Expect Iran to Exploit Bhutto's Death, Expert Says
Iran "strongly" condemned the assassination of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto, but a leading critic of Tehran warned that the regime would likely try to exploit the situation in its troubled, nuclear-armed neighbor. Read
Bhutto's Political Prominence Offended Islamic Radicals
Benazir Bhutto, the first woman ever elected to lead a Muslim nation, angered fundamentalists who viewed a high-profile female politician as anti-Islamic. She also was increasingly outspoken against "extremists, terrorists and fanatics," as she described them at an election rally early this week. Read
Christians Under Siege in Indian State
Three days of violence against Christians in India have raised fears that the recent election victory of a Hindu hardliner in India's most-developed state may be prompting other activists to turn on non-Hindu minorities. Read
North Korea Nuclear Agreement Under Strain
The latest international agreement designed to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis is showing signs of strain, just days before a year-end deadline that now looks certain to be missed. Read
God Vs. Allah Issue Threatens Catholic Newspaper in Muslim Country
The government of Muslim-majority Malaysia will not renew a Catholic newspaper's license to publish unless it stops using the word "Allah" to denote God. Read
Pakistan Denies Misusing US Anti-Terror Aid
Reports claiming that U.S. aid money sent to Pakistan for anti-terror operations has been used for other purposes -- including weapons systems designed to counter long-time foe India -- are causing a stir in the region, and playing into Pakistan's election campaign. Read
Ex-Guantanamo Detainee to be Freed, But With Restrictions
Australia's best-known terrorist will leave prison next week, six years after he was captured while fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Read
New South Korean Leader Signals Tougher Line on North
A change of leadership in South Korea may make life more difficult for Kim Jong-il, just as the North Korean leader was expecting a lessening of outside pressure over his nuclear weapons programs and repressive policies. Read
Islamic Bloc Scores 'Defamation of Religions' Resolution at UN
Alongside a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly this week calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, the world body passed a raft of other human rights-related motions. One of them, introduced by Islamic nations, focuses on combating the "defamation of religions." Read
Bishop Makes YouTube Appeal to Combat Sexualization of Children
In a new effort to raise awareness about the sexualization of children in the media and marketplace, a senior Australian churchman has turned to the popular online video-sharing site YouTube to decry the issue and call for a national inquiry. Read
Conservative Leads Presidential Race in Korea
A conservative looks set to be elected as South Korea's new president on Wednesday, ending a decade of liberal rule and ushering in a more pragmatic approach towards North Korea. Read
Saudi Clerics' Warning on Inflation May Be A Swipe at the US Dollar
The Saudi government has been fending off appeals to stop pegging the country's currency to the sliding U.S. dollar, and now it faces new pressure with a call by Saudi clerics to take action to curb rising inflation. Read
Men Jailed in Sudan for Selling Book on Mohammed's Child-Bride
A Sudanese court reportedly has sentenced two Egyptian men to six months' imprisonment for harming Islam after they marketed a book deemed critical of one of Mohammed's wives. Read
Saudi King Pardons Rape Victims After Outcry
Saudi King Abdullah Monday pardoned a young woman whose sentencing to six months' imprisonment and 200 lashes after she was gang raped caused an international uproar. Read
Ahmadinejad Makes Pilgrimage to Mecca
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was due to arrive in Mecca Monday to join millions of Muslims making the pilgrimage to Islam's birthplace. He is the first Iranian leader invited to make the trip since the 1979 Islamic evolution. Read
White House Has 'Serious Concerns' About Climate Negotiations
Two weeks of tough negotiations at the U.N. climate conference in Bali ended at the weekend with an agreement that few seem genuinely happy about. Read
Musharraf Prepares to Lift Emergency
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf plans to lift the state of emergency on Saturday, but only after amending the constitution to ensure the courts cannot challenge any of the actions he took under the restrictions imposed on November 3. Read
Int'l Olympic Committee Silent on Chinese Rights Abuses
The International Olympic Committee ended its last executive board meeting for the year without mentioning growing calls for the movement to address human rights in China ahead of next summer's Beijing Olympics. Read
Iranian Company to Head 'Islamic Car' Project
A bloc of Islamic nations will decide at a summit next March whether to go ahead with a project to build an "Islamic car" for the Muslim market, with Iran's largest automaker at the helm. Read
Scores of Chinese Pastors in Detention
Up to 150 Chinese pastors are believed to be in police custody, five days after officials raided a bible study and detained 270 people, a Christian religious freedom monitoring group said Wednesday. Read
Vietnam Frees American Democracy Activists After Protests
After weeks of protests and appeals by U.S. lawmakers, Vietnam's communist authorities Tuesday released and deported an American pro-democracy activist it had accused of terrorism. Read
Algeria Bombings Linked to Terrorist's Death, Islamic Holiday
The terrorists who claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in Algeria in almost a decade tied Tuesday's twin bombings to the recent death of a leading al-Qaeda radical and to the forthcoming Islamic holiday, Eid al-Adha. Read
Killers Freed Early in Case That Exposed Iran's Involvement in Int'l Terror
The German government has freed and deported two men serving life in prison for the 1992 killing of Kurdish dissidents in Berlin. Their release comes 10 years after a trial that sparked a diplomatic furor over claims that Iran's top leadership was behind terrorism on European soil. Read
'Tax Parents for Children's Carbon Emissions'
Having babies is bad for the planet, and parents of more than two children should be charged a birth levy and annual tax to offset the "greenhouse gases" their child will be responsible for over his or her lifetime. Read
Climate Change Meeting Moves Into High Gear
An international U.N. conference in Bali moves into high gear on Monday with the arrival of senior delegations. Read
Kosovo Conflict Fears Rise
On the eve of the deadline for a decision on Kosovo's "final status," Russia shows no sign of backing down on opposition to independence, and the Serbian government reiterated that it would never give up the province. Read
North Korea May Miss Deadline on Nuclear Pledge
North Korea may not meet a year-end deadline to declare all of its nuclear programs, as it promised to do in an agreement earlier this year, South Korea's foreign minister has warned. Read
For China, Even A Beauty Pageant Must Toe the Party Line
China's well-known determination to deny Tibet and Taiwan international legitimacy has impacted millions of people over the past half-century, but for one young woman, Beijing's policy has spoiled a simple, personal dream. Read
Risk Remains as Long as Iran Enriches Uranium, Experts Say
As Democrats continue to attack the administration over a new intelligence assessment that Iran suspended its quest for nuclear weapons four years ago, proliferation experts say that as long as Tehran continues to enrich uranium, the potential threat remains. Read
Islamists Jailed for Beheading Girls, But Indonesian Christians Remain Wary
Indonesian Christians have welcomed the imprisonment of Islamic militants convicted of attacks, including the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls, but they said the Christian minority in the world's most populous Muslim nations continues to face difficulties. Read
Green Activists Fear Countries May Be Losing Zeal for Kyoto
Environmental activists at the U.N. climate conference in Bali are characterizing the United States as "isolated" over its continuing rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, yet at the same time, there are signs that other key countries may be losing enthusiasm. Read
Hospital Defends Plans to Turn Patients' Beds to Face Mecca
A hospital in northern England is playing down media reports saying that nurses have been ordered to stop normal duties five times a day to turn Muslim patients' beds so that they face Mecca. Read
No Nuclear Reassurances for Gulf States From Iran
For the first time ever, leaders of the Arab Gulf states invited Iran to attend a summit in Doha, Qatar, on Monday, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did little to reassure them that his country's nuclear program is not a threat to the region. Read
Blow for Chavez as Voters Reject Constitutional Changes
Venezuela's voters have narrowly rejected President Hugo Chavez's attempts to amend the constitution and do away with presidential term limits. The results of Sunday's vote deal a severe blow to his plans to transform the oil-rich country into a model of Cuba-inspired "21st century socialism." Read
Battle Lines Drawn as Biggest-Ever UN Climate Meeting Begins
As representatives of the world's nations kicked off a major two-week environmental gathering in Bali on Monday, differences over national roles and responsibilities in dealing with climate change show little sign of abating. Read