The directive from the United Front Work Department mainly targets followers of Buddhism and Taoism, two of China’s five officially recognised religions.

“The meeting required all localities to take up the regulation of large outdoor religious statues as their top priority in preventing the further commercialisation of Buddhism and Toaism,” the directive said.

Thousands of Buddhist and Taoist temples and shrines, along with mosques and churches, were damaged or destroyed under communism, especially during the violent 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

Although many have been restored and reopened since then, new regulations and a bureaucratic overhaul earlier this year have put the day-to-day running of religious affairs directly under the officially atheistic party.

That has been accompanied by a renewed campaign promoting atheism and loyalty to the party, along with a push to study the works of one of communism’s founding fathers, Karl Marx, who famously wrote that religion “is the opium of the people”.

The anti-religion drive overlaps with campaigns to promote patriotism and party loyalty, oppose separatism among ethnic minorities and fight Western liberal values.

Reporting by Associated Press Reporters. Received via the Press Association.

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Ted Lieu, who represents California in the US House of Representatives – the lower chamber of Congress – attacked a new “zero-tolerance” approach announced by leaders.

Commenting on Twitter, he said: “There are many ways to describe the Donald Trump policy of ripping children away from their parents at the border.

“It violates human rights laws. It is un-American. It would shock Jesus. But I think the most appropriate way to describe it is this: the policy is evil.”

Ted Lieu previously criticised more than 150 conservative Christian leaders in the US who signed the so-called Nashville Statement defending traditional teaching on sexuality and marriage.

The Gospel of Matthew states: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” Matthew 25:35.

The Bible does not say: “separate children from their parents and don’t track the children.”#WhereAreTheChildren https://t.co/ezGBEPc4zS

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 26, 2018

Earlier this month, it was revealed the Department of Homeland Security intends to ensure everyone caught crossing the border illegally would be referred for federal prosecution.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a meeting of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies: “If you cross the border unlawfully, even a first offense, we’re going to prosecute you.

“If you’re…

Lawyers supporting the American also said there was “no evidence” to support accusations that he belonged to a terrorist organisation Turkey blames for a failed coup.

In a statement to the international body’s Human Rights Council representatives from the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) said: “The UN has long stood to protect the human rights of all people.

“In intervening on behalf of Pastor Brunson, the UN will once again demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that freedom of religion exists for all people, regardless of their faith.”

Mr Brunson was summoned to a local police station in October 2016 and later charged with links to a failed plot to overthrow the Turkish government in July 2016.

Supporters claim he is effectively a political prisoner being held as a bargaining chip by Turkey as it seeks the extradition of preacher Fethullah Gülen, which it blames for the doomed action.

Brunson, who has led a small Protestant church in the coastal city of Izmir for 23 years, has been told he faces up to 35 years in prison.

The statement goes on to say: “The indictment against Pastor Brunson was 62 pages long, wholly lacking in merit, and provided no evidence regarding criminal action against Pastor Brunson, but was rather replete with hearsay from secret witnesses.”

The ECLJ also urges Turkey to uphold its…

Very Rev Trevor Morrow, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland also said he was “sad but not surprised” by polling data which suggests widespread support for change.

He told Premier: “The indications were that there was going to be a substantial number of people who would vote for repeal.

“I thought the difference would be probably about ten points but this is almost seismic, an extraordinary result.”

Surveys by the national broadcast RTE and the Irish Times suggested 70-per-cent and 68-per-cent of voters respectively back relaxing the nation’s relatively strict legislation governing terminations.

The Republic voted overwhelmingly in favour three years ago of legalising same-sex marriage.

Referring to Ireland’s strong Catholic history, Very Rev Morrow continued: “You can tell by the response to the gay marriage referendum and again here you see it in this debate on abortion, there is a real strong reaction against what we have inherited from the past.”

A referendum held on Friday effectively asked voters whether to repeal or retain the state constitution’s Eight Amendment – legislation which prohibits terminations unless a mother’s life is at risk.

The Irish Government had indicated that it would follow any vote in favour of repeal by introducing more liberal abortion laws by the end of the…

Congregations will brave potential thunderstorms by hosting open air church services, in solidarity with persecuted believers around the world.

It forms part of the Great Outdoors Church Service organised by the UK-based charity Release International.

Spokesperson, Andrew Boyd told Premier: “In many cases, the [persecuted] Christians are going out in the streets because they want to maintain their witness.

“They’re meeting in parks come rain or shine – even come snow in some cases; we’ve seen the pictures from China of faithful Christians meeting in the snow.”

The initiative is also raising awareness of Christian communities who feel pressured into meeting secretly or whose churches have been shut down by hostile governments.

Encouraging more churches to get involved, Andrew Boyd said: “We have amazing freedom in this country to do whatever we like really without the risk of persecution.

“It’s ever so easy to take that freedom for granted, so why don’t we just take a very small risk; the really small risk is that it’s probably going to rain but never mind.”

The Great Outdoors Church Service campaign is highlighting countries such as China, where church buildings have been knocked down and tears have been removed.

Participants are being encouraged to consider how they might use their freedom “to the full” in supporting…