The annual initiative, now in its fourth year, will have over 200 mosques across the UK opening their doors on Sunday to welcome people under the theme ‘Open Doors, Open Mosques, Open Communities’.

The aim of the day, which is also being backed by Derby Cathedral, is to tackle negative stereotypes and Islamophobia.

Sub-dean, Elizabeth Thomson tells Premier they hope it will strengthen community ties.

“Friendship with people of different faiths is a good thing because friendship is a good thing.

“I’m stating it as simply as that because it is as simple as that. Friendship is a good thing, peace is a good thing, love is a good thing.”

A YouGov Poll commissioned by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) found that almost 70 per cent of Britons hadn’t seen the inside of another faith’s place of worship, and almost 90 per cent hadn’t been inside a mosque, in recent years.

Rev Dr Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford, said he would be encouraging local clergy and congregation members to visit a mosque on the Sabbath day.

“Crossing the threshold of a different place of worship can be an important step in learning about and getting to know our neighbours,” he said.

“As a bishop and as a trustee of the Christian Muslim Forum, I very much welcome the Visit My Mosque Day initiative. I plan to visit mosques in Bradford on 18th February with…

Defending his previous claim that Islam is a “death cult”, Gerard Batten said in an interview with Sky News that his comments were “factually and historically true”.

Mr Batten stepped in as interim leader after party members voted to oust Henry Bolton.

Mr Bolton, who was only elected in September 2017, was sacked after party members voted by 867 to 500 to express their lack of faith in his ability to lead the party after the scandal over his lover.

London MEP Batten has promised to make Ukip a populist force and win back donors for the cash-strapped party.

He was also confronted in his Sky News interview about suggesting compulsory declaration of loyalty from Muslims.

Mr Batten said: “[Islam] glorifies death – they believe in propagating their religion by martyring themselves.

“A significant minority believe that, and they are the problem.”

He added: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that people who come and live in our country should reject those dark age ideologies which some of them bring with them.”

Ukip will face a fresh leadership election within 90 days after Mr Bolton lost the no confidence motion.

Mr Batten issued a dismissive response to suggestions Mr Bolton could take legal action.

Asked what his message to Mr Bolton was he said: “Get on with the rest of your life.”

Mr Batten, who did not rule out standing…

The announcement of the new members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors came on the same day that a Vatican investigator will take the testimony in New York of one of the main whistleblowers in the Chilean cover-up scandal.

Francis tasked Archbishop Charles Scicluna with the fact-finding mission into Bishop Juan Barros after he was criticised in Chile for defending Barros and calling the victims’ cover-up accusations against him slander.

The initial three-year mandate of commission members had lapsed two months ago, on December 17.

Francis named nine new members on Saturday and kept seven from the initial group.

A Vatican statement said survivors of abuse are included, but did not identify them to protect their privacy.

None of the most outspoken lay advocates for victims from the original group returned, but a statement stressed that the commission’s work would be helped throughout by the experience of victims.

Commission members are to open their April plenary by meeting with victims privately, and discussions are continuing to create an “international survivor advisory panel” to advise the commission and make sure the voices of victims are heard in all its deliberations, the statement said.

Francis created the commission in December 2013, responding to complaints that he had not prioritised the fight against clerical abuse and cover-up…

The Christian charity was forced to fire three employees for having sexual relations with clients and the forth staff member was let go for using a work computer to access pornography.

The organisation states on its website that it is “committed to preventing, identifying and responding to the abuse of children and adults and we take all allegations of abuse seriously”.

People with concerns relating to past or present incidents within a Salvation Army programme are encouraged to report it to the police.

The revelation comes as it has been known that more than 1,500 British charities were ordered to create safeguarding policies just weeks before the Oxfam scandal came to light, William Shawcross, chairman of the Charity Commission has revealed.

Shawcross told The Sunday Times that while charities are “a vital part of British life and we should all cherish them, that does not mean charities should be self-regarding and feel they are subject to lesser standards of behaviour than other organisations”.

He claimed some charities have used their wealth to hire top lawyers to stop the watchdog from tackling abuse.

Reflecting on the Oxfam scandal, he added that the charity would have “saved themselves and the whole of the charitable sector a lot of anguish” if they were more open about the allegations of sexual abuse by its…

The charity which is supported financially by the government and various United Nations agencies, has denied its staff sexually exploited Haiti earthquake survivors.

Paid employees from the charity are accused of forcing Haitians in 2010 to have sex or pay money for World Food Programme aid, according to a report in the Mail on Sunday.

A statement from World Vision paid tribute to “the generosity of supporters and partners around the world” which had enabled the charity to “provided food to at least two million people, emergency shelters to more than 40,000 households, and potable water for more than 90,000 people”.

Insisting the allegations were false, the statement went on to say: “While we know we did not get everything right, the Mail on Sunday story in the UK and Ireland misrepresents our actions and omits key findings from our investigations, which we described publically, and which were shared with authorities, donors, and the Mail’s journalist, several years ago.

“In our cash-for-work program in 2010-11, several evaluations conducted by World Vision and our partners highlighted a number of issues in government-run camps; of nepotism, sexual exploitation and inaccurate record-keeping.

“World Vision’s extensive investigations into these issues revealed that those involved in sexual exploitation were not World Vision staff. They were community volunteers and…

Matt Hancock said the agreement with the Church of England to use spires showed medieval buildings can still help deliver 21st century services.

The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said guidance set out by both the Church and Historic England will ensure that that any telecoms infrastructure does not impact on the character and architectural or historic significance of churches.

The majority of Anglican churches (65 per cent) and parishes (66 per cent) in England are in rural areas, often in the heart of their communities, and so are well-placed to tackle problems of poor connectivity.

They will be used alongside other church properties and farm buildings to host telecoms infrastructure.

Mr Hancock said: “Churches are central features and valued assets for local communities up and down the country.

“This agreement with the Church of England will mean that even a 15th century building can help make Britain fit for the future, improving people’s lives by boosting connectivity in some of our hardest-to-reach areas.”

The Dioceses of Chelmsford and Norwich are already supporting programmes which use Church buildings to improve connectivity in rural areas.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell, said: “We know that rural churches in particular have always served as a hub for their communities. Encouraging churches to improve connectivity…