News

MPs to call for EU treaty vote

Opposition and rebels in the Labour Party will try in parliament on Wednesday to force the government to call a referendum on the new European Union reform treaty.

Paisley to step down as first minister

Ian Paisley, a Protestant who set aside decades of hatred to share power with his Catholic foes, will step down as Northern Ireland's First Minister in May.

London mayor's aide quits in funding row

A close aide of London Mayor Ken Livingstone resigned on Tuesday after fresh allegations were published about misuse of public funds.

Peers say illegal migrants breach Calais fence

Illegal immigrants are able to bypass hi-tech security and sneak onto lorries waiting to cross to Britain because of faulty fencing in Calais, a House of Lords committee said on Wednesday.

Sermon on the Mount supports gay civil unions, according to Obama

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount backs up same-sex civil unions, believes US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Killer nurse Colin Norris jailed for life

Nurse Colin Norris was jailed for life on Tuesday after being found guilty of murdering four elderly patients with lethal doses of the diabetes drug insulin.

Worship changes lives for the better, says Church

The central importance of worship in the life of the church is emphasised in a new book published today by Church House Publishing for the Church of England's Liturgical Commission, under the banner of its Transforming Worship agenda.

Iraqi Christians nervous after Archbishop's abduction

Iraq's tiny Christian community is living in fear after the abduction of a Chaldean Archbishop in Mosul, a city in the northern Nineveh province last week.

Future of US Methodists hinges on change - leaders

While membership in mainline Protestant churches in the US has been on the decline for decades, church leaders are sounding the alarm more loudly after a recent study offered a grim picture of the churches' future.

Manchester Cathedral samples Fairtrade Communion wine

Manchester Cathedral is considering stepping up its efforts to help third world farmers with the introduction of what it believes is the world's first Fairtrade Communion wine.

Muslims and Vatican officials to begin talks on Pope meeting

Muslim representatives and Vatican officials to embark on two days of talks to hash out plans for an unprecedented Islamic-Catholic meeting, to include the Pope, later this year.

Latin America seeks to defuse crisis

Latin America scrambled to defuse a three-nation crisis that threatens the region's stability after Venezuela and Ecuador cut diplomatic ties with Colombia and ordered troops to their neighbour's border.

Rice seeks Egypt's help on Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, her credibility at stake, urged Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday to quickly resume U.S.-sponsored peace talks suspended over Israel's offensive in Hamas-run Gaza.

Clinton under pressure as Ohio and Texas vote

The fate of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid rested with voters in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday, as they cast their ballots in her hard-fought Democratic duel with rival Barack Obama.

U.N. council imposes new sanctions on Iran

The U.N. Security Council ratcheted up sanctions on Iran on Monday for refusing to suspend nuclear enrichment and other sensitive activities, but Tehran dismissed the decision as illegal.

Criticism and protests mar Medvedev's election win

Kremlin candidate Dmitry Medvedev swept to an easy victory as Russia's next president but Western criticism of the vote and scattered street protests took some of the shine off his win.