A new report by the House of Bishops has said that the Church of England should adopt a ‘fresh tone and culture of welcome and support’ for gay people, but that there was little support for changing the Church's teaching that marriage was between one man and one woman. The report said the Church needed to repent of homophobic attitudes. It also said all potential clergy - straight and gay - will be asked about their sexual conduct and lifestyle., The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Jones, felt that present arrangements for asking ordinands and clergy about their relationships and lifestyle are not really working very well. He said, ‘All clergy are asked at their ordination whether they will fashion their lives after the way of Christ. We believe we should revisit how this is explored beforehand, so the same questions are addressed to everyone without distinction.’ But Andrew Foreshaw-Cain, a parish priest in north London who is in a same-sex marriage, told the BBC that the report was ‘a failure of leadership’. He added: ‘The LGBT community is going to be extremely hurt by this. We were asked to trust our leaders. Many of us made ourselves vulnerable during the shared conversations, and none of that has been heard. The bishops have gone ahead and talked as if we didn't take part in it and as if we are not there.’

Romania's new leadership is facing growing pressure after some 200,000 people took to the streets on Wednesday, over a government decree to free dozens of officials jailed for corruption. The president said he would challenge it in court, while the business minister has resigned over the measure. The justice minister, who introduced the decree, has temporarily stood down. The protest march in Bucharest ended in clashes between alleged football hooligans and the police, leaving eight wounded. The leftist government, led by prime minister Sorin Grindeanu, returned to power last month after protests forced the previous leaders from power in October 2015. The emergency decree, which comes into effect in ten days, decriminalises several offences and makes abuse of power punishable by incarceration only if the sums involved are more than €44,000 (£38,000). The new government says the decree is needed to ease overcrowding in prisons, but Mr Grindeanu's critics say he is trying to release allies convicted of corruption.

As the French presidential race heats up, WikiLeaks archives contain potentially sensitive files on the three main contenders - the republican Francois Fillon, the right-wing hardliner Marine Le Pen, and the liberal Emmanuel Macron. Most of the files cover the years between the mid-2000s and 2011 or 2012. 3,630 documents relate to centre-right presidential hopeful Fillon, whose popularity ratings have dropped recently amid the ongoing scandal over an allegation that his wife Penelope unfairly received over €900,000 (£775,000) as his ‘parliamentary assistant’. Fillon, who fiercely denies claims of wrongdoing, stated that he would quit the race if placed under formal investigation. Meanwhile Marine Le Pen, who appeals strongly to disenfranchised voters and those who feel threatened by a multicultural society, has been accused of wrongfully employing her chief of staff and her bodyguard as her assistants at the European Parliament. They might have been paid up to €350,000 (£300,000) from the parliament's funds. Fillon and Le Pen are currently almost neck and neck in the race, with Macron not far behind, according to the latest surveys.

The Samoan government wants to change the constitution to define Samoa officially as a Christian nation. The constitution already references Christianity in the cover and preamble, but not in the main text. Prime minister Malielegaoi said, ‘Instead of "Samoa is founded on God", the constitution will state that “Samoa is a Christian nation founded on God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”’ The Samoan parliament has shown widespread support for these amendments. Many are wondering why this tiny nation suddenly wants to make such a bold statement. The prime minister says it is a way to fend off religious wars that have stormed other countries, primarily in the Middle East and Africa. He wants to clarify that this is a Christian country and that faith will be integral to the country’s law. Other faiths and religions will not be undermined, said a member of the governing party.