Release International, which supports persecuted Christians worldwide, said the military stepped up its campaign against the mainly Christian Kachin people in April.

They launched attacks using artillery, helicopter gunships and infantry. Troops have displaced thousands, driving them from their burning homes.

The military have also occupied churches and interrogated entire congregations.

There are reports that the soldiers are using rape as a weapon of war and are deliberately targeting camps for the displaced, which is a war crime. They are also said to be sowing landmines to make villages uninhabitable.

Andrew Boyd, spokesperson for the charity, told Premier the oppression amounts to war crimes.

“We’re talking about something like 10,000 people displaced and what we saw happening with the Rohingya Muslims, all of the brutality of that, exactly the same kinds of tactics, we’re now seeing happening with the largely Christian Kachin people,” he said.

“People have been displaced. They’ve been moved from their homes to camps, they’ve been moved from one camp to another camp. If that’s true, and the evidence certainly points in that direction, these are war crimes.”

According to Release International, conflict between the controlling Myanmese people and other peoples erupted after World War Two. Some Christian tribes, who…

Phil Knox has joined the Evangelical Alliance following 12 years working for Youth for Christ, where he has most recently been director of church resources.

Knox’s role will focus on the development and delivery of creative initiatives to engage young adults to serve the church in its mission.

It is part of the Evangelical Alliance’s ongoing work to “catalyse young adults, and give them confidence as Christians, as they navigate challenges in society and changes in the church”.

Gavin Calver, director of mission at the Evangelical Alliance, told Premier News Hour reaching out to younger people is crucial.

“There’s always desperate need to work with young people,” he said.

“Eighty-six per cent of people that come to faith do so when they’re young. We as the Church need to prioritise young adults and young people, and we at the Evangelical Alliance want to do the same.”

Knox said: “It is with great sadness that I move on from Youth for Christ. It is an incredible movement with which I have seen thousands of young lives transformed. But, I am also so excited to be joining the Evangelical Alliance. I am full of hope that the church can relevantly engage a generation of young adults and look forward to playing a part in seeing something amazing happen over the coming years.”

Knox will take up his role for the Evangelical Alliance on 3rd…

Mike Pilavachi told Premier Christianity magazine that when God told him to end the youth festival after 25 years, he questioned God about what would happen to the young people.

“He said ‘Mike, they’re not your responsibility’, and ‘they’re my responsibility. I will look after them…’ That was like a burden lifted,” Pilavachi said.

“We’re talking to youth organisations about them starting something in the summer of 2020. It’s my hope and expectation that next summer; we want to introduce these three events.

“I want to commend them. I only want to commend the events where I believe that they are doing it because they love the kids.

“Anyone can start anything they want, but I couldn’t bring myself to commend anything where it was about people seeing a gap in the spiritual market… It’s those who love the kids, and they’re not going to use the kids, they’re going to serve the kids.”

Pilavachi also said that he considered doing a nationwide search for other youth workers to head the big annual events, but he said God steered him in another direction.

“Both Andy and Ali, who host the events with me, and others on the team said to me when I said I was going to step back, ‘when you step back, we’ll step back because God told us to do it with you’, and then we suddenly realised to bring someone in from outside is setting…

Peter Ball was sentenced to 32 months in 2015 for a string of offences between the 1970s and 1990s, and the handling of allegations against him is now being examined by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

At a hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the inquiry Fiona Scolding QC said that statements had been requested from the prince and his principal private secretary.

According to a transcript posted on the inquiry website, she said: “We have also requested a witness statement from both His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and his principal private secretary.

“The Prince’s solicitors have indicated their client’s willingness to assist us and have raised a number of important issues for us to consider.

“This has led to lengthy and complex discussions and we are currently considering the latest points they have raised. We hope to be able to provide an update to core participants on this in the next couple of weeks.”

Charles had exchanged a series of letters with Ball, the former Bishop of Gloucester, whose diocese covers Highgrove, the prince’s country home.

A spokesman for the prince told the Daily Mail last year that the correspondence contained nothing of relevance to the clergyman’s offending.

Lawyer Richard Scorer from Slater and Gordon, who is representing complainants at the IICSA, said: “It is…

Zofija Kaczan suffered multiple injuries in the attack on 28th May 28 died in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Derbyshire Police said.

She also suffered bruising to her face when she was approached from behind, knocked over and had her green handbag snatched at 8.45am close to the junction of St Chads Road and Empress Road in Normanton, Derby.

She was also left with a fractured cheekbone but managed to stumble into St Maksymilian Kolbe Polish Church, still clutching one of the bag’s straps.

The bag, which is made of fake leather and has gold clasps, was found at the junction of Moore Street and Normanton Road.

Undated handout photo issued by Derbyshire Police of Zofija Kaczan’s green handbag which was stolen when she was attacked.

A 39-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the incident has since been released under investigation, the force confirmed.

Detective Chief Inspector Darren De’ath, who is leading the investigation, said: “This crime is absolutely horrific.

“Mrs Kaczan was a well-loved member of the community and that she was targeted in this way is disgusting.

“There are people in Derby who know the person responsible for this crime and I would urge them to come forward with any information that can help bring those responsible to justice.”

Mr De’ath added: “We have a number of…

The 77-year-old, who cannot be identified, apologised to those she “mistreated” at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Lasswade, Midlothian, while giving evidence to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

She worked at the Catholic-run orphanages from 1963 until 1980 and said she could lose her temper “on some occasions”, but denied a litany of other allegations made against her.

Colin MacAulay, senior counsel, said: “(One accusation says) you did punch her on the head and body, and strike her with a hair brush. Do you accept that you did that?”

The nun said: “Yes.”

Mr MacAulay added: “Do you accept then that you did seize hold of her by her hair and drag her around the corridor?

She said: “Yes.”

The same replies came when Mr MacAulay asked if she had ever force-fed a child or pushed a girl to the ground from a swing.

Her admissions were in relation to two children in separate homes.

It was heard a child was forced to eat dolly mixtures as a punishment after sweets had gone missing.

The nun said: “I always had dolly mixtures for the little ones. I went to get them and they were missing.

“I just had a few, there wasn’t enough. I said ‘you might as well take the rest’ and put them into her mouth.”

When asked why others had come forward with accusations, which she denied, the nun broke down in tears and said “I don’t know”.

A statement she submitted to the inquiry said her care…