Book-lovers in Edinburgh have been contemplating everything from Aesop's Fables to Judge Dredd - and they have raised volumes for Christian Aid's anti-poverty struggle, as well as adding volumes to their shelves.

Kenyan religious leaders are backing demands by civil society groups that those standing in parliamentary elections scheduled for 2007 should commit themselves to salary reductions, accountability and transparency.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil's has said that his country will bypass the commercial patent on a crucial anti-AIDS drug manufactured by Merck, the US pharmaceutical giant, in order to ensure that those who desperately need treatment can get a cheaper, generic Indian-made version.

The small Chinese city of Macau has become the new East Asian Las Vegas, say church leaders and labour activists, claiming that gambling and corruption are leading to social ruin.