As Britain gets into gear for the new year after an extended holiday season which often includes an excess of food and drink, a church known for its temperance stance has called on the government to rethink alcohol licensing laws.

Churches and society at large need to offer reparation to descendants of those enslaved, tortured and murdered by the transatlantic slave trade, says an international conference sponsored by three major ecumenical organizations.

A new scheme to deal with first time young offenders who have committed a minor offence will be piloted early next year. The scheme aims to stop them going to court unnecessarily, while at the same time ensuring that they make amends for their offence via an apology to the victim.

The Church of England and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England have expressed concerns about a government amendment to the Public Order Act 1986 creating a new offence of incitement to hatred on grounds of sexual orientation.