News
East Timor Violence Drives Hundreds from Homes
About 1,000 East Timorese have fled their homes because of ethnic and political violence triggered by the controversial appointment of a new government this week, police said on Friday.
Sri Lanka Criticises UN Aid Chief Over Safety Fears
Sri Lanka's government on Friday rejected concerns voiced by the United Nations' top aid official about humanitarian worker safety on the island after a rash of killings, and a state newspaper called him a liar.
UN Grants Mozambique $496 Million in AIDS Fight
The United Nations will grant Mozambique $496 million in aid over the next two years to boost the country's efforts to develop its economy, improve governance and fight against AIDS, an official said on Friday.
Diarrhoea Patients Fill Wards after South Asia Floods
About 700 diarrhoea patients a day are checking into an already overcrowded hospital in Dhaka as filthy flood waters spread disease across Bangladesh, health officials said on Friday.
Nearly 80 per cent of India Lives on Half Dollar a Day
Seventy-seven percent of Indians -- about 836 million people -- live on less than half a dollar a day in one of the world's hottest economies, a government report said.
Cash Needed to Save South Sudan Peace Deal
Donors have been too slow in delivering funds to develop south Sudan after a landmark peace deal and need to adopt a unified approach to deal with multiple conflicts in Africa's largest country, observers say.
Haiti Children Saved from 'Rogue' Adoption Centre
Forty-seven children in Haiti have been reunited with their parents after being kept in inhumane conditions at an adoption centre for up to two years, an international aid agency said on Friday.
Saudi Arabia Block Freedom of Expression in Internet Forum, says Activist
A Saudi political reform activist said on Thursday the authorities had blocked his Internet forum as part of a wider crackdown on freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia.
France Buries Jewish-Catholic Cardinal Convert
France bade farewell to Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger on Friday in a ceremony that mixed prayers from his Jewish roots with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, a faith to which he converted during World War Two.
UN says Sri Lanka a Top Danger Spot for Aid Workers
Sri Lanka is among the most dangerous places on earth for humanitarian workers, the UN's aid chief says, calling on the government to probe civil war abuses and consider an international rights monitoring mission.
Korean, Taliban Teams Begin Talks Over Hostages
Afghanistan's Taliban began the first round of face-to-face talks with a South Korean team on Friday over the 21 hostages the group is holding, an Afghan official said.
Taliban Vows No More Korean Hostage Killings for Now
The Taliban said Friday that it will not kill any of the remaining 21 South Korean hostages before its face-to-face meetings with the delegation from the East Asian country.
Tony Robinson Opens New Methodist Dementia Housing
Much-loved British actor and presenter Tony Robinson has officially opened a new Methodist housing development in Clayton, Bradford.
ACEA Prepares to 'Stand Together' with Youthworkers for 7th Annual Conference
To mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade act, the African & Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA) has announced that it will hold its 7th Annual Conference at the Next Generation Music and Mission (ngm) complex in Bristol.
SPECIAL REPORT - Tearfund Partner Agencies Respond to South Asia Floods
Tearfund is working through its partner relief agencies in India to help more than 60,000 people displaced by the worst monsoon floods to hit the region in 30 years.
Baptists Support Handicapped in Congo
A grant of $5,133 from Baptist World Aid has helped provide an association of handicapped individuals in Congo to better support themselves.