The Bible Society surveyed nearly 20,000 people in what is thought to be the largest review of faith, values and attitudes to the Bible in England and Wales.

Chief executive of the charity, Paul Williams told Premier the organisation conducted the research to get a better understanding of the spiritual views of the UK population and learn how to be “a mission partner to the British church.”

The Faith in England and Wales report also found 61 per cent of those surveyed think it is good for children to know Bible stories while over half of adults believe the Bible shapes our culture.

Williams said these findings should encourage believers to evangelise: “We have an opportunity to show people how this book, which they know is significant for our culture, and they know is something that they would like their children to know about, is actually deeply, personally relevant to them. And that’s what we’ve got to learn how to communicate.”

He went on to say that a key finding from the research was that 25 per cent of the population claimed to be spiritually open to faith and learning more about the Bible.

In response to the data, the Christian charity has launched a new online resource to help church leaders find out more about their community.

The website called Lumino provides insights about a local population’s churchgoing frequency, religious affiliation and interests in the Bible.

It identifies eight spiritual…

Commissioned by the Trussell Trust and conducted by Heriot-Watt University, State of Hunger 2019 researches hunger in the UK. It reveals the average weekly income of people at food banks is only £50 after paying rent and almost one in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food.

The research also found 94 per cent of people at food banks are destitute and almost three-quarters of people at food banks live in households affected by ill health or disability. 22 per cent of people at food banks are single parents – compared to 5 per cent in the UK population. More than three-quarters of people referred to food banks were in arrears.

This first annual report of a three-year research project shows the main drivers for people finding themselves in poverty and facing hunger; the benefits system, ill health and challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.

The most common source of income for people at food banks is the benefits system. Problems with benefits are widespread, affecting two-thirds of people at food banks in the last year.

Abby Jitendra, policy and research manager from the Trussell Trust told Premier what they are calling on the government to do: “We are calling on the government, primarily to make a change and we’re asking for Universal Credit, which is the government’s flagship welfare reform…

On Tuesday, the Government announced a consultation on plans with those in Northern Ireland with a particular interest in the area invited to submit thoughts before 16th December.

It comes after a final attempt by Northern Ireland politicians failed to block the changes which have been imposed by Westminster while the Northern Ireland Assembly is suspended over a power sharing dispute.

Announcing the consultation, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith said: “In considering these proposals, I remain acutely aware that the provision of abortion services are devolved to Northern Ireland, including health and social services. I am also deeply sympathetic to the fact that this is a highly sensitive and complex matter, with differing and strongly held views across society.

“I have made the case to party leaders in Northern Ireland that the best way of dealing with this issue would be to form an Executive that could take forward these commitments in the best interests in Northern Ireland – unfortunately, this has not been possible to achieve.

“With a legal duty now placed on the Government to change the abortion law in Northern Ireland, this consultation focuses on what new regulatory framework must be put in place for lawful access to abortion services in Northern Ireland. In doing so, the health and safety of women and girls, and clarity and certainty…

The Oloron-Sainte-Marie Cathedral near the town of Pau in the Pyrénees-Atlantique départment was targeted by masked thieves in the early hours of Monday morning.

The cathedral is part of France’s Unesco World Heritage site which groups together the historic sites on the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

The thieves reportedly strapped a tree trunk to a Peugeot 306 to smash down the old wooden door.

They then broke into a part of the cathedral where several items of value were stored, before fleeing in another vehicle.

Local residents who witnessed the break-in called the police but the thieves were still at large on Monday.

#Faitsdivers Oloron-Sainte-Marie : le trésor de la cathédrale dérobé lors d’un casse nocturne.https://t.co/oD3XvPEdlx pic.twitter.com/kLG7j3G73P

— La Rép des Pyrénées (@LaRepDpyrenees) November 4, 2019

The mayor of the small town said the value of the stolen items was “considerable”.

“Apart from the financial consequences they have robbed a part of the local heritage from the residents of Sainte-Marie,” said Hervé Lucbéreilh.

“We never thought that people would steal the valuables in this way,” he added.

Last spring the church in France began an inventory of small thefts and vandalism. The interior ministry recorded 1,063 “anti-Christian acts” in France last year, mainly vandalism to church premises.

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It is urging politicians to prioritise the needs of the poor in their election campaigns and lead the way in tackling climate change and economic injustice in a bid to re-address the balance of wealth and improve the lives of the world’s poorest, citing “inequities in power” and “oppression and exploitation” as key contributing factors.

The manifesto demands for greater measures and investment to reduce the impacts of the climate crisis on poor communities by ensuring the UK takes responsibility for reducing its carbon emissions and discouraging the use of fossil fuels.

They are also calling on the government to reform UK tax rules to prevent tax avoidance, which robs developing countries of much needed investment as well as committing to responsibly allocate 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income to foreign aid and development.

Christian aid want to see an immediate suspension to the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to protect Yemen civilians from being targeted and are asking for further investment and funding into global peace-making efforts to improve arms regulations, support refugees in conflict zones and expand resettlement schemes for those entering the UK.

Daisy-Rose Srblin, Christian Aid’s Senior UK Advocacy Adviser, said: “At a time of considerable change and turmoil, it is critical we ask those in power to play a positive global…

The Turkish invasion of Syria and growing protests in Baghdad could drive even more Christians out of the country, believes Jamal Liddawi, a partner of Release International, which provides aid to persecuted Christians.

There has been trouble in Iraq this week as at least three people were shot dead when protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala on Sunday night.

The protesters, who demanded that Iran stop interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs, climbed the consulate’s walls.

Only around 300,000 Christians remain in Iraq from a peak of 1.8 million in the year 2000. They’ve been driven out by conflict and insecurity. Many more are now anxious to leave, says Liddawi: “Most of the Christians have lost hope. Many of them are applying to leave the country, and if they can, they will.”

Jamal Liddawi is working with Release International to support refugees in Erbil, the principal city of Kurdistan, in northern Iraq.

The recent Turkish invasion of neighbouring Syria is threatening to drive a new wave of refugees into the region.

“The Kurdistan government are preparing for between 100,000 and 200,000 refugees,” says Jamal. “They’re preparing for a big number to come.”

The Release partner says the Kurdish people in northern Iraq were shocked by the American decision to pull their troops out of Syria, which precipitated the Turkish…