DHAKA, BANGLADESH (BosNewsLife)-- A 70-year old woman remained in critical condition Sunday, January 27, in Bangladesh after suspected Muslim extremists reportedly tried to burn her alive to prevent her from being baptized as a Christian.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in the Philippines on Saturday, January 26, mourned a Protestant pastor after police confirmed he was shot and killed, the second member of the Philippine clergy to die violently in nine days.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife)-- Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis ended his historic visit to Turkey Friday, January 25, which he hopes will improve rights for Orthodox and other believers in the country, where several Christians have been killed.

(ADDS MORE DETAILS)BEIRUT, LEBANON (BosNewsLife)-- A major bomb blast rocked a Christian area of the Lebanese capital Beirut Friday, January 25, killing up to 10 people and injuring many others, local media said.

HARGEISA, SOMALIA (BosNewsLife)-- Members of a house church in the breakaway Somali republic of Somaliland have fled to neighboring Ethiopia after hearing that the government wants to arrest them as part of a crackdown on evangelical Christians, an influential human rights group said Thursday, January 24.

BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- China on Wednesday, January 23, released three female house church leaders "unconditionally" from their labor camp in Hubei province, in what their supporters described as "another legal stunning victory."

LONDON, UK (BosNewsLife)-- Plans by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to launch a series on the life, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus will provide "a golden opportunity" for churches to spread the Gospel in the United Kingdom's increasingly multi-ethnic society, a major Christian media watchdog said Wednesday, January 23.

NEW DELHI, INDIA (BosNewsLife)-- An elderly pastor in India's Orissa state, who fled the deadliest Hindu-violence against Indian Christians there in recent memory, has died in a government-run refugee camp, a well-informed rights group confirmed Tuesday, January 22.

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Over a dozen Christian politicians seeking an end to legislation seen as discriminating Pakistan's minority Christians have joined a major Muslim party ahead of next month's general elections, BosNewsLife learned Monday, January 21.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (BosNewsLife)-- The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) has condemned the confiscation by government officials of Christian children's books deemed offensive to Islam, but it remained unclear Monday, January 21, when and if the publications will be returned to book stores.