News
Lutheran Gay Clergy Debate Prolonged
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America delayed further talks on whether to ordain non-celibate homosexual clergy after two days of emotional debate.
Pressure Mounts on Kenya Government over Media Bill
Kenyan opposition leaders sought an injunction on Friday to block a press bill which contains a clause requiring reporters to reveal sources and has created a furore in a nation with one of Africa's strongest media.
Three Plead Not Guilty to 7/7 Bombing Conspiracy
Three men appeared in court on Friday to deny charges of conspiring with the four July 7 suicide bombers who carried out attacks on London's transport system in 2005.
Brown says Foot & Mouth Restricted to Limited Area
Prime Minister Gordon Brown reassured farmers on Friday that an outbreak of foot and mouth was restricted to a limited area of Britain and promised swift compensation for those hit by the livestock disease.
World Bank Chief: Stealing Aid Money is Unacceptable
World Bank President Robert Zoellick on Thursday spoke out against corruption in poor countries that receive the bank's loans, echoing the anti-graft stance of his controversial predecessor, Paul Wolfowitz.
UN REPORT - Extreme Floods Hit 500 Million People a Year
Homes and farmland drowned in increasingly severe floods are affecting some 500 million people a year and straining relief efforts, a senior U.N. official said on Thursday.
Vietnam Flood Toll Hits 65, More Landslides Feared
At least 65 people have been killed by floods in central Vietnam over the past week and landslides and flash floods could strike the mountainous north this weekend, officials said on Friday.
East Timor Violence Drives Hundreds from Homes
About 1,000 East Timorese have fled their homes because of ethnic and political violence triggered by the controversial appointment of a new government this week, police said on Friday.
Sri Lanka Criticises UN Aid Chief Over Safety Fears
Sri Lanka's government on Friday rejected concerns voiced by the United Nations' top aid official about humanitarian worker safety on the island after a rash of killings, and a state newspaper called him a liar.
UN Grants Mozambique $496 Million in AIDS Fight
The United Nations will grant Mozambique $496 million in aid over the next two years to boost the country's efforts to develop its economy, improve governance and fight against AIDS, an official said on Friday.
Diarrhoea Patients Fill Wards after South Asia Floods
About 700 diarrhoea patients a day are checking into an already overcrowded hospital in Dhaka as filthy flood waters spread disease across Bangladesh, health officials said on Friday.
Nearly 80 per cent of India Lives on Half Dollar a Day
Seventy-seven percent of Indians -- about 836 million people -- live on less than half a dollar a day in one of the world's hottest economies, a government report said.
Cash Needed to Save South Sudan Peace Deal
Donors have been too slow in delivering funds to develop south Sudan after a landmark peace deal and need to adopt a unified approach to deal with multiple conflicts in Africa's largest country, observers say.
Haiti Children Saved from 'Rogue' Adoption Centre
Forty-seven children in Haiti have been reunited with their parents after being kept in inhumane conditions at an adoption centre for up to two years, an international aid agency said on Friday.
Saudi Arabia Block Freedom of Expression in Internet Forum, says Activist
A Saudi political reform activist said on Thursday the authorities had blocked his Internet forum as part of a wider crackdown on freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia.
France Buries Jewish-Catholic Cardinal Convert
France bade farewell to Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger on Friday in a ceremony that mixed prayers from his Jewish roots with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, a faith to which he converted during World War Two.