Nepal: 'Three former ministers of King Gyanendra have been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to encourage recent violence in southern Nepal.' (BBC).

UK: An article by Cormac Murphy o'Connor on the gay adoption debate. (Daily Telegraph)

Iraq: 'The Pentagon is investigating whether a recent attack on a military compound in Karbala was carried out by Iranians or Iranian-trained operatives, two officials from separate U.S. government agencies said.' (CNN).

Nepal: 'Nepal's Maoist revolt may have ended but the young cadres in green uniform and red "People Liberation Army" badges protecting a large camp of former rebels still flag down passing vehicles for security checks.' (Reuters).

Israel: 'A suicide bomber attacked a bakery in the southern Israeli town of Eilat, killing three people, police said.' (BBC).

US / Israel: 'The controversy about Israel's use of cluster bombs during its conflict with Hizbollah in July last year will reopen today when the US State Department publishes its draft report, which concludes that the American-made weapons were misused in civilian areas.' (Independent).

Pakistan: 'Pakistani police were on high alert in Peshawar on Sunday, as more than 2,000 people gathered for funerals of a police chief and fellow officers among 15 victims of a suicide bomb attack in the northwestern city.' (CNN).

Afghanistan: 'Corrupt police and tribal leaders are stealing vast quantities of reconstruction aid that is intended to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans and turn them away from the Taliban, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.' (Sunday Telegraph).

Gaza Strip: 'At least 13 people have died in Gaza after some of the worst fighting for months broke out between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.' (BBC).

Canada / Syria: 'Canada's prime minister apologized to Maher Arar on Friday and announced the government would compensate him C$10.5 million (US$8.9 million) for its role in his deportation from the U.S. to Syria, where he was tortured while held in prison for nearly a year.' (CNN).

Pakistan: 'Suspected Islamist militants killed a policeman and critically wounded another in Pakistan's wild tribal belt where security forces are battling al Qaeda and Taliban guerillas, officials said on Friday.' (Reuters).

Israel / Palestine: 'Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that peace between Israel and the Palestinian Territories was a concept whose time had come.' (CNN).

Lebanon: 'Lebanese officials Thursday imposed an overnight curfew for Beirut after deadly clashes erupted between pro-government and opposition supporters at Beirut Arab University.' (CNN).

Uzbekistan: 'Uzbek secret police arrested a Protestant pastor from his church in Andijan last weekend, seven months after a regional prosecutor had accused him of committing high treason.' (Compass Direct).

Turkey: 'A Turkish prosecutor has said five people were charged in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Turkish media reported on Thursday.' (Reuters).

Lebanon: 'A major donors' conference to help rebuild Lebanon has opened in Paris with French President Jacques Chirac urging international support.' (BBC).

Iran: 'Ayatollah's snub pressures Iran president' (Telegraph).

UK: 'Blair retreats over opt-out for gay adoption' (Telegraph).

Egypt: 'Egyptian security forces arrested seven members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood north of the Egyptian capital on Wednesday in a widening crackdown on the country's largest opposition movement, the group said.' (Reuters).

Lebanon: 'Lebanon is returning to normal after a nationwide anti-government strike led by the Hezbollah faction, but the group has warned of more action to come.' (BBC).

UK: 'The Church of England has backed the Catholic Church in its bid to be exempt from laws on adoption by gay couples.' (BBC).

Nepal: 'Authorities imposed day curfews in two southeastern Nepal towns on Tuesday after violent anti-government protests by ethnic Madhesis which have clouded a peace process aimed at ending a decade of civil war.' (Reuters).

Turkey: 'Thousands of people have gathered outside the Istanbul offices of murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink ahead of his funeral.' (BBC).

Lebanon: 'Thousands of Lebanese demonstrators have blocked major roads in and around the capital Beirut at the start of a general strike.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'Iraq’s Christians face struggle for survival' (Barnabas Fund).

Nepal: 'Nepal's ruling coalition and the Maoist party have called an emergency meeting to discuss continuing unrest in the south-east of the country.' (BBC).

Palestine: 'Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas' exiled political chief have failed to agree on forming a national unity government during talks in Syria.' (BBC).

Israel / Iran: 'Senior Israeli politicians and analysts appear to be preparing the public for military conflict with Iran as the Iranian President again refused to bow to international demands to curb its nuclear ambitions, and Tehran announced fresh military manoeuvres.' (Independent).

China: 'Pope Benedict XVI is to write a letter to China's 10 million Catholics and attempt to restore full diplomatic relations with Beijing.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'A moderate earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Sunday, demolishing homes in at least two villages in the eastern Turkish province of Agri, Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar said. There were no immediate reports of any deaths.' (CNN).

India: 'At least 18 million people have bathed in the river Ganges in northern India on the main day of the Ardh Kumbh mela, festival organisers say.' (BBC).

Lebanon / Israel: 'Hezbollah head Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has welcomed the resignation of Israeli army chief Lt-Gen Dan Halutz in the wake of the two sides' summer conflict.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'Angry, saddened Turks took to the streets of Istanbul and other cities Friday night to mourn the death of a prominent Turkish journalist of Armenian descent who was gunned down earlier in the day in front of his newspaper office.' (CNN).

Turkey: 'The Turkish-Armenian writer and journalist Hrant Dink has been shot dead, Turkish media report.' (BBC).

India: 'More than 60 people returning home from a Hindu festival in southern India were feared drowned after their overcrowded boat capsized and sank while crossing a river, police said on Friday.' (Reuters).

Australia: 'Australia's Muslims gathered on Friday for prayers at mosques around the country under a suspicious spotlight yet again after another radical cleric inflamed tensions with his extremist views.' (Reuters).

China: 'China is facing international criticism over a weapons test it reportedly carried out in space last week.' (BBC).

India: 'Thousands of Hindu holy men plunged into the Ganges river in the northern Indian town of Allahabad to mark the main day of the Ardh Kumbh festival.' (BBC).

Turkey: An analysis of religious freedoms in Turkey, and whether they will be affected by Turkey's potential entry to the E.U. (Forum 18).

India / Pakistan: 'India says it is to protest to Pakistan after two of its border guards were injured in a shooting incident near the international border in Kashmir.' (BBC).

Nepal: 'The parallel government set up by Nepal's Maoist rebels during their insurgency is due to be dissolved, leader of the Maoists, Prachanda, says.' (BBC).

Iraq: 'As new bombings killed dozens in Kirkuk and Baghdad yesterday, senior Democrats in America crafted a bipartisan Senate resolution opposing President George Bush's latest troop "surge", and lambasted the administration for its failure to take in more Iraqi refugees' (Independent).

Thailand: 'A diplomatic row has erupted between Thailand's military junta and the government of nearby Singapore after CNN's exclusive interview with ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.' (CNN).

China: 'Chinese police are investigating the death of a reporter beaten up while probing the country's deadly coal mines, media reported on Wednesday amid a growing outcry.' (Reuters).

Nepal: 'Nepal's Maoist rebels have begun locking up their weapons in designated camps around the country under a United Nations sponsored agreement.' (BBC).

Philippines: 'A key member of the Philippines-based militant group Abu Sayyaf has been killed in a gun battle, the army says.' (BBC).

Israel / Syria: 'Israeli officials have confirmed that the Foreign Ministry knew about a series of peace talks that have taken place in Europe between Syrians and an Israeli team headed by a former senior diplomat.' (Independent).

Nepal: 'Nepalis woke to an unexpected public holiday on Tuesday as their political leaders and senior Maoists hailed the birth of a new nation after the former rebels, who waged war for a decade, took their seats in parliament.' (Reuters).

Morocco: 'A court in Casablanca has given two Moroccan journalists suspended sentences of three years for defaming Islam and breaching public morality.' (BBC).

India: An Indian couple whose marriage was postponed three times due to protests from a Hindu extremist group finally married last Thursday (January 11) in Jabalpur. (Compass Direct).