Bishop of Worcester appointed Lord High Almoner

THE Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, has been appointed Lord High Almoner by the Queen. The office had been held by the Bishop of Manchester until his retirement in January, and dates from the 12th century. Its chief responsibility is the oversight of the liturgical arrangements for the Royal Maundy service.

Sri Lanka clergy plea to United Nations

THE UN Human Rights Council must take "strong" action to investigate alleged abuses in Sri Lanka, clerics in the country said on Tuesday. In a letter to the Council, 133 of the clergy warn that their government has shown a "total lack of political will" to investigate allegations, and that its critics, including clerics, have been assaulted, arrested, and intimidated by government ministers, military, and the police.

Dr Morgan criticises UN representative in Iraq

THE Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has accused the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, Martin Kobler, of playing a "destructive role" in the fate of the residents of Camp Liberty. The camp, which is home to 3000 Iranian exiles, was attacked on 9 February (News, 15 February), leaving six people dead. In a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Dr Morgan said that Mr Kobler had been warned that the camp was vulnerable, and had refused to visit since the attack. He called on the British Government to assign "a new neutral representative". Mr Kobler has asked that the Iraqi authorities "promptly conduct an investigation into the mortar explosions", the UN News Service said.