After meeting families in at the Santa Catarina Shelter for Venezuelans in the Brazilian city of Manaus, the Christian leader said: “The Bible tells us ‘where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’.

“I truly do know and believe, knowing the heart of faith of the people of Venezuela, the heart of faith of millions across this new world that freedom will prevail in Venezuela. It is our shared destiny.”

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have fled the country’s economic crisis that saw a number of people killed in clashes during protests against hyperinflation and food shortages.

Mr Pence accused Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro of running a “devastating dictatorship” and announced on Wednesday that an additional $10 million would go towards supporting Venezuelan families – including more than $1 million to be spent on Venezuelans that have fled to neighbouring Brazil.

The Bible tells us “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” I truly do know and believe, knowing the heart of faith of the people of Venezuela, the heart of faith of millions across this new world, that freedom will prevail in Venezuela. It is our shared destiny. pic.twitter.com/sJVPh4lvbJ

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) June 27, 2018

Responding to Mr Pence’s criticism, Mr Maduro called the vice president a “poisonous viper”. Mr Maduro has previously accused the United…

Rt Rev Roger Morris said the fact a growing number of people are reliant on emergency three-day food parcels illustrates “failures” on the part of the Government.

In a strongly-worded speech delivered at a local foodbank on Wednesday, the Bishop of Colchester said: “The food bank, brilliant though it is, is a sign that on the whole we have failed.

“We have failed to care for those most in need. We have failed to protect the most vulnerable in society.

“We have failed in our promises to look after all people from the cradle to the grave.

“And our failures as government, as society, as a so-called welfare state are then mopped up by the third sector.”

The Department for Work and Pensions told Premier is it “wrong” to link a rise in foodbank use to any one cause, claiming the reasons people use foodbanks are “complex”.

A spokesperson added: “Since 2010, one million people have been lifted out of absolute poverty and we also know that the best way to help people improve their lives is through employment.

“Since 2010, over 3.3 million more people have moved into work – equating to an extra 1,000 people employed a day on average, every day.

“For those individuals who need extra support, there are a variety of protections in place, such as 100 per cent advances available from day…

Glasgow-based Destiny Church invited controversial US evangelist Rick Godwin – who calls for guns to be carried in churches and Australian evangelist John Mellor who is a self-proclaimed “miracle healer” to their £50-a-head weekend conference called Surge 18 which was held in a number of churches across Edinburgh.

In a statement to the Times, a Church of Scotland spokeswoman said that it hired St Cuthbert’s to Destiny in good faith, adding: “Since the event we have heard reports which have concerned us. Therefore we will not allow this group to use our buildings again.”

The Scottish Episcopal Church has also condemned the group for “abusing its hospitality” by holding a rally at St John’s.

It’s reported Texas-based Godwin told those gathered for the conference that members of his congregation would happily shoot intruders “in Jesus’s name”.

However, a spokesman for Destiny Church said: “Rick Godwin did not say the things claimed.”

Welsh evangelist Andrew Owen founded Destiny Church in Glasgow in 1990. The church now meets in various locations across Scotland.

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A new report by gay rights charity Stonewall has looked into the bullying that LGBT people face from those within and outside of their community.

It also found almost a third of gay people of faith take part in a faith activity at least once a month.

Tracey Byrne, CEO of One Body One Faith, a group supporting gay Christians told Premier she’s not surprised by the reported hostility.

She said: “It’s a complex one but I think it reflects members of the LGBT community projecting onto people of faith their own concerns and anger at the established church.

“I think a lot of people in the LGBT community don’t understand why we hang in there after watching the way we’re treated.”

Stonewall has launched its ‘Come out for LGBT’ campaign after finding many LGBT people are hiding their sexuality from their faith community.

A third of lesbian, gay and bi people of faith (32 per cent) aren’t open with anyone in their faith community about their sexual orientation while one in four trans people of faith (25 per cent) aren’t open about their gender identity.

Ruth Hunt, Chief Executive, Stonewall UK, said: “To truly work with and for all LGBT communities, we have to be an active part of the solution to many of the issues outlined in this report.

“Our ‘Come Out For LGBT’ campaign is all about being visible and doing something to stand up for others.

“This research shows just how much…

Brian Chapman was among two people who died at the scene of an early morning collision between a lorry and a double-decker bus near Guyhirn.

The 76-year-old from Cherry Road in Kettering, Northamptonshire had spent a number of decades serving at the town’s St Peter and St Paul’s Church.

Rector, Rev David Walsh wrote on Facebook: “Sad and shocking news for our church community here in Kettering.

“It’s hard to imagine St Peter & St Paul’s Church without him.

“Dear Brian. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Mr Chapman was a passenger on-board the bus, the driver of which also died. Michael Elcombe was 45-years-old and came from Swaffham in Norfolk.

According to police, the bus crashed into the lorry as it was turning into the A47 from yard. The driver of the lorry was not hurt.

An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing, Cambridgeshire Police has said. No arrests have been made.

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Linehan tweeted that he “got a bit of bad news recently”, adding that he had a “little touch of the old cancer”.

“Luckily, ball cancer is one of the best ones to have (sorry, ladies!) and they got rid of it all pretty quickly, along with a ball. Bye, ball! I’ll never forget the good times!” he added.

Linehan, 50, said he will soon be undergoing a course of chemotherapy to stop the cancer from returning.

He joked to his 697,000 followers: “Not looking forward to that, obviously, but it’s better than dying.”

Linehan also assured fans that the musical version of Father Ted, Pope Ted, is “coming along nicely”.

The Irish TV writer, who is also known for creating sitcoms including The IT Crowd and Black Books, added that he is not sure if he will have to stop working on it, but that the “book is so close to being done that I can walk away from it for a while and we’re still in good shape”.

Linehan apologised to Australian fans who had bought tickets to an event he was due to host later this year, and said he hopes to return in 2019.

“So that’s the story,” he said.

“I’m hoping I’ll just continue to be the happy-go-lucky, beloved twitter personality you all know, but if there are moments of quiet from me, don’t worry, I’m just dealing with it.”

Linehan co-created popular 1990s sitcom Father Ted with Arthur Mathews, and it will now be revived in musical form, with the music…