Buddhist monks who led anti-government demonstrations in Burma have been selected as the top religion newsmakers of the year 2007, in a poll of secular journalists who write about religion for media in the United States.

Christians from many denominations joined protest rallies in more than 50 cities around the world this weekend, calling on world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali to effectively tackle the threat of global warming.

A Catholic university in the US will honour the Buddhist monks of Burma (Myanmar) for their courage and nonviolent demonstrations against the tyrannical Burmese military earlier this year, by awarding them with an honorary doctorate.

Following the controversial state visit of King Abdullah, peace campaigners are going to the Royal Courts of Justice at the end of the week to challenge an official decision to end an investigation into Saudi arms links.

Thousands of people, including community group and trade unionists, took part in a demonstration in central London on Saturday, celebrating the National Health Service and demanding that all political parties uphold its principles of care.

Police arrested four people during the Stop the War Campaign march calling from the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, - after the protest was given the go-ahead by the authorities following outrage at its original banning under an archaic law.

Protesters calling for the withdrawal of British and Western troops from Iraq say they will attempt to defy a ban by police and the UK government which is set to prevent them from entering Parliament Square today, under obscure legislation from 1839.

Though the main media attention went to his apparent decision not to call an immediate general election, Prime Minister Gordon Brown today vowed to maintain "pressure for change" in Burma, ahead of demonstrations against suppressed protests in the country.