After the cancellation of a February 2007 inter-faith meeting becuase of a row about a 2006 church document, Protestnats and Muslims in Germany have renewed their public dialogue again - though tensions remain.

There has been a mixed response to Prime Minister Tony Blair’s call for educationists and the media to recognise the ‘true face’ of Islam, and for Muslims themselves to speak out against extremism.

David Ford says that slavery is still very much alive, and that the systems and ideas that underpin it also challenge the church's deep collusion with racism - and its unwillingness to be grasped by the Gospel.

The presidential election victory this week of neo-Gaullist Nicolas Sarkozy over his remaining rival, Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, has been met with riots and disturbances in many parts of France.