News

Burundi rebels to rejoin truce team - South Africa

Burundi rebels will rejoin a truce monitoring team they quit in July, South African facilitator Charles Nqakula said on Monday, boosting efforts to bring a lasting end to a decade of conflict.

Turkish prosecutor seeks life in bible killings case

A Turkish prosecutor is seeking extended life sentences for five men suspected of slitting the throats of three workers at a Christian publishing house, private broadcaster NTV reported on Monday.

Lebanon detains group for trying to bomb UN troops

The Lebanese army said on Monday it had detained members of a "terrorist network" who had tried to bomb U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon.

New Anglican row emerges with gay blessing request

The Ottawa branch of the Anglican Church of Canada has thrown a challenge to the worldwide Anglican movement by asking the Ottawa bishop to authorize the blessing of homosexual marriages.

Church asked to cover Korean hostage rescue costs

Seoul has asked the South Korean church that sent 23 volunteers to Afghanistan to pay $65,000 for the rescue of their church members after they were kidnapped by the Taliban earlier this summer.

Thousands of bloggers unite in blitz of green tips

Thousands of bloggers including a European Commissioner traded tips on Monday about how to confront climate change and other environmental problems in an Internet blitz.

EU gives green light to Chad mission

The European Union gave the green light on Monday for a force of up to 3,000 troops in eastern Chad and Central African Republic to protect civilians from violence spilling over from neighbouring Darfur.

Splintered Darfur rebels search for common ground

Representatives of seven Darfur rebel groups net in south Sudan on Monday to try to reach a common negotiating position ahead of peace talks with the government.

Stop the arrests, U.N envoy tells Burma junta

U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari told Burma on Monday to stop arresting dissidents and Thailand proposed a regional forum including China and India to nudge the reclusive military junta towards democratic reform.

Call for Muslim-Christian unity 'encouraging' - Vatican interfaith head

A top Vatican official in charge of relations with Islam said a recent letter from Muslim scholars to Pope Benedict XVI and other global Christian leaders is "very interesting" and "very encouraging."

Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Atheism and Dawkins' 'God Delusion'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has attacked atheism and the author of the best-selling book The God Delusion.

Ethnic clashes kill 20 in tense eastern Chad

Twenty people were killed in ethnic clashes in east Chad after the desertion of former rebels loyal to the defence minister stoked tensions in the region bordering Sudan's Darfur, government sources said on Monday.

EU ministers upbeat on treaty deal

European Union foreign ministers voiced confidence on Monday that a summit this week will clinch a deal on a long-awaited treaty to reform EU institutions despite remaining snags involving Poland and Italy.

Canada not listening to leading environmentalist

David Suzuki, Canada's best-known environmentalist, has spent a generation encouraging Canadians to look after the environment, but it seems they have not been listening.

Torrential rains, floods kill 20 in Central America

Emergency officials across Central America worked to clean up towns inundated by recent deadly floods and landslides, and braced for more bad weather on Sunday.

Montenegro takes first step towards European Union

Montenegro signed a key accord with the European Union on Monday that put the small Adriatic republic on the first rung of the ladder to eventual membership of the 27-nation bloc.