News

Honarary doctorate for Free Church College principal

Professor Donald Macleod, Principal of the Free Church College in Edinburgh, is to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, USA. The degree will be awarded at the seminary's graduation ceremony on 22 May.

Appeal to world's Christians: pray for Zimbabwe

Desperate appeal rings out from Diocese of Harare for world prayer to rescue Zimbabwe.

Barnabas Fund welcomes media spotlight on apostasy

The head of Barnabas Fund is urging Christians to tune into BBC Radio 4's "Could I stop being a Muslim?" and hear the stories of persecution that former Muslims are facing after leaving the faith.

Church of Ireland launches stained glass database

A new database recording stained glass windows in Church of Ireland churches will be launched next Monday at the Irish Architectural Archive.

Concern over China visa curbs

Britain's top official in Hong Kong on Tuesday expressed concern about new pre-Olympics visa curbs on foreigners entering mainland China from Hong Kong, which have sparked widespread criticism from businessmen.

Concern over China visa curbs

Torch relay in Indonesia on grim trip

Indonesian police dispersed about 100 anti-China protestors and detained a foreign activist on Tuesday as the Olympic torch makes another restricted relay in Jakarta, the latest stop on its fraught journey around the world.

Pennsylvania Democrats cast White House votes

Pushing for a strong win to keep her White House hopes alive, Democrat Hillary Clinton touted her toughness on Monday on the eve of a showdown with presidential rival Barack Obama in Pennsylvania.

Tsvangirai appeals for U.N. intervention

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai urged U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and African leaders to intervene in his country's post-election crisis on Monday, saying the military were terrorising the people.

McCain to say Ohio city can rebound just as he did

Republican presidential candidate John McCain will tell an economically depressed city in Ohio on Tuesday that it can rebound just like his once struggling campaign came back from the dead.

China defends human rights record as Olympics loom

China mounted a stern defence of its much maligned human rights record on Monday as the clock ticks ever nearer the Beijing Olympics, accusing Western countries of ignoring problems of their own and having double standards.

Zambia asks African states to bar Chinese ship

Zambia's president urged regional states on Monday to bar a Chinese ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe from entering their waters, saying the shipment could deepen the country's election crisis.

Iraqi children desperate to learn in ruined schools

Even after clashes erupted in the Sadr City slum in Baghdad, Thamir Saadoun still tried to go to school, hoping it would be open. When he got there the guard told him to go home. That was more than two weeks ago.

Kosovo Serbs said shouldn't vote in local Serb poll

Serbia's president said on Monday that Serbs in the new state of Kosovo should participate in local Serbian elections next month, but Britain and the United States said this would be unwise and illegal.

Darling wants lenders to pass on lower rates

Chancellor Alistair Darling will meet mortgage lenders on Tuesday to press them to cut the cost of home loans and look at ways of helping people refinance their mortgages.

Britain may push for changes in EU biofuel targets

Britain will push for changes in European Union biofuels targets if a review of British policy shows rising biofuels production drives up food prices and harms the environment, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday.