UK chancellor Gordon Brown and other finance ministers at the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations meeting which opened tyesterday in Essen, Germany, must fulfill their two-year-old promise to stop international financial institutions imposing damaging economic policies on developing countries, according to Christian Aid and other church-related development NGOs.

UK-based international development and advocacy agency Christian Aid is backing British international development secretary Hilary Benn's criticism of the new Chinese loans policy to Africa.

"It is together that we find our place in the world," the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary has told WCC member churches and ecumenical partners in a message about priorities for the years ahead - which stresses the need for Christians both to work with those of other religions and life-stances, and to develop their own distinctive Gospel-based values and perspectives.

A North American peace church aid and development organization which opposed the US war with Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, and has continued to build positive relations ever since, is providing 30,000 US dollars worth of help to communities affected by Typhoon Xangsane in the central region of the country.

The British-based international development agency Christian Aid has called on UK international development secretary Hilary Benn to continue to use his influence to lever more reform at the World Bank.