Nepal - At the third attempt in 11 years, the Nepal Bible Society has had its registration application accepted by the Nepal government. Without official recognition the Society had experienced continual insecurity. In addition to problems with the translating, publishing and selling of Bibles as an unregistered organisation it was not possible to open a bank account or purchase a vehicle in the name of the Society. "We were unable to import or export Bibles as per our need," said Mr Tej Jirel, the Bible Society's General Secretary. The registration has to be renewed every fiscal year.

Africa – HIV/Aids does not respect geographical or social boundaries. The impact of HIV/Aids has been particularly harsh in Africa, where in many countries it has left the very young and the very old with the burden of caring for families and earning a living. Overwhelmed by the scale of the problem and lacking sufficient funds, governments have been slow to respond. It is against this background of challenge and opportunity that the United Bible Societies' Where is the Good Samaritan Today? HIV/ Aids awareness programme has evolved rapidly over the last few years. A rounded package of Bible-based materials have been developed, designed to teach people of all backgrounds and educational levels values that will help them to avoid HIV infection and to support those already infected or affected.

China - From banned to best-seller "What has happened to the Bible in China is a miracle," says Kua Wee Seng, UBS's China Partnership Coordinator. "Just 40 years ago, during the Cultural Revolution, the Bible was banned and all copies were confiscated. But today there are more Bibles than any other book in China - it is unofficially the best-selling book there. Only God can make a think like that happen, because God works through the Chinese authorities, through the Church in China, through the Bible Societies and through each and every donor." With the Amity Press in Nanjing having produced nearly 46 million bibles over the past 20 years, it is not surprising that the Bible has become one of China's best-selling books. Nor is it surprising that there is such a huge demand for Bibles in a country that is thought, by some, to have one of the world's fastest growing Christian populations. Official estimates put China's Christian population at 22 million. Unofficially, however, it is thought that there could be double or even four times that number.(from a story by Kjell Hagen, Freelance Photojournalist)

Azerbaijan - "In our country, putting on a Christian concert is probably one of the most effective ways to share the Bible message with large groups of people," says Gulshan Huseynova, Director od Kitab Shirketi, or 'The Book Company', which is responsible for Bible work in Azerbaijan. "The Azeri are a people who love music, poetry and dance, so whenever there is an opportunity to go to an event that offers these things, they go." Kitab Shirketi, in co-operation with churches of different denominations, stages several concerts each year in different venues across the country, and provides Scriptures for distribution to interested members of the audiences. Some of the concerts are held in orphanages and children's summer camps, while others are held in large concert halls, attracting thousands of members of the general public. Kitab and its partners hope to mount a full-scale ballet based on the story of Jesus's life as told in the four Gospels. Ballet and opera are very popular in Azerbaijan and a ballet about the life of Jesus will attract a great deal of attention.

Scripture Language Report (United Bible Societies) 2006 - Information on languages receiving new Scriptures in 2006. Follow link for full report.

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