India: 'About 20 extremists in Karnataka state’s Hassan district on Sunday (November 25) stormed a worship service, dragged out two pastors and another believer, stripped them and beat them after tying them to a pole.' (Compass Direct).

Turkey: 'Kidnappers of a Syrian Orthodox priest abducted yesterday in Southeast Turkey have demanded an enormous ransom for his release, church sources said.' (Compass Direct).

Israel: 'The state of Israel would be "finished" if prospects of a two-state solution collapsed, its Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has warned. Two opinion polls have shown widespread scepticism among the Israeli public about this week's Annapolis summit.' (Independent).

Sudan: 'The British teacher jailed for 15 days in Sudan after allowing pupils to call the class teddy bear Mohammed could be free this weekend.' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'Pakistani Christians have played a prominent role in the struggle against harsh emergency laws established by the country’s president this month. And many of have paid the price.' (Compass Direct).

UK: 'A coalition of four leading Muslim organisations has published the first set of national guidelines for the UK's 1,600-plus mosques in an attempt to fight extremism and introduce a level of self-regulation.' (Independent).

Sudan: 'The British teacher arrested in Sudan for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear after the prophet Mohammed is facing the possibility of 40 lashes or a jail sentence after being charged with insulting Islam.' (Telegraph).

Afghanistan: 'U.S. air-strikes killed 12 civilian road workers in eastern Afghanistan, a provincial governor said on Wednesday, an incident bound to fuel Afghan resentment against the presence of international forces.' (Reuters).

China: 'The centuries-old tradition of choosing a new Dalai Lama may be about to change from the mysteries of reincarnation to the realities of a referendum to hold off the increasing influence of the Chinese government in the process.' (Guardian).

Pakistan: 'Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, has stepped down from his powerful post as the country's military commander, a day before he is due to be sworn in as a civilian president as part of his long-delayed pledge not to hold both jobs.' (Guardian).

Iraq: 'A convoy of more than 800 people on 20 buses waving Iraqi flags left Damascus for Baghdad yesterday. The passengers are all returning Iraqi refugees and the convoy is being paid for by the Iraqi government which hopes to reverse the exodus of 2.2 million Iraqis from their country over the past four years.' (Independent).

Middle East: 'Israeli and Palestinian leaders will "immediately launch" peace talks -- aimed at creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel -- and they hope to finish negotiations before 2009, President Bush announced Tuesday.' (CNN).

Uzbekistan: 'The United Nations Committee Against Torture has expressed extreme concern over allegations of widespread torture in Uzbekistan.' (BBC).

Syria: 'Syria has announced that it will send its deputy foreign minister to the Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, completing an Arab world roster of attenders in support of attempts to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks.' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'The woes of President Pervez Musharraf deepened last night after one of his most determined opponents returned to Pakistan from exile. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by General Musharraf's military coup in 1999, flew into Lahore and was welcomed by thousands of supporters who broke through police barriers to greet him.' (Independent).

Turkey: 'Five young men are due to go on trial in eastern Turkey, accused of killing three Christians earlier this year. The Christians, who included a pastor and a German missionary, were stabbed repeatedly and had their throats cut. (BBC).

China: 'China has accused Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of violating the religious rituals and historical conventions of Tibetan Buddhism by suggesting he might appoint a successor before his death instead of relying on reincarnation.' (Independent).

Bahrain: 'Bahrain feels the heat from Iran' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'Hours after Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf cleared the final legal hurdle to being re-elected to a third five-year term, the 53-nation Commonwealth on Thursday suspended Pakistan from its group.' (CNN).

Bangladesh: 'Thousands of people made homeless by last week's devastating Bangladesh cyclone are still waiting for aid to reach them, relief workers and local media said on Thursday.' (Reuters).

Lebanon: 'Lebanon is braced for the possibility of violent clashes after the president's term ends tomorrow with little prospect of finding a compromise candidate acceptable to the bitterly divided parties' (Guardian).

Middle East: 'Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, is to urge Arab states to turn up in large numbers at next week's Annapolis summit in the US to relaunch peace talks with Israel, telling Syria and Saudi Arabia that their own and Palestinian interests will be served by their presence.' (Guardian).

Afghanistan: 'The Taliban has a permanent presence in most of Afghanistan and the country is in serious danger of falling into the group's hands, according to a report from an international think tank.' (Telegraph).

Koreas: 'South Korea abstained from a U.N. vote condemning North Korea for its abysmal human rights record so as not to offend its prickly neighbor or derail reconciliation plans, government officials said on Wednesday.' (Reuters).

Vietnam: 'Vietnam has asked nearby countries to give shelter to thousands of its fishermen from a tropical storm now nearing the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, the government said on Wednesday.' (Reuters).

Pakistan: 'After weeks of intense international and domestic pressure, the Pakistan government announced the release of 3,400 lawyers and opposition activists yesterday.' (Independent).

Afghanistan: 'An internal UN report has alleged that bodyguards protecting powerful Afghan politicians opened "indiscriminate fire" on a crowd in the aftermath of a suicide bombing two weeks ago, killing dozens of people including women and children.' (Guardian).

Jordan: 'Jordanians began voting on Tuesday in parliamentary elections expected to tighten the grip of tribal leaders, centrist and pro-government deputies and which the opposition Islamists say they expect government fraud.' (Reuters).

Palestinian Territories: 'Tony Blair has unveiled four economic projects which he said could create thousands of Palestinian jobs in his first specific policy announcement as the international community's Middle East envoy.' (Independent).

Saudi Arabia: 'A Saudi Arabian human rights attorney is asking the government to allow him to represent a woman who was gang-raped -- and then sentenced to prison for speaking out about the case.' (CNN).

Iran: ' President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has for the first time signalled that Iran may be interested in a facesaving way out of the international crisis triggered by its suspected nuclear weapons programme.' (Independent).

Pakistan: 'U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said Sunday that he had expressed to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf the United States' displeasure with Pakistan's emergency rule and urged Musharraf to lift the order and release all political detainees ahead of elections.' (CNN).

Bangladesh: 'Bangladesh's death toll from Cyclone Sidr has reached an estimated 2,000 people, officials said Sunday, amid fears that it could skyrocket to five times that number.' (CNN).

Saudi Arabia: 'An appeal court in Saudi Arabia has doubled the number of lashes and added a jail sentence as punishment for a woman who was gang-raped.' (BBC).

Myanmar: 'Myanmar's junta has freed six prisoners of conscience including Thet Naung Soe, a student sentenced to 14 years in jail for staging a solo protest outside Yangon's City Hall in 2002, an opposition lawyer said on Friday.' (Reuters).

Pakistan: 'A senior United States envoy will arrive in Pakistan today for crisis talks with President Pervez Musharraf in a last-gasp effort to resolve the country's political turmoil amid signs the Bush administration is preparing to "ditch" the general and throw its support behind an alternative leader.' (Independent).

Bangladesh: 'A powerful cyclone slammed into Bangladesh on Thursday night, tearing down flimsy houses, toppling trees and power poles, and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in the low-lying nation.' (CNN).

Turkmenistan: 'Energy ministers and oil executives from around the world have gathered in Turkmenistan for an oil and gas show. Correspondents say Western countries, China and Russia are vying for access to the Central Asian state's huge reserves of fossil fuels.' (BBC).

Bangladesh: 'The outer reaches of an expected severe cyclone buffeted Saint Martin's island off Bangladesh's coast on Thursday, as tens of thousands of mainlanders were evacuated to shelters and high land, officials said.' (Reuters).

Koreas: 'North and South Korea agreed on Thursday to set up their first regular freight train service over the heavily armed border in more than half a century.' (Reuters).

Israel: 'America pressed Israel yesterday to stop developing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The move is aimed at persuading Palestinian moderates to attend a US-brokered peace meeting next month in Annapolis, Maryland.' (Telegraph).

Pakistan: 'Imran Khan faces terror charges after arrest' (Telegraph).

Arabian Gulf: 'Gulf states are failing to curb serious abuses of Sri Lankan migrant workers employed as maids in their countries, a Human Rights Watch report has said.' (BBC).

China: 'As China's mega dam rises, so do strains and fear' (Reuters).

Pakistan: 'Benazir Bhutto has demanded that President Pervez Musharraf quit office to bring an end to his "contaminated" rule of Pakistan.' (Telegraph).

Philippines: 'At least two people were killed Tuesday in an explosion at the entrance of the Philippine parliament, including a lawmaker who apparently was the target of the blast, Chief Geary Barias of the National Regional Capital Police said.' (CNN).

Egypt: 'Just days after two Christian activists from a human rights group were released from jail, Egyptian authorities took three of their colleagues into police custody over the weekend.' (Compass Direct).

India: 'A bloody standoff between Communists committed to emulating China's economic success and farmers opposed to the establishment of a vast industrial zone in eastern India ended yesterday after leftwing activists stormed a series of villages - leading to accusations of murder and rape.' (Guardian).

Pakistan: 'The Commonwealth has issued an ultimatum to President Pervez Musharraf, ordering him to lift the state of emergency in Pakistan within 10 days or face suspension from the organisation.' (Telegraph).

Cambodia: 'The former Khmer Rouge foreign minister has been arrested with his wife and brought before Cambodia's genocide tribunal to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.' (Independent).

Gaza: 'At least seven Palestinians were shot dead and scores more were injured yesterday as Hamas security forces opened fire during a rally in Gaza City organised by the rival Fatah movement to commemorate the anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death.' (Independent).

Iran: 'Around 180 Sufi Muslims have been arrested in Iran after attacking a Shia mosque where a cleric labelled their religion "illegitimate", say reports.' (BBC).

Malaysia: 'The Malaysian carmaker Proton has announced plans to develop an "Islamic car", designed for Muslim motorists.' (BBC).

India: 'A rash of violence in Maharashtra state last weekend, Christian leaders say, is typical of a growing history of unchecked, Hindu extremist crimes against Christians in Thane district.' (Compass Direct).

Pakistan: 'Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Sunday that elections will go ahead in January despite a state of emergency that he said was needed to tackle extremists and ensure free and fair elections.' (CNN).

Yemen: 'Clashes between local tribesmen and army personnel protecting a Ukrainian oil company have left 12 people dead in Yemen, security sources say.' (BBC).

UAE: 'A bridge under construction has collapsed in Dubai, killing seven workers and injuring 15, police said.' (BBC).

Iran: 'Multinational companies are coming under increasing pressure from the US to stop doing business with Iran because of its nuclear programme. European operators are facing threats from Washington that they could jeopardise their US interests by continuing to deal with Tehran, with increasing evidence that European governments, mainly France, Germany and Britain, are supporting the US campaign.' (Guardian).

Pakistan: 'Under intense international pressure to restore democracy in Pakistan, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf announced Thursday that parliamentary elections will be held by Feb. 15 and restated his pledge to step down as the country's military leader.' (CNN).

Myanmar: 'Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is "ready to cooperate" with the government and is committed to pursuing a dialogue with the ruling junta, according to a statement the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar read Thursday on her behalf.' (CNN).

Tunisia: 'The press is heavily controlled and its elections are little more than a facade, but Tunisia continues to be held up by the west as a model Arab state, writes Ian Black' (Guardian).

Burma: 'United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari is expected to hold talks with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi later, the UN has said in a statement.' (BBC).

Pakistan: 'The former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto has issued her most defiant statement yet since the imposition of emergency rule, as her supporters were attacked by riot police firing tear gas in the heart of the capital yesterday.' (Independent).

Iran: 'Iran's president has declared that his country's nuclear programme is "irreversible" and said he "could not care less" about Western sanctions.' (Telegraph).

Burma: 'Burma's ruling generals have rejected a UN plan for three-way talks involving detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to state media.' (BBC).

Vatican / Saudi Arabia: 'King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican - the first audience by the head of the Roman Catholic Church with a Saudi monarch.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'The EU yesterday told Turkey to move promptly to ditch laws criminalising the free expression of views deemed to insult Turkishness and warned that Ankara's talks on joining the EU were being jeopardised by the prosecution of writers and journalists.' (Guardian).

Afghanistan: 'At least 35 people -- including three children and six members of parliament -- have been killed in a suicide bombing at a sugar factory in northern Afghanistan, the hospital chief in that province told CNN.' (CNN).

UK: 'The Church of England has welcomed the Royal Mail's return to a religious theme for its 2007 Christmas stamps.' (BBC).

Turkey: 'Malatya’s Third Criminal Court has set November 23 to open the trial of the confessed murderers of Turkish convert Christians Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel and a German Christian, Tilmann Geske.' (Compass Direct).

Pakistan: 'The United States has urged Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to sever his links with the military and reinstate civilian rule.' (CNN).

Turkey: 'Eight Turkish soldiers captured last month by Kurdish rebels were freed yesterday in an attempt to divert Ankara from attacking northern Iraq.' (Guardian).

Afghanistan: 'Afghan police have arrested a man accused of publishing an unofficial translation of the Koran that has sparked protests in parts of the country, newspapers said on Monday.' (Reuters).

Yemen: 'Yemeni tribesmen blew up a pipeline that carries crude oil to a Red Sea export facility on Monday but export operations were unaffected, security and oil officials said.' (Reuters).

Israel: 'Israel's top negotiator acknowledged Sunday that there were problems trying to frame a blueprint for a peace deal with the Palestinians.' (CNN).

Pakistan: 'Pakistan will be under a state of emergency for "as long as it is necessary," Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Sunday, a day after Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution and widened his powers as president and military chief.' (CNN).

Burma: 'The military government in Burma has released 46 more people detained during September's pro-democracy protests.' (BBC).

Saudi Arabia: 'Saudi Arabia has signalled that it will not attend the Middle East peace conference scheduled by the US for this month unless there is significant agreement in advance on the core issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians.' (Guardian).

Pakistan: 'U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday Pakistan must go ahead with elections next year and the United States opposed any move by President Pervez Musharraf to impose martial law.' (Reuters).

Bahrain: 'Bahrain boom overshadowed by fear of looming war with Iran' (Independent).

Israel: 'Israel's interior minister has called for reforming the law that grants Jews around the world Israeli citizenship.' (BBC).

Pakistan: 'Islamic militants threatened to bomb a Christian family for refusing to convert to Islam as fighting between militants and government troops resumed in northwestern Pakistan yesterday.' (Compass Direct).

UK: 'Cherie Blair has questioned whether the full-face veil restricted Muslim women from being "people in their own right". The wife of the former Prime Minister said full veils, such as the niqab or burqa, could prevent a woman from expressing her personality.' (Telegraph).