they foiled a planned terrorist suicide attack and arrested 139 suspected Islamist militants who were in "sleeper cells" believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda.' (CNN).

Philippines: 'Rescue workers in the central Philippines are searching for survivors in the wake of a typhoon that triggered deadly landslides' (BBC).

Turkey: 'Pope Benedict wound up a fence-mending visit to Turkey on Friday amid praise from the local press for visiting Istanbul's Blue Mosque and praying towards Mecca "like Muslims".' (CNN).

India: 'Members of a youth wing of a Hindu extremist group entered the Avila Convent Catholic Girls’ High School at Mysore in Karnataka state on Thursday (November 30) and assaulted several staff members.' (Compass Direct).

Lebanon: 'Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has said his government will not be brought down by mass protests planned by pro-Syrian opposition groups.' (BBC).

India: 'A resident of Elha village in Rohtas district, Bihar state raped the wife of a local pastor on Wednesday (November 29). Villagers said Hindu extremists encouraged him to rape her in order to disrupt Christian activity there.' (Compass Direct).

Bangladesh: 'A court in Bangladesh has sentenced two Islamic extremists to death for murdering Dr. Abdul Gani Gomes, a Christian convert from Islam, in September 2004.' (Compass Direct).