Globe Trot: Egypt poised to end blasphemy laws

EGYPT: Rights advocates believe the political atmosphere has never been better to actually reform—or end—Egypt’s blasphemy laws. Under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, parliament could take up the legislation in the upcoming session, which begins Jan. 10. Blasphemy laws have been used against Christians in 90 percent of all cases brought, often with trumped-up charges, to limit religious freedom.

BELGIUM: Authorities are taking seriously the possibility of new terrorist attacks marking the anniversary of the Jan. 15, 2015, police raid in the eastern city of Verviers that foiled a suspected plot by Islamic extremists. In Brussels’ Schaerbeek district, police believe they located an apartment where fugitive terrorist Salah Abdeslam hid after Nov. 13 attacks in Paris. BBC has good maps and diagrams to help assess the latest. Carlton Deal, who pastors The Well in Schaerbeek, told me this morning authorities have made no new restrictions on residents in the neighborhood, and his network of churches continues to pursue opportunities to share their faith with Muslim neighbors.

ISIS: Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a new audio recording threatened attacks on Israel and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, ISIS chief spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, more visible than Baghdadi, reportedly has been injured seriously in an airstrike in Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN: It’s still a little unclear what happened in Helmand Province this week, where U.S. special forces came under fire and a U.S. helicopter crashed during the rescue attempt, with one American killed and two wounded.

NORTH KOREA: Today is supreme leader Kim Jong Un’s 33rd birthday, and CNN has a surreal report on a visit to a new science park, where officials are lauding the country’s nuclear reach after this week’s alleged bomb test. South Korea detected small amounts of xenon after the test, and while experts doubt it was a hydrogen bomb, there was an explosion of about 10 kilotons, reason to think North Korea is serious and possibly advancing its nuclear capability.