News
EU to Propose Immigration Steps to Plug Labour Gap
The European Union executive plans to encourage legal migration into Europe to plug labour shortages caused by a declining, ageing population, EU officials said on Thursday.
U.N.'s Sudan Envoy Says Will Work to Build Trust
A senior United Nations official appointed to oversee implementation of Sudan's troubled north-south peace deal said on Thursday his first priority would be to earn the trust of both sides.
Ethiopia Sees 10 pct Economy Growth in Coming yrs
An export boom is likely to drive 10 percent annual economic growth in Ethiopia for the next few years, the finance minister said on Thursday, but added that the target was a minimum to tackle poverty.
Ozone Cuts Could Beat Kyoto in Aiding Climate - UNEP
Curbs on chemicals that damage the ozone layer could have a side-effect of reducing far more greenhouse gases than the main U.N. plan for confronting climate change, the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Thursday.
Aid Groups Rush to Assess After Indonesia Quake
Aid agencies have pledged cash and rushed teams to assess damage and help the injured after a major earthquake and a series of powerful aftershocks shook Indonesia's Sumatra island.
Somali Govt Dismisses Opposition 'Terrorist' Alliance
Somalia's government on Thursday said a new opposition movement vowing war on Ethiopian troops in the Horn of Africa nation was a "terrorist alliance" posing no real threat.
Web Sites Let Anybody be Banker to World's Poor
Fueled by last year's Nobel Prize for a man nicknamed "banker to the poor," microlending to small businesses in the world's poorest countries is booming as individuals discover they can be their own mini World Bank.
Amnesty Accuses Sudan of Torturing Eight Prisoners
Eight Sudanese men accused of an attempted coup have been tortured in detention in Kobar prison in the capital Khartoum, the human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement received on Thursday.
U.N. Experts Call on Myanmar to Release Protesters
Three U.N. human rights experts called on Myanmar on Thursday to release more than 150 protesters detained after demonstrating against fuel price increases.
Egypt to Close Rights Group Aiding Torture Victims
Egypt has told a rights group that aids torture victims it will be shut down for financial misdeeds, the group said on Thursday, in what activists called a government effort to quash criticism.
Hillsong United Conference to Hit America
More than 5,000 pastors, youth leaders, worship leaders, musicians and students around the world will gather for the Hillsong United Conference in Orlando, Florida this autumn.
Jaci Velasquez Featured on Best-Selling Author's Companion CD
Dove Award winning artist Jaci Velasquez is featured with a brand new recording titled "Loved By You" on Max Lucado 3:16 - Songs of Hope CD that released in the US this week.
Test to Show if UK Foot and Mouth Strains the Same
British farmers expect to learn later on Thursday whether an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southern England is the same strain as one which infected nearby cattle herds in July and August.
Somali Govt Says Militant Opposition Movement 'No Threat'
Somalia's government on Thursday dismissed a new opposition movement vowing war on Ethiopian troops in the Horn of Africa nation as a "terrorist alliance" posing no real threat.
Romania Appoints New Orthodox Patriarch
Romania elected on Wednesday Metropolitan Daniel as the new Patriarch of its Orthodox Church, the national clerics council said.
Canada Witnesses Surge in Same-Sex Unions
Canada's latest "family portrait" is for the first time revealing a census count of same-sex "married" couples.