AFP, New technology triggers battle for information from Tibet, 18 Mar 08 "Blogs, chatrooms and mobile phones have helped information about Tibetan protests to stream out faster than ever, but China is also harnessing technology, as well as fear, to stem the flow."

CNN, Nations dropped from Monopoly site after Jerusalem fuss, 22 Feb 08, "An Israeli lobbying group, One Jerusalem, is driving an Internet campaign that pushed the city to 5th place in the Monopoly vote -- guaranteeing Jerusalem a spot on the board -- before Hasbro made the leaderboard a secret to add mystery to the final days of voting."

Reuters/Yahoo, Orthodox gays in Israel find support in Web site, 14 Feb 08 "An underground movement of gay Orthodox Jews in Israel has created a Web site to help homosexuals cope with living in a strict, religious community that is often hostile to their lifestyle.

"The site is the first public forum in the Jewish state where gay members of the Orthodox community can seek support and advice."

Here's a link for information on the film Orthodox Stance (shown on BBC4 on 12 Feb 08), about boxer Dmitriy Salita. "As he fights in New York in front of Russian immigrants, Hasidic Jews and hard-core boxing fans, Dmitriy's celebrity grows and he is ultimately invited to the White House for President Bush's Hanukkah party. Through his uncompromising devotion to boxing and Judaism, and comfort and confidence with who he is, the film shows how Dmitriy is part of these very different worlds on his own terms, in ways that feel both true to him and new to us." The film features a performance by Matisyahu.

AKI, Vatican: Bid to sell sacred bones in online auction provokes outrage, 11 Feb 08 "Sacred bones allegedly belonging to dead saints and other religious figures are being sold on the online auction site Ebay despite complaints to the Vatican.

"According to the Italian daily, La Stampa, two organisations, the International Crusade for Holy Relics and the Italian Telefono Antiplagio, have complained that the bones, known by the Latin term 'ex-ossibus', are being sold on the English and Italian Ebay sites respectively."

The Register, Israel gets kosher phone service, 6 Feb 08 "Bezeq's new service is aimed at the ultra-Orthodox customer. It's been endorsed by leading rabbis, but they are expecting to be able to sell it to a much broader audience including concerned parents. The service is far from unique in Israel, though as the dominant operator Bezeq's move into the market is significant. It is interesting to see the use of religious endorsement to sell the service to secular parents - it's hard to imagine the Church of England (or Scotland) being trusted to endorse a pornography-free communications service."

Guardian, Hackers declare war on Scientologists amid claims of heavy-handed Cruise control, 4 Feb 08 "The hackers were infuriated by the removal from YouTube last month of a Scientologists' video clip featuring Tom Cruise. They have alleged that Scientologists forced YouTube to remove the embarrassing footage, in which the actor hailed the religion as "a blast"."

AFP/alarabiya.net, Mourn online with Israeli e-funerals, 31 Jan 08 "Israel's main Jewish burial society, Khevra Kadisha, has launched a unique service allowing funerals to be broadcast online and for mourners to view them all over the world."

Threat Level from Wired.com, War Breaks Out Between Hackers and Scientology -- There Can Be Only One, 23 Jan 08 "A loose confederation of online troublemakers who call themselves Anonymous have declared war on the Church of Scientology by flooding its servers with fake data requests, describing the attacks as punishment for the Church's alleged abuse of copyright laws and alleged brainwashing of its members."

AP/Yahoo! News, Apparent suicides shock Welsh town, 23 Jan 08, "Police say there appears to be no common link between the deaths. But at least one newspaper published a photograph of two of the dead together, fueling speculation of suicide pacts struck among friends linked by Internet social networking sites."

Reuters, Rabbis play online cupid to help Jews marry Jews, 21 Jan 08, "Marrying outside the faith is an issue for many in the U.S. Jewish community who are concerned about dwindling demographic numbers, family tensions and the pressures on children pulled in different religious directions."

AFP, Israeli scientists put Bible on chip smaller than pinhead "Israeli scientists said on Tuesday they have created the world's smallest Bible, fitting a Hebrew-language version of the holy book on a gold-coated silicon chip smaller than a pinhead."

Via Guardian, 15 Nov 07 "Beliefnet is beta-testing a social networking service for spiritual people." Check it out here: Beliefnet Community Beta

BBC News, Bible download for mobile phone, 2 Oct 07 "A line of religious mobile phone products has been launched by a Monmouthshire firm - including downloading the Bible for £6."

Guardian, Now available online: Pope John Paul II's robes, 24 Sept 07 "Supplied without charge, the circular dots of cotton, measuring about 4mm in diameter, come pressed into a postcard bearing a photo of John Paul on one side and a prayer on the other. They are available by clicking a link on the website of the diocese of Rome and filling in the email application."

AFP, Technology puts Myanmar protests in international eye, 26 Sept 07, "Myanmar's swelling protests are in the global spotlight with the help of hi-tech gadgets in the era of YouTube -- a stark contrast to the 1988 uprising in the pre-Internet age."

Reuters/Yahoo News, Online shrines for "death networking", 2 Sept 07 "Candy's virtual memorial to her daughter was one of the starting blocks for what some call the latest "e-trend" in Britain.

"Candy now runs a Web site, www.alwaysberemembered.co.uk, on which she offers the bereaved a way of paying tribute to their dead. Users create a memorial page with pictures, poems and tributes which can be visited, viewed and added to by anyone who feels a need." Very interesting article on this sensitive issue, UK based, links to other sites as well.

Skanda Vale, home of Shambo, a temple bull that tested positive with Bovine TB (although that diagnosis in itself was controversial), led a vigorous campaign to save it. This attracted international media coverage, such as in the Times of India, Sacred bull Shambo slaughtered. and hundreds of other media outlets (listed by Google News). This is a 'local' story for me, so has generated substantial interest.

MidEast News Source, Google Your to Way to God, 17 May 07 multi-faith approach to the subject, quite an interesting overview: "Technology has influenced religion in other ways as well – the Internet has created a global community for worshippers of all faiths, connected by just a click of the mouse."

washingtonpost.com, BBC v Scientology: A YouTube Story Starring John Sweeney, When Reporters Attack L. Ron Hubbard "While the verdict may still be out as to whether Scientology is a brainwashing cult or not, after a recent run-in with the BBC, two things are abundantly clear: Scientologists can't stand being called cult members, and they have the power to drive even seasoned journalists absolutely insane." Author Emil Steiner also suggests it would make a good South Park episode (discuss).