Just links today. Commentary will return tomorrow.

Sudan:

• Powell says Sudanese hope to reach a peace accord this year | Secretary of State Colin L. Powell won a commitment from Sudanese negotiators to reach agreement by the end of December to end the civil war in Sudan (The New York Times)
  
  
• Powell: Sudan accord on track | Official disputes December goal (The Washington Post)
  
  
• Powell optimistic on Sudan | Secretary of State sits in on peace talks. He says he sees a final agreement within reach and urges the two sides to sign an accord by the year's end (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Powell: U.S. could end sanctions against Sudan | Steps to stop civil war, curb anti-Israeli militants would have proceed U.S. actions (The Washington Post)
  
  
• Powell tries to nudge Sudan toward peace | Secretary of State Colin L. Powell suggested that the U.S. would lift sanctions if Sudan reached a peace accord and acted further against terrorism (The New York Times)
  
  

Religious freedom:

• China Christian church activist detained | Liu Fenggang, 43, was detained on Oct. 13 in the city of Hangzhou while visiting with leaders of the destroyed churches who had just been released from almost two months in detention (Associated Press)
  
  
• Congress concerned over religious freedoms in Iraq | Conservative Republican lawmakers in Congress worry that the Muslim-dominated country will shed its secular history and officially turn into an Islamic state, complete with a constitution that says Islam is its national religion (Knight Ridder)
  
  
• All they wanted was a simple cross | The structure occupies a portion of St Anthony's Street and is on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's hitlist of illegal religious shrines to be demolished following a recent Bombay High Court order. (New Indian Press)