Rabbi Loren Jacobs is from the Messianic congregation Shema Yisrael where elements of Judaism and Jewish tradition are combined with Christianity – including holding the belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

After Mike Pence – who is a Christian, called Jacobs to the stage, the rabbi said: “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God and father of my lord and savior Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and my God and father, too.”

On Saturday, Robert Gregory Bowers killed eight men and three women inside the Tree of Life Synagogue during worship services before a tactical police team tracked him down and shot him.

Thousands of people have taken to Twitter to criticise Pence’s selection of Jacobs to pray.

One user tweeted: “I agree with this thread 100% – the messaging is sinister and intentional. Trump has been sending anti-Semitic coded messages since Day 1 of his campaign.”

Since Mike Pence’s “Rabbi” couldn’t care to read the names of the #TreeofLife dead (he prayed for Republican candidates) we went to the Metropolitan Republican Club and read them before they called the police to arrest us mid prayer. https://t.co/WdmTOwoUpj

— Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018

Another person commented: “It’s like saying a Buddhist Imam or Hindu priest… bizarre.”

However, some social media users have highlighted the complexity of discrediting so called Christian…

Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, made his criticism as the Government confirmed that a move to slash the amount people can stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) would not be introduced for another 12 months until October next year.

The delay to cutting the maximum FOBT stake from £100 to £2, announced in May this year, has been branded “a victory for the bookies”.

In response, the Government said it had not previously given a date for bringing the measure into force, and argued the industry had to be given time to “re-adjust”.

Tackling the Minister in the House of Lords, the Bishop said: “I think many of us who have been speaking and campaigning on this issue were absolutely appalled to hear about the further time it’s going to take to implement this.

“These machines are predominantly found in the poorest of areas. The research is quite clear. It’s causing huge poverty.”

He added: “On top of that, the estimates are that something between one or two people every day are committing suicide for gambling-related reasons.

“Not only is this a huge social cost, it’s a massive financial cost – far more than the £400 million tax revenue that the Government receives each year.

“Surely it’s time to do this for the sake of everyone in our country.”

Responding, Tory frontbencher Viscount Younger of Leckie said:…

Pakistan’s top court has acquitted the Christian woman who was sentenced to death in 2010 on blasphemy charges, a landmark ruling that could ignite mass protests or violence by hard-line Islamists.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar announced the verdict to a packed courtroom and ordered Asia Bibi released. She had been held at an undisclosed location for security reasons and is expected to leave the country.

While authorities have stepped up security at churches across the country, protests have already begun.

Shortly after the ruling, hundreds of Islamists blocked a key road linking the city of Rawalpindi with the capital, Islamabad.

Islamists in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi and in the north-western city of Peshawar were also gathering for the protests. Similar rallies were held elsewhere. Police urged demonstrators to disperse peacefully.

Paramilitary troops were deployed in Islamabad to prevent protesters from reaching the Supreme Court, where security for the judges was beefed up.

In advice on the Foreign Office website, it states: “Protests can occur with little warning and can turn violent quickly. You should avoid demonstrations, large crowds of people and public events.

“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Pakistan. There’s a high threat of…

The Supreme Court in Islamabad ordered the release of Asia Bibi from an undisclosed jail on Wednesday. Her whereabouts has been kept secret for security reasons.

Tahir Khalil Singh, one of Asia Bibi’s lawyers, told Premier: “I am so satisfied. Thanks to Jesus Christ that she is acquitted.

“But… the years she spent in the jail behind the bars in the isolation cell without her children, without his her everything – who will be responsible for these years?”

Mrs Bibi was arrested in 2009 following a row with Muslim women who accused her of making a water cup unclean for them because she had used it.

It was claimed Mrs Bibi made three blasphemous comments about the Prophet Muhammad in the quarrel which followed. Bibi was later convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death.

Speaking to Premier from Islamabad, Mehwish Bhatti from the British Pakistani Christian Association said: “There are so many blasphemy victims – Christian victims – who are still in prison and are on death sentence like Asia Bibi.

“We need to keep them in [our] prayers as well.”

Hard-line Islamists, who had been demanding her execution, had threatened nationwide protests if Asia Bibi was acquitted.

It is a case which has drawn international attention to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and divided the nation.

Two senior politicians – a governor and a minister of minorities – who spoke out in support of Bibi…