Hopes dashed: the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has revoked an Oscar nomination in the best original song category for the title song for the film Alone Yet Not Alone, after Bruce Broughton, the songwriter, who is an Academy executive committee member, violated Oscar rules and emailed voters about submitting the song for consideration. The song is performed by Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic evangelist

www.aloneyetnotalone.com

Scores dead after attacks in Nigeria

THE Roman Catholic Bishop of Yola, Nigeria, the Rt Revd Mamza Dami Stephen, has told the BBC how 30 people were "slaughtered" by suspected Islamist militants in a church in Adamawa state on Sunday. Bishop Stephen described how the attackers locked the church and "cut people's throats". On the same day, an attack on the village of Kawuri village, also in north-east Nigeria, left 52 people dead. Both attacks were blamed on Boko Haram.

Dr Anis condemns bombings

CHURCHES in Egypt have condemned a recent spate of bombings but require the international community to take "practical actions" to help defeat terrorism, the President-Bishop in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Most Revd Mouneer Anis, said on Saturday. Clashes during protests on the third anniversary of the revolution in Egypt last weekend have left 49 dead. A series of bombings killed several people on Friday. Dr Anis suggested that the Muslim Brotherhood had supported terrorist groups.