News

Anglicans eye tense Synod debate on women bishops

Anglicans are anticipating a tense debate on the consecration of women bishops at the Church of England's General Synod on Monday.

Church in Wales gives away first Child-Friendly Church Award

Lively music, an active Sunday School and a warm family feel - that was the winning formula for a church which has just won the Church in Wales's first Child-Friendly Church Award.

Australian Catholic abuse victims want apology from Pope

Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers in Australia, like Jose Respall who still vividly recalls being fondled at age 11, are calling on Pope Benedict to apologise when he arrives in Sydney on Sunday.

Fix eyes on future, not past, says Welsh Archbishop

The church will only grow if it looks forwards, rather than back, the Archbishop of Wales told the people of St Davids Diocese at a festival of thanksgiving on Saturday.

Charities tell G8 not to turn backs on Africa

Charities warn Group of Eight nations not to renege on their commitments to Africa as they meet for the G8 Summit in Japan on Monday.

China Olympic city battles 'invading' algae

In China's Olympic co-host city Qingdao, sea breezes that usually bring relief from baking summer temperatures now bring a cloying stench from a massive algae bloom that locals fear will harm the city's bucolic image during the Games.

Police arrest five in knife killing of 16 year old

Police said on Sunday they had arrested four young males and one girl in connection with the knife killing last week of a 16-year-old boy on a street in south London.

Brown vows no return to strong union past

Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged on Monday to resist calls for greater union rights, saying full employment would be achieved with a flexible workforce rather than by strikes.

Car bomb hits India Embassy in Kabul

A suicide car bomb hit two diplomatic vehicles entering the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, killing or wounding at least 30 people, witnesses and Afghan media said.

Report calls for new look at biofuels

A British government report on food policy to be published on Monday says the link between demand for biofuels and rising world food prices needs to be more closely examined.

Persimmon cuts 1,000 jobs

House builder Persimmon will confirm on Tuesday that it has made around 1,000 staff redundant, the Telegraph reported on Monday, without citing sources.

Israel to exhume Hezbollah bodies for prisoner swap

Israel will begin exhuming bodies of Hezbollah fighters on Monday ahead of a planned swap with the Lebanese guerrilla group, which is holding two soldiers, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Britons unwilling to relinquish holiday despite credit crunch

Britons would rather spend less on everyday luxuries than deny themselves an annual holiday, despite the credit crunch, fear of negative housing equity and rising food and fuel costs, a survey shows.

Iranian minister optimistic about EU talks

Iran's foreign minister on Sunday expressed optimism about what he said was a "new environment" for talks with major powers over its nuclear program.

Pension funds move from equities to bonds

Almost half of final salary pension funds have moved assets from equities to bonds in the past year, as they respond to market volatility and aim to match assets more closely with liabilities, figures show.

China presses Dalai Lama ahead of Games

China's stance on future talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama rests on how he answers demands not to disrupt next month's Beijing Olympics, an official said, highlighting intense anxieties about the Games.