An estimated 85,000 children have already died from extreme hunger and the charities say more than 14 million people are now facing starvation.

They say it is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and are urging all parties to the conflict to put the country’s people first.

Deborah Hyams, Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Advisor for Christian Aid told Premier:

“This is not a natural disaster. This is happening because of the war and all the different parties that are contributing to that fighting and we’re asking everyone, all the leaders of all the different countries involved to put people first.”

Hopes were raised in December 2018 when a ceasefire was agreed between the Iranian backed-Houthi forces and the Saudi coalition in the port of Hodeida.

But Deborah Hyams told Premier that this has not yet brought the relief that was hoped.

“Neither the Houthi forces, nor the Saudi coalition have withdrawn their troops and agreed on those troops’ withdrawals and how to implement that.”

The charities welcomed the UK government’s announcement last week that it will be increasing its funding to the UN Peace process in Yemen by £2.5 million, but said the situation is so desperate that much more needs to be done.

Christian Aid encourages those who would like to pray to be guided by the following prayer points:

For peace for the people of Yemen
For wisdom for those involved…

In one of the highligts, In Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome, a group of celebrities have been filmed on pilgrimage together culminating in a private audience with Pope Francis.

The celebrities, including the game show host, Les Dennis, Debbie McGee, Katy Brand, Lesley Joseph and Christian singer Dana Scallon, will make the journey from the Swiss Alps to Rome finishing up with the private audience with the Pope.

The series will be shown on BBC Two over the next twelve months as will The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On which examines the lasting effect of the controversial book on Britain and British Muslims.

At Easter, Aled Jones will present two special editions of Songs Of Praise in the Holy Land, on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

Other programmes include Inside The Vatican on BBC Two and Welcome To The Bruderhof which will offer insight into a Christian community who live together in a village on the outskirts of Hastings as disciples of Jesus, exploring their simple way of life which is at odds with mainstream society.

According to the BBC, “The Year of Beliefs 2019 will bring Religion and Ethics programming to as wide an audience as possible, airing ambitious landmark series with privileged access, powerful documentaries highlighting big moral questions, spiritual journeys of self-discovery and thought-provoking discussions and debates.”

The Director of BBC Content,…

Saif ul-Malook flew from Amsterdam in the Netherlands at the weekend, according to a tweet published by the Dutch politician Joël Voordewind.

The message, translated by the AFP news agency, said: “This afternoon [Saturday], I escorted Asia Bibi’s lawyer, Mr Malook to Schipol Airport.

“He’s going back to Pakistan to hopefully represent Asia for the last time in her case.”

Mr ul-Malook was granted temporary stay in the Netherlands last year after fleeing for his life from Pakistan in the wake of Asia Bibi’s acquittal.

The lawyer claimed he had been inundated with threats. Ms Bibi’s acquittal prompted demonstrations by hard-line Islamists who said she ought to be publicly executed.

According to lawyers, a court will decide on Tuesday whether to allow an appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision to clear the Christian mother-of-five.

Bibi spent eight years on death row after being convicted in 2010 of insulting the Islamic prophet Mohammad. She was then acquitted in October but has not been able to leave the country.

Speaking in London in November 2018, Mr ul-Malooksaid he had no regrets about representing Ms Bibi.

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Christian staff at The Venue at Waterstone in Celina, northern Texas insisted they “love all people” after they cancelled an enquiry made by Aaron Lucero and Jeff Cannon.

In a statement seen by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, they said: “We are a family of believers. We love all people because Christ first loved us; Jeffrey and Aaron included.

“We cannot violate the convictions God has placed within us. In love, we would never affirm anyone in something that was to their detriment.”

Publishing a lengthy post on Facebook, Mr Lucero said The Venue at Waterstone had “tried to disguise its discrimination” by not making its stance of same-sex weddings visible on its website.

He claimed the couple were not informed about the unavailability of the venue until the night before they were due to visit on 20th January.

Mr Lucero added: “The reason we are sharing this is not because The Venue at Waterstone refuses to host same-sex weddings; it is because they refuse to publicize their discriminatory policy on their website.

“They want to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus] community in private.”

It is currently legal to discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Mr Lucero, who became engaged to Mr Cannon last November, said they had got “very…

The Church of England issued advice in December for parishes who wished to mark someone’s gender change, saying a baptism or affirmation of baptismal faith would be the ‘natural liturgical context’ for recognising someone’s new gender.

A service would involve using their new name and pronoun through liturgy and a baptism certificate.

This guidance has been criticised since it was published but got its most stinging blow this weekend.

1,857 vicars, lay preachers, readers and ordinands have now signed an open letter accusing the House of Bishops (one of the three houses in the General Synod) of changing church doctrine by effectively bringing in new liturgy – which is meant to reflect doctrine which has been agreed on collectively by the Anglican church.

The signatories say the services appear to be a “misuse of liturgy” as “Although reaffirmation of baptismal vows might well be appropriate at certain seasons of life, it should primarily be focussed on celebrating new life in Christ rather than a new situation or circumstance”.

Rev Peter Ould, a Church of England commentator and preacher based in Canterbury diocese, signed the letter and spoke to Premier’s Cara Bentley:

They say baptism should always focus on salvation, faith and repentance and not ‘unconditional affirmation’.

It also highlights their concerns with “the inclusion of new biblical readings within the…

He refused to say if the Holy See would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido in his claim for the presidency, which has been backed by the United States and other regional leaders.

The Vatican has been frustrated in the past in its attempts to mediate between socialist President Nicolas Maduro and Venezuela’s opposition, which has the backing of many Venezuelan bishops.

Speaking off the cuff at his Sunday blessing, Pope Francis said he felt particularly close to Venezuelans while he was in Panama.

He “asked the Lord to seek and find a just and peaceful solution to overcome the crisis that respects human rights and exclusively seeks the good of all people”.

The Venezuela crisis has dominated his visit to Panama, both behind the scenes and in public, with the Pope at one point asking out loud if any Venezuelan bishops were on hand at the end of an event.

The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was former ambassador to Venezuela so he knows the situation well.

Francis made the Venezuela comments after he closed out World Youth Day with a Mass in a Panama City field before an estimated 700,000 people and presidents from Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Portugal.

“You dear people are not the future but the now of God,” Francis told the pilgrims draped in flags from across the Americas.

At the end of the service, the…