News
Britons fear the carbon cops are coming
First there were the thought police, then the surveillance society, now Britons fear the carbon cops are coming to ensure compliance with climate change legislation, a survey showed on Wednesday.
Infrastructure still at risk from floods
Power stations, water plants and transport networks are still far too vulnerable to flooding, engineers said on Wednesday.
US presbyterians remove gay condemnation from faith document
A committee in the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved on Monday changes to a translated version of a document of the Reformed Christian faith - changes opponents say are a smokescreen effort to remove a negative reference to homosexual behaviour.
Nigerian priest writes stories of African horrors
Nigerian writer Uwem Akpan has personally been spared the horrors he describes in his debut collection of short stories, "Say You're One of Them".
Russian church in 'positive dialogue' with Vatican
The Russian Orthodox Church has established a "positive dialogue" with the Catholic Church but obstacles remain to a reconciliation between the two faiths, Russia's Patriarch Alexiy II said on Tuesday.
Bishops welcome new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Catholic Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool and Bishop William Kenney, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham have extended a warm welcome to the new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Home loan approvals dive to record low in May
New home loan approvals nosedived at their sharpest annual pace in at least a decade to hit a record low in May, figures showed on Tuesday, raising fears the housing slowdown is about to escalate into a crash.
Key murder trial halted after witness ruling
A multi-million pound London murder trial that involved anonymous evidence was halted on Tuesday, after a ruling that defendants should know the identity of witnesses testifying against them.
Gaza truce shaken by rocket fire and killings in West Bank
Militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fired at least two rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday, breaching a five-day-old ceasefire after Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Local government staff to strike in July
Around 600,000 local government workers will strike on July 16 and 17 in protest over pay, public sector union Unison said on Tuesday.
MPs say Attorney General's role needs to be split
A committee of MPs called on Tuesday for the political and legal roles performed by the Attorney General to be split, saying the government's reform proposals did not go far enough in restoring public confidence.
Tibet reopens to foreign tourists
Tibet will be reopened to foreign tourists from Wednesday, China's official Xinhua news agency said, after the region was shut off to foreign visitors following riots there in March.
Brown down in polls but challenge unlikely
A year after succeeding Tony Blair as prime minister, Gordon Brown's poll ratings have sunk and talk of a challenge to his leadership is rife.
Prison phone calls 'too expensive'
Consumer groups said on Tuesday they have made a "super-complaint" to the communications watchdog Ofcom about excessively high costs of making calls from prisons.
Simple doctor's exam may predict stroke risk: study
A simple doctor's examination for subtle problems such as reduced reflexes or unstable posture could help predict which healthy elderly people are at the highest risk of death or stroke, researchers said on Monday.
Pregnancy pounds may affect kids' weight
Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy might raise their child's future risk of becoming overweight, a new study suggests.