Following a European Court of Human Rights decision, Justice Secretary Jack Straw has reversed a decade-long policy that required new judges to declare whether they were Freemasons upon being appointed. Current statistics show that 5.4% of judges and 6.4% of magistrates are recognised as brethren.

It's nothing new to see a well placed publicity stunt coincide with the release of a new book or film, and this latest piece of Masonic news seems to be no different. The Irvine Herald has revealed that an archaeological dig is being organised at Kilwinning Abbey to search for the 'Holy Grail'.

14 Freemasons who were attending a meeting of Lodge of Lautoka on the island of Denerau, Fiji, were arrested on suspicion of practicing sorcery on Tuesday. The group of brethren, which included a number of New Zealand and Australian nationals, were interrupted during their regular lodge meeting and taken away in police vans to spend a night in a local jail.

Freemasonry holds its itself as a universal brotherhood of tolerance and enlightened ideology. Unfortunately, there are times when we must question the actions of brethren whom we feel are not living up to these high ideals. The recent allegations of racial bigotry under the hands of the Grand Lodge of Georgia is one such example of when we must come together to show that although Freemasonry does not have a central authority, we can collectively fight against such transgressions of morality and ethics.

The authenticity of a Masonic apron being displayed as that which belonged to Robert Burns has been brought into question by the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

The Burns House Museum, which is currently touring the apron as part of its exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the famous poet's birth, has claimed that the apron was originally gifted to him by a close friend and fellow Mason - Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe.

The Cagayan de Oro City Council declared April 19 - 24, 2009 as "Masonic Week" in recognition of the 93rd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines which was held there over the past few days.

Brethren from Oklahoma have recently donated US$1 million dollars to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation so that they can set up a lab for Alzheimer's research.

Robert John Chandler, accountant and treasurer from the Colne Masonic Lodge in Essex, has recently been given a two-years suspended sentence and ordered to do community work after pleading guilty to stealing approximately £15,000 from his lodge's accounts.