News
Biofuels pushing 30 million into poverty
Biofuels are responsible for 30 percent of the increase in global food prices, pushing 30 million people worldwide into poverty, aid agency Oxfam said in a report on Wednesday.
Storm lashes south China after Philippines
Tropical storm Fengshen struck south China on Wednesday after tearing through the Philippines last week, bringing driving rain, uprooting trees and closing schools, markets and businesses in Hong Kong.
Ship terrorism alert system seen flawed
A terrorism alert system installed in thousands of merchant ships after the September 11, 2001 attacks is flawed because it does not immediately notify local security authorities of an attack, said a report on the system.
Ecumenical bodies request greater action on Zimbabwe
Ecumenical bodies urge international community to step up efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis and protect citizens.
Power loss in floods was 'unacceptable'
Power stations and water plants must take part in emergency planning to avoid a repeat of last year's floods when supplies were cut to affected areas, the head of a government review said on Wednesday.
UK soldier killed in south Afghanistan
A British soldier has been killed by an explosion while checking for mines in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
Poll shows Labour 20 points behind
The Labour Party is trailing the Conservatives by a record 20 points, a poll released ahead of the first anniversary of Prime Minister Gordon Brown taking office showed.
Greencore says to cut earnings after audit probe
Irish food group Greencore said on Wednesday it had uncovered a "deliberate concealment of costs" at its mineral water business leading and it would restate some earnings lower.
Controversial obesity drug gets final okay
Sanofi-Aventis won a final green light for its obesity drug Acomplia from cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE on Wednesday, clearing the way for doctors to prescribe it on the state health service.
Monet painting smashes auction record
A Monet water-lily painting sold for 41 million pounds Tuesday, doubling the previous auction record for the artist and ensuring London's key art market season got off to a flying start.
Credit crunch looms over regional jobs
The threat to jobs from the global credit crunch will spread wider than the City of London financial district and could affect many regions across Britain, economists said on Wednesday.
Britons fear the carbon cops are coming
First there were the thought police, then the surveillance society, now Britons fear the carbon cops are coming to ensure compliance with climate change legislation, a survey showed on Wednesday.
Infrastructure still at risk from floods
Power stations, water plants and transport networks are still far too vulnerable to flooding, engineers said on Wednesday.
US presbyterians remove gay condemnation from faith document
A committee in the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved on Monday changes to a translated version of a document of the Reformed Christian faith - changes opponents say are a smokescreen effort to remove a negative reference to homosexual behaviour.
Nigerian priest writes stories of African horrors
Nigerian writer Uwem Akpan has personally been spared the horrors he describes in his debut collection of short stories, "Say You're One of Them".
Russian church in 'positive dialogue' with Vatican
The Russian Orthodox Church has established a "positive dialogue" with the Catholic Church but obstacles remain to a reconciliation between the two faiths, Russia's Patriarch Alexiy II said on Tuesday.
