As the US Congress debates the meaning of provisions of the Geneva Convention, religious and human rights leaders are repeating their plea to eliminate torture as a tool of American policy.

The discovery of hundreds of US-made cluster bombs among the tens of thousands of unexploded munitions carpeting the south of Lebanon, has led to calls on Washington to impose a moratorium on sales of the weapons to Israel reports the Independent newspaper.

The Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations has called for a moratorium on submunitions, otherwise known as 'scatterable mines' or 'cluster bombs'.

While much US media attention is focused on Tropical Storm Ernesto (currently pounding the Caribbean) which could hit Florida and Cuba with force later this week, churches and development agencies are assessing the impact of a year of destruction, chaos and despair on the Gulf Coast.

Football is almost a secular faith with its own myths, rules and revered heroes, often competing with religion when games are played at the same time as church services, writes Sao Leopoldo for Ecumenical News International and ALC.

A senior church leader in Hindu-majority Nepal will serve on a committee to monitor a ceasefire hammered out with Maoist rebels, part of the Himalayan nation's progress to peace and full democracy ñ writes Anto Akkara for Ecumenical News International.

Club Deportivo in Colombia, a partner of the UK Christian aid agency Tearfund, is using football to help children likely to be caught up in violence to learn reconciliation skills.

While world attention focuses the soccer superstars taking part in the World Cup 2006 in Germany, religious leaders hope to use the month-long event to promote peace between the faiths, writes Frauke Brauns for Ecumenical News International.

Mennonite Central Committee, the North American inter-Mennonite aid and advocacy organisation, is supporting a community forestry association in Cambodia in a project to plant 250,000 trees in 2006, writes Tim Shenk.

U2 frontman Bono has launched a new project to help fight HIV/Aids in Africa - in the same week that he will edit a national newspaper.