News
Christians gather in Belfast to show 'faith works'
Church leaders, members and volunteers from across Northern Ireland will declare "our faith works" in a conference at Holywood Christian Fellowship Church in Belfast this weekend.
EU Commission to propose ban on all discrimination
The European Union's executive will put forward a draft law banning all forms of discrimination, including on the grounds of age, religion and sexual orientation, a senior official said on Monday.
Prospect of gay Lutheran bishop divides Germans
Germany could elect its first openly gay Lutheran bishop next month, a move conservatives say would alienate many Christians and open divisions in the Church.
Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza truce
Israel has agreed to an Egyptian brokered truce with Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, starting at 6 a.m. (4:00 a.m. British time) on Thursday morning, an Israeli Defence official said on Wednesday.
Afghans start anti-Taliban drive in south
The Afghan army launched an operation on Wednesday to drive Taliban insurgents from villages on the outskirts of Kandahar city in the south , the defence ministry said, but gave no details.
Security marks Silk Road torch relay
The Olympic torch was paraded on Wednesday through China's sensitive former Silk Road city of Kashgar, home to ethnic-minority Muslim Uighurs, under the scrutiny of soldiers and choreographed cheering crowds.
S.Africa's Mbeki to meet with Mugabe
South African President Thabo Mbeki will visit Zimbabwe on Wednesday for talks with his counterpart Robert Mugabe ahead of next week's presidential election run-off, Zimbabwean state media reported.
China rushes to fix dams as 9,000 sq miles flooded
China has posted hundreds of rescue personnel to shore up dams threatening to burst in southern mountainous areas under torrential rain that has already flooded 9,000 square miles of crops and homes.
Peru police hostages freed by mine protesters
Peruvian protesters freed 48 police officers from captivity on Tuesday but the government was still struggling to end a week-long blockade over mining taxes as workers went on a strike at a second copper mine.
Northern Rock seen probing former board
The new management at Northern Rock, the mortgage bank nationalised in February, has launched an investigation to see if legal action should be brought against the former board, the Financial Times reported.
Sainsbury's sales lag rivals
J Sainsbury, the country's third-biggest supermarket group, lagged rivals with a 3.4 percent rise in first-quarter underlying sales, but said its expectations for the full year remained unchanged.
Presidential candidates' views on gay marriage
What do the US presidential candidates have to say on the issue of same-sex marriage?
Study: Religious congregations outliving civic groups
Religious congregations in the United States have a "mortality rate" of 1 per cent, the lowest among other organisations, according to a newly published study.
Credit given without income checks
Almost five million people have been granted credit cards in the past year without having to prove their income, according to research published on Wednesday.
Hit by fuel prices motorists look to alternatives
With oil prices near $140 a barrel, motorists are starting to look seriously at both alternative fuels and electric vehicles as a way to be able to keep driving their cars.
Brown defends security policies
Gordon Brown defended his government's controversial security legislation on Tuesday, saying the country cannot have its "head in the sand" in its fight against terrorism.