News

Chinese couples queue for Olympic 'I do'

More than 1,000 Chinese couples queued for hours for marriage licenses to wed on August 8, the date of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, state media said on Saturday.

New doubts seen on N.Korean nuclear plan

The United States has obtained new intelligence that raises new questions about whether North Korea pursued an alternative route to producing a nuclear weapon, The Washington Post reported in Saturday editions.

'Grave concerns' over witness rule

Some of Britain's most dangerous criminals could be freed after a court ruled that defendants should know the identity of witnesses testifying against them, a senior policemen said on Saturday.

Energy plan for 'green revolution'

As many as a quarter of British homes could be fitted with solar heating systems and thousands of wind turbines erected across the country under government plans for a "green revolution" to be set out next week.

Railways consider biggest expansion in a century

Britain will consider building five new main rail lines in a strategic review that could lead to the biggest railway expansion in more than a century to try to cope with booming demand, Network Rail said on Saturday.

Smokers offered food money if they quit

Smokers in deprived parts of one of Scotland's biggest cities are being offered food vouchers worth 50 pounds a month if they give up smoking, the National Health Service said on Saturday.

World Vision Hong Kong rebuilds homes, schools, in China earthquake zone

World Vision Hong Kong building homes and schools more than one month after a huge earthquake flattened large parts of Sichuan Province in China.

US Presbyterians ready for debates, major changes

Delegates to the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country will open discussions on several contentious issues as they meet for their 218th General Assembly beginning Saturday.

Churches worried over rising water bills

Alarm is growing among hundreds of churches across England over huge increases in water bills.

Egypt moves more Eritreans slated for deportation

Egyptian police moved some 350 Eritrean migrants to Cairo from detention on the Red Sea coast on Friday in preparation to fly them home, police sources said.

Accusations of illegal worship and expulsions in Kyrgyzstan

Two foreign Protestants - Edward Sands from New Zealand and Alastair Morrice from Scotland - have been expelled from Kyrgyzstan in the past month at the insistence of the National Security Service (NSS) secret police.

Small churches flourish in global communion, says Lutheran leader

Small churches need to feel part of a worldwide communion in order to grow, says the President of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELU) in Argentina and Uruguay.

Church group pays tribute to anti-guns campaigner Pat Regan

The founders of Christian community charity Bringing Hope have paid tribute to Pat Regan, a mother who became a prominent anti-guns and knives campaigner after she lost her son in an underworld-style shooting in 2002.

Churches join 'National Conversation' on Scotland's future

Eleven church leaders and representatives were at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday to make their contribution to the "National Conversation" on Scotland's constitutional future.

TV psychiatrist Raj Persaud suspended

Psychiatrist and broadcaster Dr Raj Persaud was suspended for three months after being found unfit to practice for plagiarising other people's work, the medical watchdog said on Friday.

Muslim cleric loses extradition appeal

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri lost a court battle on Friday to block his extradition to the United States where he faces terrorism-related charges.