Arthur Wagner, a leading member of the party in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, said he would not comment on his reason for leaving the party, but confirmed to a Berlin daily that he had converted to Islam and that he had renounced his party membership on 11 January.

While others demanded public hanging of the savage who killed Zainab brutally in Kasur, Pakistan, some Senators strongly opposed the execution of the culprit publicly, saying that such a practice, if adopted, would not stop these crimes.

More than 100 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar since Wednesday, with the latest refugees saying army operations are continuing in troubled Rakhine State, raising doubts about plans to send back 655,500 who had already fled.

As reported by Reuters recently School students in Linxia county in Gansu province, home to many members of the Muslim Hui ethnic minority, are prohibited from entering religious buildings on winter break, a district education bureau said, as authorities step up control of religious education. Students must also not read scriptures in classes or in religious buildings,