United Sikhs, a UN affiliated international advocacy NGO, joined other civil rights organizations over the weekend in asking Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to discuss the Sikh turban issue in France with President Sarkozy.

Sikhs from across the world will be joining in support of a peace march in New Delhi, India, today to protest against a French secularity law that bans the wearing of sacred turbans in schools and other work places throughout the country.

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.

Leaders of Britain's Hindu community are expressing disbelief and outrage at claims by two English church ministers that yoga should be banned after saying that the meditative exercise is a sham and not compatible with Christianity.

A group of Christian churches have failed to persuade the Tobago House of Assembly to join the call for a boycott of Elton John's appearance at the Plymouth Jazz Festival in late April.

New government guidelines will prohibit te wearing of full-face veils in schools where they restrict teaching and social interaction. But they back consideration for religious dress sensibilities.

Last year Sir Elton John said religion was bigoted and should be banned. Now anti-gay residents of Tobago want him banned from attending a music festival. The contest looks to be a non-event.

The New Year has started more-or-less where 2006 left off, with a new row about religious symbolism and artefacts in relation to the policy of a major airline.