The Crask Inn in Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, will begin providing daily prayers as well as spiritual retreats and clergy training.

The pub was gifted to the Scottish Episcopal Church in February last year by its previous owners but legal issues stalled the change in ownership.

The pub which was owned by Michael and Kai Geldard is being run for the church by Douglas Campbell – a licensed Eucharistic minister of the Chalice – and his wife Denise, despite the pair having no experience in pulling pints.

Nearly 100 people gathered to witness the rural pub’s blessing conducted by Rev Mark Strange – the Episcopalian Bishop of the United Diocese of Moray.

Denise who attended told the Scotsman: “It’s all very exciting. I think the spiritual and religious aspect will increase but I don’t think the hospitality side of things will decrease.

“The inn side will continue because it’s very important for hospitality and meeting people.”

Services will be held at the pub twice a month.

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The woman, Asma Yacoob had acid thrown on her by Rizwan Gujjar, 30, who was a friend of her brother’s who she refused to marry.

According to CLAAS (Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement – a group who support persecuted Christians in Pakistan), on 10th April Gujjar threw large amounts of acid on her and then set fire to her before running away.

Yacoob was working as a beautician for a bride in Pak Pura town, Sialkot, when she was told her brother had arrived and wanted to speak to her, only to find that when she went out into a courtyard it was Gujjar. 

After the attack she was taken to Civil Hospital and later to Mayo Hospital in Lahore but died 11 days later.

Gujjar was arrested the day after the attack.

Nasir Saeed, Director CLAAS in the UK said this was just one terrible example of how Christian women are treated in Pakistan, saying: “They are often harassed and intimidated at their workplace. They are often asked to convert to Islam and to marry Muslim colleagues.”

In a statement CLAAS said: “Christian girls are looked upon as inferior and as a commodity, and have no respect in society.”

They say that some women are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and that: “Such cases are becoming everyday matters and the police hardly make any advances, especially if the victim is Christian.”

There are laws in Pakistan against such behaviour but…

The Trussell Trust said its network distributed more than 1.3 million three-day food supplies in the year to March, a 13% increase on the previous 12 months.

Almost half a million went to children, said the trust, which runs more than 400 food banks across the UK.

A growing proportion of referrals to food banks were due to benefit levels not covering the cost of essential goods and services.

Low income accounted for almost a fifth of referrals, compared with 26% the previous year, followed by benefit delays or changes and debt.

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “As a nation we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute.

“Illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.

A record number of emergency supplies were handed out by food banks in the past year, research has revealed.

“It’s hard to break free from hunger if there isn’t enough money coming in to cover the rising cost of absolute essentials like food and housing.

“Universal Credit is the future of our benefits system. It’s vital we get it right and ensure levels of payment keep pace with the rising cost of essentials, particularly for groups of people we know are already more likely to need a food bank – disabled people, those dealing with an…

However, a High Court judge has dismissed a “last-ditch appeal” by the parents.

Mr Justice Hayden had said doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool could stop providing life-support treatment to Alfie.

Alfie’s parents, Tom Evans and Kate James, who are both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, asked for a delay to give them time to mount a further challenge.

But the judge has refused their application and given doctors the go-ahead to stop treatment and bring Alfie’s life to an end.

Mr Justice Hayden analysed issues at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court late on Monday.

The judge heard submissions from lawyers representing hospital bosses, Alfie’s parents and Alfie via a telephone link.

He gave lawyers permission to release a recording of the hearing to the Press Association.

All previous hearings in the case have been staged in public.

Alfie’s parents want treatment to continue and want to fly him to a hospital in Rome.

Barrister Paul Diamond, who represents the couple, told the judge that Alfie had been granted Italian citizenship on Monday.

He said an Italian government representative wanted to intervene in the case and asked for more time.

Mr Diamond said there was now an “international relations element” to the case.

But Michael Mylonas QC, who leads Alder Hey’s team, said any granting of…