The amount available for religious buildings seeking to enhance premises will rise to £1.6 million in 2019-20.

Launched in 2016, the places of worship security fund helps churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras in England and Wales to install alarms, security lighting, fencing and CCTV cameras to deter attackers.

So far, more than a third of grants have been awarded to mosques. Synagogues are covered by a separate scheme.

The Government had previously committed £2.4m over three years – or £800,000 a year.

Announcing the financial boost for the next financial year, Mr Javid said: “The horrific events in New Zealand are a direct attack on the values of tolerance and freedom of worship that unite us all.

“Nobody should ever fear persecution of their faith and it’s vital we stand together to reject those who seek to spread hatred and divide us.

“I know many Muslim communities are feeling vulnerable and anxious. But they should seek comfort from knowing we are doing everything to tackle hate and extremism.

“That’s why we are doubling next year’s places of worship fund – providing physical protection as well as peace of mind.”

To increase uptake, the Home Office said the bidding process for the fund will be simplified so organisations no longer have to prove they have previously experienced a hate crime incident directly.

In addition, a new £5 million fund will be set up to provide protective security training…

Most Rev Justin Welby also said recent deadly shootings at mosques in New Zealand were “monstrous”, as he accused the perpetrator(s) of wanting “to create a war against Islam”.

Speaking during an interfaith meeting at London Central Mosque, he said: “For British Muslims who are feeling under threat, we are with you.

“Hatred of Muslims denies and blasphemes Christ. Those who co-opt Christian language and history for hatred commit blasphemy.”

Fifty people lost their lives when a gunman attacked two mosques in the city of Christchurch on Friday.

A 28-year-old white supremacist, Brenton Harrison Tarrant has been arrested over the deaths. He faces one charge of murder. It is expected more charges will follow.

Archbishop Justin said attacks on Muslims marked an attack on all mankind and he pledged that the Church of England would explore how it can be “more effective in visible signs of togetherness” with Muslims.

He continued: “I commit myself to listening more and putting this higher up the agenda in my own actions and words.

“Jesus taught his followers to be peacemakers, ‘for they will be called children of God’.

“Making peace is an action, it doesn’t just happen. It requires us to be curious, to listen, to move across…

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the attack by Fulani militia on 16th March follows a series of militia raids in Benue state and Zamfara state earlier in the month which killed more than 100 people.

The invasions happened in the wake of a televised statement by Kaduna state Governor Nasir el Rufai on the eve of February’s postponed presidential election, in which he alleged that 66 people had been killed in Kajuru Local Government Area and insinuated – the victims were mostly women and children from the Fulani ethnic group.

The army has been making progress on the issue and recently reported that 55 suspected bandits had been killed and 760 abductees released in an operation that also claimed the lives of three soldiers and several members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Founder of CSW, Mervyn Thomas has called for the army’s work to be more widespread.

“We commend the recent successes of the armed forces in Zamfara, and urge that troops deployed in central Nigeria would be similarly proactive in tackling militia violence in southern Kaduna, Benue and elsewhere,” he said.

“It is clear that the culture of impunity that surrounds these attacks has emboldened perpetrators.

“We reiterate our call on state and the federal governments to address every source of violence in a swift, decisive and unbiased manner, ensuring that vulnerable…

Greyfriars Parish Church in Lanark took their meeting to Beechgrove Care Home at the weekend to bring their service directly to elderly residents.

Around 90 people, including relatives of residents, attended the service, which was aimed at reconnecting people with the community.

Rev Bryan Kerr, minister at Greyfriars Parish Church, led the service and described it as a very positive experience for all and said the “smiles on resident’s faces were as wide as could be.

“We regularly go to nursing homes to lead worship during the week but to intentionally go on a Sunday morning with the whole congregation is an incredible experience,” he added.

“It would be easy to organise a bus and bring residents to church but care homes often struggle with staff numbers on a Sunday to accompany them.

“But more than that, there is something Biblical about following Jesus command to ‘go and make disciples’.

“It’s not just about welcoming people to our church, it’s also about Greyfriars being welcoming, meeting people where they are and actively including them.”

Some residents have been gathering on a Sunday morning in the care home’s cinema room to watch Greyfriars services streamed live.

Rev Kerr said: “They have spoken of how connected they feel with the church family so it was wonderful for them to meet the children they see…

In May 2017, 22 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device following an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.

In footage captured by a fan and posted to Twitter, Minaj, who has collaborated with Grande in the past, can be heard saying: “I want to take a moment to remember the victims of the Manchester terrorist attack.

“Put your light in the sky for everybody we lost.

“God bless the families of everyone who survived and God bless Manchester for being resilient and not bowing down to fear. For being strong no matter what.”

The 36-year-old artist went on to write on Twitter that Manchester had “stolen my heart”.

Minaj is currently on her ‘Nicki Wrld Tour’.

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The UK Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, or CAFOD, said it was working with local partners to provide rice, beans, sugar, cooking oil and hygiene kits to parts of Mozambique worst-hit by Cyclone Idai.

CAFOD’s country representative, Gabriel Bertani said: “There is concern for the many people cut off by the floods. Their basic needs will be clean and safe drinking water, food, medicines and shelter.”

Mozambique’s president said the death toll in his country could exceed more than 1,000 – although aid workers said it was uncertain at this stage whether the figure might climb so high.

Filipe Nyusi, who cut short a visit to Swaziland because of the incident, said: “It is a real disaster of great proportions”.

Idai struck the Indian Ocean port city of Beira late on Thursday before moving inland towards Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Ninety per cent of Beira has suffered damaged, according to the Red Cross. Roads to the city – which has a population of half a million – have been cut off and there have also been power outages.

Emphasising the importance of a swift aid response, Gabriel Bertani from CAFOD continued: “Powerful Cyclones like Idai damage water supplies and sanitation facilities which increases the risk of water borne diseases spreading. In the low-lying areas, flood waters have caused widespread damage to crops and…