News

Anglicans in deadlock, Archbishop pursues more talks

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said it is "practically impossible" to expect a clearer response from the US Episcopal Church, which had earlier agreed to halt the ordination of openly gay bishops.

Turkey bombs northern Iraq

Turkish warplanes targeting Kurdish rebels bombed villages deep in northern Iraq on Sunday, killing one woman and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes, Iraqi officials said.

Britain hands over last province to Iraq forces

Britain handed over security to Iraqi forces on Sunday in the last of four provinces it once patrolled, effectively marking the end of nearly five years of British control of southern Iraq.

European Christians to 'intensify' cooperation with Muslims

Christians gathered from across Europe underscored "the importance of seeking common ground with Muslim partners in Europe" during a key meeting earlier this month.

Two die after light aircraft collide

Two people died when their light aircraft crashed in central England on Sunday after a mid-air collision with another small plane, crash investigators and police said.

Egyptian police arrest 7 after Christian shops burned

Police arrested at least seven Egyptian Muslims after a riot in the southern city of Isna on Sunday that left at least 13 Christian-owned shops smashed up or burned and a church front damaged, security sources said.

Italian Catholic priest stabbed in Turkey

An Italian Roman Catholic priest was stabbed on Sunday at his church in the city of Izmir in western Turkey, police said, in an incident that recalled the fatal shooting of another Italian priest in Turkey in 2006.

Madeleine's siblings want her home for Christmas

Madeleine McCann's younger siblings hope Santa Claus will bring their missing sister home for Christmas, their parents said in an interview on Sunday.

London plot suspect escapes in Pakistan

A Pakistani-British man suspected of involvement in an al Qaeda plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners over the Atlantic has escaped from custody in the Pakistani capital, a senior official said on Sunday.

Kobia to invite churches to be 'leaders in peace'

Can churches be peacemakers in a world racked by violence? This is the question to be addressed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC on Sunday.

Connect with those struggling for food and freedom, European Christians urged

European Christians have been challenged by a Reformed church speaker from the South to connect spiritually with other cultures while assessing their own history and plotting the future of the continent.

Film-maker Zeffirelli vows to help Pope with image

Italian film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli is offering his services to Pope Benedict as an image consultant, saying the German pontiff comes across as cold and needs to review his wardrobe.

Clarke yearns for E.T. and peace at age 90

Turning 90 on Sunday, science fiction writer and visionary Sir Arthur C. Clarke has three birthday wishes: For E.T. to call, for man to kick his oil habit and for peace in his adoptive Sri Lanka.

World Evangelical Alliance welcomes Christian Council of Korea

The WEA (World Evangelical Alliance) welcomed the CCK (Christian Council of Korea) as one of its national alliances on December 12, creating an official partnership between the two bodies.

Iraq gang arrested - specialists in kidnapping Christian doctors

Last Thursday, Iraqi police in Kirkuk captured the last members of a gang of four brothers that specialise in kidnapping Christian doctors. The men were arrested in a number of raids between 11 and 13 December.

Climate 'road map missing vital signpost', says Tearfund

"A road map missing a vital signpost" was how Tearfund described the global deal on climate change struck at the UN conference in Bali on Saturday.