The clergyman, who is part of the unregistered Catholic Church, was reportedly kidnapped last month.

Relations between China and the Vatican have been strained for many years.

The Vatican’s churches in the country aren’t recognised by the state and leaders and worshippers often face discrimination.

Christian peer Lord Alton raised the issue of Bishop Vincent in parliament and asked the government what information it has on his disappearance.

In a written answer, Lord Ahmed, a minister in the Foreign Office, said: “We are aware of reports that Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin was detained by the Chinese Authorities on 26 March. My officials continue to monitor his case and seek further information about his whereabouts and condition.

“We regularly raise our concerns about human rights with the Chinese Authorities. The Prime Minister raised human rights when she visited China earlier this year. We last raised freedom of religion or belief at the UK-China human rights dialogue, which was held in Beijing on 27 June 2017. We also issued an Item 4 statement at the 35th UN Human Rights Council in the same month reiterating our concerns.”

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Ministers had wanted to gain greater control of “out-of-school education settings” in a bid to tackle extremism.

It would have seen groups that teach children for more than 6-8 hours a week having to register.

The plans were widely criticised by Christian groups who feared they amounted to state regulation of church.

The government put the plans to consultation but around three quarters who took part disagreed with them.

Announcing the U-turn, the Department for Education said: “We want to ensure any future system of regulation that we may introduce appropriately targets the small minority of settings which may be exposing children to harmful practices, without causing undue burdens on the sector as a whole.

“We believe it is equally important that we ensure any future system carefully takes into account the differences within such a diverse sector, where settings vary considerably in terms of their characteristics and types of activity and education they offer.”

Welcoming the government’s response, the Evangelical Alliance (EA), which lobbied against the plans said it was a victory for religious freedom.

Dr David Landrum, director of advocacy at the EA, said: “As we expected, the report shows how strongly faith groups, parents and others feel about proposals to register and regulate out-of-school settings, and in particular about the role of Ofsted.

“Indeed to many…

After concerns were raised about his behaviour by a group of pastors, including author John Ortberg, the Chicago Tribune put together an investigation which looked at various allegations made over a number of years including suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss and invitations to hotel rooms.

Hybels continues to deny the accusations but has apologised for reacting with anger.

Announcing his immediate resignation, he said: “My first response to some of these recent accusations was anger. I confess to feeling very angry these last few weeks as I watched harmful accusations fly around without accountability. I felt attacked and knew that my loved ones and this church family would be affected.

“I sincerely wish my initial response had been one of listening and humble reflection. If I could go back, I would have chosen to listen first, and then to seek to learn and understand. I apologise for a response that was defensive, instead of one that invited conversation and learning.”

He also apologised for being “unwise” and potentially misleading people.

He said: “I realise now that in certain settings and circumstances in the past I communicated things that were perceived in ways I did not intend, at times making people feel uncomfortable. I was blind to this dynamic for far too long. For that I’m very sorry.”

Hybels had planned to pass on the leadership of…

Ealing Council’s cabinet voted unanimously in favour of allowing a Public Spaces Protection Order to create a protest-free safe zone outside a Marie Stopes clinic in the west London borough.

The council has spent months exploring a range of options on how to prevent “intimidation, harassment and distress” for women using the Marie Stopes clinic on Mattock Lane following a petition set up by local women.

Pro-choice demonstrators, including the group SisterSupporter, cheered and applauded as the cabinet members voted the proposal through.

But the meeting almost had to be adjourned when two distressed women walked up to the cabinet members, urging them to reconsider.

“I cannot give up on this,” one of the women told the members.

“Please go back and review what you have just done here.”

Anna Veglio-White, co-founder of SisterSupporter, said she was “completely elated” and “overjoyed that the council recognises there is a huge imbalance of human rights at Mattock Lane and they’ve taken the necessary steps to address that”.

“It’s pretty incredible, we just hope we see the effect of this all over the country,” she added.

John Hansen-Brevetti, clinical operations manager at the clinic, said women had been told the ghost of their foetus would haunt them, had been told “mummy mummy don’t kill me”, had holy water thrown on them and rosary beads thrust at them.

Staples died on Tuesday at home in Chicago, funeral home Leak and Sons said.

Yvonne performed with her sisters Mavis and Cleotha and their father Pops on hits such as Respect Yourself and I’ll Take You There, their first number one hit, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Yvonne Staples was not as interested in singing as the rest of her family but she stepped in when her brother Pervis left for military service, said family friend Bill Carpenter, who is author of Uncloudy Day: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia.

Mr Carpenter said that Yvonne Staples also helped her father with business tasks.

“She was very no nonsense but at the same time had a heart of gold,” he said. “But when it came to business she was very strict. If this is what the contract said, this is what you better do.”

Staples was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with her family in 1999. The group also received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 2005. Staples was not as interested in the limelight, Mr Carpenter said.

“She didn’t want to talk about her own singing,” he added. “She said ‘Mavis is the star. Mavis is the voice’. She never cared about attention for herself.”

Yvonne Staples was Mavis Staples’ road manager until recent years, Mr Carpenter said.

The family’s music career had its roots with Pops Staples, a manual labourer who strummed a guitar while teaching his children gospel…