News
Obama courts evangelicals with stress on faith
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised a more active approach to faith-based social programmes on Tuesday in a bid to bolster his support among evangelical and religious voters.
Online fashion firm ASOS shines in consumer gloom
Online fashion retailer ASOS shrugged off the consumer downturn, posting a steep rise in annual profit and a near doubling in first-quarter sales as it benefits from the growing popularity of Internet shopping.
Ecumenical body urges Seoul to strengthen ties with N Korea
The World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary, the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, has urged South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to "take urgent measures to strengthen inter-Korean relationships without any pre-conditions".
Philippines ferry disaster not 'act of God', says bishop
A senior Catholic bishop has accused Filipino ferry line officials of trying to wash their hands of responsibility after one of their passenger vessels capsized last month.
Midwest floods show signs of global warming
Floods like those that inundated the U.S. Midwest are supposed to occur once every 500 years but this is the second since 1993, suggesting flawed forecasts that do not take global warming into account, conservation experts said on Tuesday.
G8 alone can't set world climate goal: White House
The Group of Eight major industrialized countries meeting next week in Japan cannot by themselves set effective long-term world goals on curbing greenhouse gas emissions, the White House said on Tuesday.
World Bank approves climate funds before G8 summit
The World Bank on Tuesday agreed to establish two investment funds to help developing economies switch to clean-energy technologies to curb carbon emissions and help poor countries adapt to climate change.
Penguin population plunge points to climate havoc
Penguin populations have plummeted at a key breeding colony in Argentina, mirroring declines in many species of the marine flightless birds due to climate change, pollution and other factors, a study shows.
Most Malaysians believe Anwar is innocent
Opinion polls show most people believe Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim did not commit sodomy against an aide after he was jailed on a similar charge seen as politically motivated before it was overturned.
Author says let's talk about sex to save the planet
We do it about 215 million times a day, so humans need to stop shying away from talking about sex - and the babies it makes - to help avert the global climate crisis, environmentalist and author Robert Engelman says.
British Airways to buy France's l'Avion
British Airways has agreed to buy small French business airline l'Avion for 68 million euros (52 million pounds) and it will become part of its new OpenSkies unit, they said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
M&S first quarter same-store sales fall
Retailer Marks and Spencer issued a shock profit warning on Wednesday and said a consumer downturn was likely to be deeper, and last longer, than previously expected, hammering its shares.
Broken promises sound off-note between G8 and Africa
When African leaders meet their rich G8 counterparts next week the inevitable smiles will mask bitter disappointment over broken promises on both sides.
Study finds people with HIV living longer
People with HIV in the developed world are no more likely to die in the first five years following infection than men and women in the general population, British researchers said on Tuesday.
Emergency rule declared in Mongolia
Five people were killed and more than 300 injured in a riot in Mongolia's capital among people alleging fraud in a weekend election, the country's justice minister said on Wednesday.
Petrol prices hit out-of-town shopping
Britons are cutting back on trips to out-of-town retail parks due to rising petrol prices and doing more of their shopping on the Internet, according to the latest retail trends survey from Experian.