Malaysian Christians have expressed fresh worries that the government may be infringing the basics of religious freedom, after the country's deputy prime minister described Malaysia as "an Islamic state"

More people in the world are living in cities than ever before, and this is leading to renewed interest in religion, confounding those who predicted a growth of secularisation, says a new United Nations report.

The determination of some religious and anti-religious people to blame each other for the world's evils is part of a damaging drift to fanaticism, argues Simon Barrow. What we all need is self-critique and hopefulness.

Gordon Brown is focussing his bid to become PM on a restoration of faith in people, politics, integrity and the values of justice. He once again mentioned his Church of Scotland upbringing as a character forming inheritance.