A minister from a church in Glasgow City Centre says he’s praying for the families of people who have died after a bin lorry crashed into a group of pedestrians.

Police Scotland has confirmed there is an “ongoing serious incident” in Glasgow’s George Square close to Queen Street Station.

The Ambulance service says two people have died whilst the number of causalities is in double figures.

Revd Dr Colin Dow from Glasgow City Free Church told Premier: “It’s too raw to even think about it at the moment.

“When you think about things like this, you just have to think, why oh Lord?

“How long will these things happen? Last year we had the Clutha crash here in Glasgow and this year we’ve got this.

“And you want the Lord to bring peace to these people at Christmas because their families are going to be absolutely devastated.”

Eyewitnesses described bodies lying in the road and ‘hundreds’ of emergency services.

The Scottish Fire Service tweeted: “Firefighters are in attendance at a serious incident in Queen Street, Glasgow. Our crews are working alongside other emergency responders.”

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, who’s a Catholic, tweeted: “There is a major incident in Glasgow’s George Square. Multiple emergency services on the scene. Thoughts & prayers with everyone injured.”

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

The British Ambassador to Nepal has been accused of supporting the work of Christian missionaries in the majority-Hindu nation.

Andrew Sparkes, who became the ambassador in Kathmandu in April 2013, wrote an article in the Republica newspaper to mark International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

“We encourage you to ensure that the right to change religion is protected and that the right to hold opinions and to express them freely will remain strong,” he wrote.

It was framed as an open letter addressed to members of Constituent Assembly in Nepal, the body currently responsible for redrafting Nepal’s constitution.

His remarks, which were interpreted by Hindu conservatives as part of a conspiracy to convert Nepalis to Christianity, led a number of Hindu groups to call for the British government to remove Sparkes from his post, EKantipur news website reports.

The British Embassy in Kathmandu responded with a statement last week to clarify Sparkes’ comments. “Some have misunderstood the letter’s reference to protecting an individual’s right to change religion. This was simply a reference to a fundamental individual right, set out in Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was not a reference to supporting ‘forced’ conversion or proselytising.

“Nor was the Embassy or its officials preaching or imposing any religious point of view on Nepal’s democratically elected representatives and Nepal’s citizens. Contrary to some claims, the Embassy does not hold any position on secularism – that is a matter for Nepal’s people and their elected representatives to decide,” the statement said.

Christians make up just under three per cent of Nepal’s population, although there has been significant growth among the Christian community in recent years. Critics in Nepal say this growth is owed to conversions with ‘monetary inducements’, according to the national newspaper The Rising Nepal.

Nepal was a Hindu kingdom until the end of the civil war in 2006, when it became a secular state. Hindus constitute about 80 per cent of the population, and some are calling for it to return to being a Hindu nation.

Source and Original Content by CT

A man’s evaded Vatican security for the fifth time to protest about laws which he claims cost him his business.

Marcello di Finizio perched himself on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica by using mountain climbing ropes to lower himself down from an area open to the public.

The Italian appeared on TV pacing across the roof using his mobile phone late on Sunday night.

He’s still there and has posted a ‘selfie’ on social media.

Pope Francis is due to give his Christmas address directly below where Di Finizio is.

It’s the latest of five security breaches he’s managed at the Vatican – the last in March.

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio