Ground forces from Israel have entered the Gaza Strip in four different places, a week after its bombing offensive began and in spite of statements that a territorial incursion was not intended.

Dr Rowan Williams has found himself at the centre of a row, following remarks to a Muslim magazine, after a Sunday newspaper construed it as an all-out attack on the US and neocon hard-liner John Bolton attacked him on the BBC.

Many thousands of Christians -Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox, Anglicans, peace churches, Black majority congregations and Roman Catholics - are preparing to pray, process and protest throughout the United States on 16 March 2007, to mark the fourth anniversary of the war and occupation of Iraq.

The general secretary of the Church of the Brethren general board, Stanley J. Noffsinger, is among the first US Anabaptist leaders to respond to President Bush's recent speech about the Iraq conflict ‚Ä' with a call to make peace rather than war.

Christians around the US will join others tonight at hundreds of meetings to protest against the announcement by President Bush last night to send 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq.