News
Syria sets example for good relations between Christians and Muslims
"Islam cannot be studied like grammar," Patriarch Ignatius IV of the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria, told a delegation led by Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Growing threats to religious property in Kazakhstan
Ten years after acquiring a disused kindergarten, in the small town of Alga near the north-western city of Aktobe, a New Life Protestant congregation is about to lose its building.
World prays for Zimbabwe
Churches across the UK joined with Christians around the world on Sunday in a day of Global Prayer for Zimbabwe.
Obama's ex-pastor says black church misunderstood
Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev Jeremiah Wright, said on Sunday critics portraying him as "divisive" and "bombastic" misunderstood the black church and represented a discredited tradition of intolerance in American public life.
Strike closes major UK oil pipeline
A pipeline carrying nearly half of Britain's oil was closed on Sunday as a strike over pensions began at the neighbouring Grangemouth refinery in Scotland, operator BP said.
Amnesty condemns Morocco expulsion of French human rights campaigners
Morocco on Friday expelled four French human rights campaigners who it accused of trying to help independence activists in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, drawing condemnation from Amnesty International.
Gene therapy improves sight in near-blind patients
Gene therapy for a rare type of inherited blindness has improved the vision of four patients who tried it, boosting hopes for the troubled field of gene repair technology, scientists said on Sunday.
House prices drop 0.9 percent in April
House prices in England and Wales fell in April to stand slightly lower on a year ago, a survey showed on Monday, in a further sign that the housing market is cooling fast.
Peace still words on paper for east Congo civilians
Three months after a peace accord in east Congo, armed groups are still killing and raping civilians, and fighting between the army and Rwandan rebels who did not sign the ceasefire has displaced thousands more refugees.
China train crash kills 66
Two passenger trains collided in eastern China on Monday, killing at least 66 people and injuring hundreds as carriages derailed and toppled into a ditch, state media said.
North Korea fetes torch with mass rally
The Olympic torch was paraded through the streets of Pyongyang to flag-waving masses on Monday with North Korea promising its main benefactor China an "astonishing" show certain to be free of protest.
California wildfire forces 1,000 people to evacuate
A wildfire that began along a popular hiking trail forced 1,000 people to evacuate their homes in the hills northeast of Los Angeles on Sunday, officials said.
U.S. army says kills 22 fighters in Baghdad attack
The U.S. military said on Monday it had killed 22 fighters who attacked an Iraqi checkpoint in northeastern Baghdad.
Pope appeals for peace in Somalia, Darfur, Burundi
Pope Benedict on Sunday appealed to the world not to forget the "tragic" conflicts in Somalia, Darfur and Burundi and called on authorities to "honour their commitments" to bring an end to the violence.
Rich get richer in Britain despite credit crunch
Britain's rich are getting richer despite the global credit crunch and are now worth more than 400 billion pounds.
London key as Brown's Labour faces elections test
Gordon Brown faces his first major electoral test as prime minister this week, battered by negative opinion polls, industrial unrest and simmering rebellion within his Labour Party.