News

Tibetans dispute official claim of no riot deaths

Tibetans in China's tense southwestern province of Sichuan on Friday said they believed several people had been killed in anti-Chinese riots there this week, disputing official claims that none died.

Cyprus leaders meet in new reunification drive

Leaders of Cyprus's Greek and Turkish communities met on Friday in a new effort to break a deadlock in reunification talks that threatens to derail Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

Obama's passport records accessed

Contract workers for the U.S. State Department improperly viewed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's passport records three times this year in what his campaign called "an outrageous breach" of his privacy.

Sri Lanka to re-deploy elite police against rebels

Sri Lanka will re-deploy thousands of elite police commandos from the country's east and move them north to help combat Tamil Tiger rebels as civil war fighting intensifies, security forces said on Friday.

Road and rail delays forecast for wintry Easter

Millions faced delays and disruption on roads and railways over the chilly Easter weekend, rail operators and motoring groups said on Friday.

Church condemns bookies' Easter opening

Thousands of betting shops are opening on Good Friday for the first time since the government relaxed gambling laws last year, prompting criticism from some Christian groups.

Banks urge BoE to be generous and flexible

Top bankers urged the Bank of England to be more generous and flexible to ease tensions in fragile money markets at a meeting on Thursday.

Blast kills soldier from NATO force in Afghanistan

An explosion killed a soldier from NATO-led forces in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement on Friday.

Bank of England injects funds as jitters persist

The Bank of England pumped an extra 5 billion pounds in weekly loans into the interbank market on Thursday but some analysts said it was not enough to ease tensions in fragile money markets.

Scottish ministers take to the streets with bread and wine

Scottish ministers will be offering bread and wine on the streets of Scottish towns on Good Friday to demonstrate the sacrifice Jesus made for the world

Church condemns bookies' Easter opening

Thousands of betting shops are opening on Good Friday for the first time since the government relaxed gambling laws last year, prompting criticism from some Christian groups.

Gorbachev tomb visit revives 'closet Christian' rumours

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last communist leader of the Soviet Union, paid an unexpected visit Wednesday to the tomb of St Francis of Assisi in Italy, where he reportedly spent nearly a half-an-hour in silent meditation.

Church responds to flood emergency in Angola and Namibia

USPG has sent emergency funding to help the Anglican Churches in Angola and Namibia to provide aid for thousands of families left hungry and homeless by destructive flooding.

Edwards calls for Christian unity in response to Jesus' sacrifice

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross should prompt Christians to put aside petty grudges and make a real show of unity this Easter, Joel Edwards has urged in his final Easter message as General Director of the Evangelical Alliance.

Shoe-polishing bishops demonstrate God's love

Bishops and other clergy step out to serve at shoe polishing stalls across the country, echoing Jesus' washing of his followers' feet.

'We care,' London's churches tell capital's disaffected

"Everybody hates us. We don't care." This is the motto of south London football club, Millwall. The response of London's churches? "We care."