The persecuted Christians with nowhere to run
Thailand is known for its hospitality, but the country criminalises asylum seekers, who risk arrest and detention for illegal immigration. Many of those rounded up are Christians, who have fled persecution in Pakistan. Chris Rogers reports from Bangkok I am posing as a charity volunteer delivering much-needed food and water to asylum seekers who have been detained in what human rights campaigners say are “filthy, overcrowded cells”. I have been undercover many times, secretly filming criminals at work or exposing human rights abuses. It’s dangerous, stressful work; little could prep
Rabbi will ‘rid web of hate’ with £1.1m prize
Lord Sacks, the former chief rabbi, has pledged to use a £1.1 million prize to counter the voices of hatred that dominate the internet and improve western society’s “dysfunctional” response to the technological revolution. It was announced yesterday that he had won the Templeton Prize, which is awarded to a person who has made “an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension”. Previous winners include the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Lord Rees of Ludlow, the astronomer royal. Since stepping down as chief rabbi in 2013 Lord Sacks has lectured and written a best-selling bo
Secret nod to Darwin on ceiling of St Paul’s
For more than a century, the three mosaic domes of St Paul’s Cathedral’s Quire ceiling have depicted the creation of the beasts, birds and fishes as God intended. Or so everyone thought. New technology has revealed what appears to be a sacrilegious secret in the design by William Blake Richmond: support for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Google has been mapping the cathedral using high-resolution cameras that have shown the Quire ceiling, 30m above ground level, in unprecedented detail. According to Simon Carter, the cathedral’s head of collections, the mosaic
Jews reject top universities over antisemitism
Jewish students will turn their backs on leading universities en masse as they react to growing campus antisemitism, it has been claimed. Jews disproportionately attend a small number of universities, which they have nicknamed “Jewnis”. The University of Manchester was once one of the most favoured but lost its place to Leeds, Birmingham and Nottingham after pro-Palestinian motions by its student union. These included twinning with An-Najah University in the West Bank. Bristol has rapidly grown in popularity among Jews. Cambridge and Oxford also have significant numbers, as do Universi
-
Faith
The Virgin Birth is no fairy tale
The conception of Jesus is about God taking the initiative to be with mankind
-
Faith
Prayer and grief
Death can leave scars and sometimes they throb. Is prayer any use at a time of grieving?
-
Faith
Why we need fair banking
Manic bankers need to discover their purpose in life
Articles of Faith
Read Ruth Gledhill’s blog for the latest on the issues of conscience and questions of leadership facing established churches
Find
-
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NonExecutiveDirectors.com, Nationwide, Competitive
-
Ever thought of working in France, Spain or Portugal?
Blevins Franks, Nationwide, Competitive
-
Committee Chair – Qualifications, Examinations & Assessments Committee
The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), London, Voluntary
-
Regional Finance Director
Johnson Matthey, Cambridge, Competitive
-
Tom Hartley
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster Grigio Estoque with nero marrone leather
-
Tom Hartley
1965 Ferrari I 250 TR recreation red with leather
-
Tom Hartley
Bentley Continental GT V8 glacier white with beluga hide
-
Tom Hartley
Aston Martin Vanquish 2+2 volcano red with winter wheat leather
-
THE ARK, BOURTON
An exciting opportunity to create a unique and modern five bedroom house with traditional features set in 5.83 acres in a beautiful location in Shropshire
-
The Chatsworth, New York
Magnificent 1-5 Bedroom Residences on Manhattan’s Upper West Side
-
Salcombe’s Luxury Waterside Property
Salcombe’s first development of new properties right on the water’s edge for almost twenty years.
-
50 United Nations Plaza
Discover the ultimate global address in New York, designed by Foster + Partners
-
Incredible USA National Park Tour
8 day all inclusive tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks from £2290pp
-
Escape to Kenya from £3,979pp
Get off the beaten track with this six night holiday to Samburu & Laikipia with Turquoise
-
FREE All Inclusive room upgrade!
When staying at the 4* db San Antonio Hotel & spa, Malta this summer
-
Final Availability Half Term Skiing
4* ski apartments from £384pp in La Rosiere. Ski from the door-step
Sponsored Editorial
Scrum Together
Win four premium tickets to England v Wales
A chance to take your friends and family to Twickenham for the key RBS 6 Nations clash
Visit the USA
Here’s how you let the good times roll
Louisiana is the proud birthplace of jazz, but it’s not resting on its laurels
Africa Travel
Safaris, cities and luxurious beach getaways
There is no time like the present to make South Africa your holiday destination of choice
Insight
New year - new view
As thoughts turn to fresh starts and healthier living, put some focus on your eyes in 2016
The future of engineering
Take the fear factor out of innovation
How cultural resistance to change must be overcome if companies want to move ahead
Cyber Security
Don’t kiss goodbye to online safety
How to educate employees about protecting their data from hackers
City Business
Getting started
Thinking of setting up a business abroad? Don’t go anywhere without consulting this guide
Goldman Sachs
Understanding capital markets
Speed of European monetary union has left capital markets in the slow lane
Church ‘covered up scale of bishop’s abuse’
A priest held secret talks with police in an attempt to cover up the scale of sex offending by a bishop who was a friend of the royal family
Girls raped by trainee priest accuse church
The prolific sex offender was removed from his ordination training after complaints in 2009 but managed to return to the church within a year
Pope ready to lift condom ban to fight zika
Speaking on board the papal plane on his return from visiting Mexico, Francis ruled out abortion as a way to fight the virus
Church ‘abandons council estates’
The Church of England spends £23.88 per head in rural areas but only £5.07 on council estates, according to the Bishop of Burnley
Christians ‘must give blood and organs’
All Christians should donate their blood and organs as well as giving up time and money to help others, according to a bishop
Muslim scholars confront Isis in battle over ideas
The Marrakesh declaration calls for a less aggressive theology that can live comfortably with the modern world, writes Michael Binyon
Catholics celebrate in Henry’s old home
An historic Roman Catholic service in Latin was held in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace last night
Pope and Patriach try to heal 1,000-year schism
Pope Francis is to meed his Russian orthodox counterpart in an encounter that will be the first of its kind since the two churches split in 1054
Mindfulness takes lead over Buddhism in quest for nirvana
Even the Dalai Lama is advocating a secular version of his religion to help millions more people to flourish, writes Stephen Batchelor
Pope ‘reneging on vow to punish paedophiles’
A British campaigner hand-picked by the Pope to serve on a Vatican sex abuse commission has accused him of abandoning his commitment
Gucci to adorn Westminster Abbey
Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director, announces plans to hold a fashion show in the’magical’ setting of Westminster Abbey on June 2
The Afghan Romeo and Juliet
Zakia is Tajik and a Sunni; Ali is Hazara and Shia. They have been in the run for two years after her family vowed to kill them. Rod Nordland on a doomed romance that has made headlines around the world
British cathedrals make elbow room for Thomas Becket relic
A fragment of the 12th-century English saint, who is venerated all over Europe, will soon be returning from Hungary, writes Michael Binyon
Vicars grow beards to reach out to Muslims
Church of England vicars in areas with a large Muslim population should be applauded for growing beards to connect with the local community, the Bishop of London said
Exams ‘must not move for Ramadan’
A level and GCSE exams should not be rearranged to accommodate Muslim pupils fasting for Ramadan, the chief schools inspector said
Anglican hardliners punish liberal US church
The Archbishop of Canterbury has moved to prevent a full schism of the Anglican church by partially suspending its American arm
