A High Court judge has blocked an attempt to launch a legal challenge over the government's use of taxpayers' money in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) investments that harm the environment and undermine human rights.

Politicians of all parties are coming under pressure to reduce the Civil List in the light of the recession. The Civil List, which consists of public money awarded to the royal family each year, currently stands at around £7.9million.

A new report from Christian Aid argues that policy makers must address the de-regulation, liberalisation and privatisation that poor countries have had to endure for the last few decades.

Church Action on Poverty has announced a series of regional events to help churches and other faith groups respond to the economic crisis and support those worst hit by it.

Christian campaigners have echoed this week's calls by trades unions to ensure that economic policies in the wake of the recession do not cause further harm to the most vulnerable people.

Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of British men and women want to see poverty ended in their life time, says a poll commissioned by international development agency Christian Aid.

Religion, the church and the global recession is the focus of an international conference featuring economists, theologians and philosophers at the University of Nottingham.