Venables returns to South American Primacy
THE Bishop of Argentina, the Most Revd Greg Venables, has been elected as the Primate (Presiding Bishop) of the Anglican Church of South America (formerly the Southern Cone). He succeeds the Bishop of Chile, the Rt Revd Tito Muñoz, who has completed his second three-year term, the maximum permitted under the province’s canons. Bishop Venables was Presiding Bishop from 2001 to 2010. He was the House of Bishops’ unanimous choice, and took office last week. Born in Britain, he has been in South America since arriving with the South American Missionary Society in 1978.

Californian electorate votes to keep death penalty
VOTERS in California have voted against a measure to repeal the state’s death penalty. The measure, which was supported by Episcopalian bishops (News, 21 October), was supported by 46.1 per cent of voters. California has not executed a prisoner since 2006. There are currently 750 on death row.

Christians arrested at Iranian wedding are released
THE release of three Azerbaijani Christians detained in Iran in June has been welcomed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide. The men were arrested while attending a wedding in Tehran, and taken to Evin Prison, where they were kept in solitary confinement and charged with “conducting activities against national security”. They were allowed to return to Azerbaijan last week, after paying bail money. The chief executive of CSW, Mervyn Thomas, said that it was “unacceptable that visitors were arrested simply for attending a Christian wedding”.