Irish Catholicism is visibly dying ... its decline is, in my opinion, irreversible, says Fergus Finlay.

Sudan said the release of a Sudanese mother, whose death sentence for refusing to recant her Christian faith sparked global criticism, depends on the outcome of her legal appeal.

Sudan’s president accused Britain, the US and Europe of interfering over crisis-torn Darfur, saying they were interested only in his country’s “riches and resources”.

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir today said his government was ready for a cease-fire with rebel forces at the start of peace talks scheduled for next month in Libya over the conflict in Darfur.

The CIA reportedly secretly trained about 60 Pakistani intelligence officers to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in 1999.