Irish President Mary McAleese has signed into law the Defamation Act, which includes clauses that create the offence of "blasphemous libel". Civil rights campaigners are dismayed.

A Christian is taking an art centre to court over an exhibition which included a statue of Jesus she believes was lewd and offensive. Civil rights activists say this is an attempt to reinstate blasphemy laws by the back door.

With tensions running high on blasphemy and other issues, church leaders in Denmark say they will seek further conversations with their Muslim counterparts following the open letter by 138 prominent Islamic scholars.

Pakistan's elections, originally scheduled for 8 January, will now take place on 18 February, the authorities have announced amid widespread scepticism. Campaigners for Christian and other minorities fear for the future.