The schoolgirl was kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, along with 109 other female pupils in February 2018.

Leah has remained in captivity for over a year for refusing to denounce her Christian faith.

As persecution towards Christians continues to rise in Nigeria, The Archbishop of Jos, in Plateau state, has spoken out about the lack of progress that has been made to release Miss Sharibu, following promises made by President Buhari to bring her back.

Speaking to Premier, Archbishop Ben said he’s concerned that religious persecution is being ignored: “There has been no more news about Leah Sharibu. They have politicised it – in fact, some of the media have said that it wasn’t because she’s a Christian. But that’s not true. It is the three girls who narrated the story of how Leah Sharibu was kept back. They’re the ones who first told the world that Leah was kept back because she would not confess the Islamic faith.

He continued: “until truth is told, and until justice is done, it would seem that the poor in this country and especially the poor Christians, who are the majority farmers, are going to be slaughtered every day until God does something.”

The GAFCON general secretary has experienced persecution by the Boko Haram first hand and had his life threatened on three occasions.

He said incidents of violence towards Christians by Islamic militants…

Daniel Kubuya Mastaki, 46, is the first to die from the disease in the city of Goma after he contracted it while praying for people in the Butembo area, north of Goma.

The Ebola outbreak was declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday after news of the pastor’s death.

The WHO said they were also disappointed at the delays of funding a good response.

The pastor was working in Butembo and was praying for people who were sick before he travelled to Goma, on the border with Rwanda, by bus.

Esperant Mulumba, Christian Aid’s Acting Country Manager for the Democratic Republic of Congo, told Premier’s News Hour how Daniel Kubuya Mastaki contracted the deadly disease: “This pastor had been in the Butembo area where he was ministering and he was working.

“He was praying for people that were sick and among the people that he was praying for were Ebola patients. It is said that he had physical contact with the patients, with the Ebola cases, as he was praying for them – as he touched them during the prayer session – and later on travelled from Butembo to Goma with a group of around 18 people in a minivan.

“Upon arrival, he presented some symptoms, but first went home to try and see if there was a way to manage it with usual household drugs and when this was not possible he went into a medical facility that…

According to comments published in Liverpool Cathedral’s annual review this week, the Very Reverend Sue Jones has argued that a Cathedral’s survival is dependent on the number of visitors they are able to attract.

The review came after an installation by Luke Jerram entitled ‘Museum of the Moon’ in the Cathedral’s Great Hall last month got over 200,000 visitors.

In her review, Very Reverend Sue attributed increased footfall to the range of activities showcased at the venue and their effectiveness to engage with culture, citing The Knife Angel – a memorial to those affected by knife crime – and the funeral of British comedian and singer Sir Ken Dodd, as examples of engaging with their local community.

She said: “Cathedrals that fail to adapt will fail to thrive, fail to survive. We owe it to future generations to prevent this from happening. I intend Liverpool Cathedral to thrive into the future.”

She added: “Liverpool Cathedral is one of the pioneers in creatively thinking for the future.

“I’ve seen a cathedral community that cried with the city, cheered with the city, fed the city and prayed for the city,” said the Dean.

The review argues that creativity is vital to a cathedrals engagement with and service to its local community.

“We say we were built by the people, for the people to the Glory of God.

“To live up to that we have to help people encounter us. And as…