A violent crackdown on protesters in Kazakhstan, a fight over a nativity scene in Texas, and more...

STORY 1: KAZAKHSTAN

For more than two decades now, Kazakhstan has been ruled with an iron first by its leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. The country has lots of oil, but few of its inhabitants are benefiting from these riches - and some have started to protest.

Aiz-angul Amirova tells us about clashes between workers and the police that got very violent.

STORY 2: CHINA

You’ve probably never heard of the village of Wukan, in southeastern China. Yet that’s where a protest movement was born, one that could well go down in the history books.

Villagers went into revolt after the local government decided to confiscate some of their land – which is a common problem in China.

Our Observer, who goes by the name Doctor Deng, travelled to Wukan to see how this tiny village managed to stick up for itself.*

STORY 3: USA

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is an organisation in the United States that fights for the rights of non-believers – atheists and agnostics alike. Its president Dan Baker tells us about an incident that took place just before Christmas in the small town of Athens, Texas.