David Shadrach

UK's Christian heritage stressed in PM's Christmas message Britons should "take pride" in their country's Christian heritage at Christmas, Theresa May has said. In her Christmas message, the prime minister said there is a "confidence... that in Britain you can practice your faith free from question or fear". She also praised the emergency services for their Grenfell Tower and Manchester and London terror attacks responses. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's message says people should help those "cut off and lonely", and in war-torn nations. The Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable spoke of the need for more affordable housing, and mental health support, while SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to people working as volunteers at Christmas. Inspiring heroes Mrs May began her message by thanking "those whose service to others means they will be spending time away from their loved ones this Christmas". She paid tribute to the "men ...

Trump's UN Jerusalem failure a 'gift to Iran': Haaretz NEWS / ISRAEL  Jerusalem Israel Iran United States Middle East US President Donald Trump must decide by mid-January whether he will continue to waive sanctions on Iran [Joshua Roberts/Reuters] US President Donald Trump's failure to rally support at the United Nations for his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital amounted to a "gift to Iran", according to an analysis published by the Haaretz daily news website. The UN vote last week, in which a resounding majority of member states declared Trump's move to be null and void , constituted "a worldwide vote of no confidence" in the US president, "from which Israel will suffer the next time it seeks to draft the international community to some joint effort against Iran or any other enemy", stated the analysis, published on the weekend. "Hostility between the European Union, Russia and China and the United States re...

North Korea: New UN sanctions an act of war North Korea has described the latest UN sanctions imposed on the country as an "act of war". A foreign ministry statement said the measures were tantamount to a total economic blockade, the official KCNA news agency reported. It added that strengthening North Korea's deterrence was the only way to frustrate the US. The UN Security Council imposed the new sanctions on Friday in response to Pyongyang's ballistic missile tests. The US-drafted resolution - unanimously backed by all 15 Security Council members - includes measures to slash North Korea's petrol imports by up to 90%. North Korea is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU. North Korea crisis in 300 words Can the world live with a nuclear North Korea? Sanctions won't stop us, warns N Korea What did the North Korean statement say? Characteristically bellicose, it described the latest UN sanctions "as a violent breach of our re...

Why are British Muslim marriages unprotected by law? FEATURE / ISLAM  MUSLIM MARRIAGE IN THE UK 60 percent Muslim marriages religious-only, unregistered 28 percent do not realise Islamic ceremony not legally recognised 66 percent know union has no legal status 50 percent do not intend to have marriage legalised - Source: Channel 4 survey Aina Khan Aina Khan is a journalist focusing on race, faith and identity. She's reading a masters in religion in politics at SOAS.  @ ainajkhan United Kingdom Islam Europe, Maureen, right, was not entitled to financial support after her husband Rashid - the father of her child - passed away [Courtesy: Maureen] London, England - When Maureen wed her husband Rashid in a Muslim ceremony in 1973 in Bradford, she knew that should the relationship fall apart, she would not be entitled to share his assets. Her marriage was sanctified in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of the state it was "unregistered", not legal, and so financial protection...

Philippines Tropical Storm Tembin kills 180 on Mindanao More than 180 people are reported to have been killed as a tropical storm swept through the southern Philippines, with dozens more missing. Storm Tembin brought flash flooding and mudslides to parts of Mindanao island. Two towns badly hit were Tubod and Piagapo, where a number of homes were buried by boulders. Tembin, with winds of up to 80km/h (50 mph), has passed across Mindanao and reached the resort islands of Palawan, and will now move further west. The Philippines suffers regularly from deadly tropical storms, although Mindanao is not often hit. Tembin, known as Vinta in the Philippines, started lashing Mindanao on Friday, with a state of emergency declared in some parts, including the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur regions. Regional officials quoted by the Rappler website said there were 127 fatalities in Lanao del Norte, up to 50 in the Zamboanga peninsula and at least 18 in Lanao del Sur. Tubod police officer Gerry Par...

£500m passport claim 'fake news', says May aide Robbie Gibb Theresa May's communications director has hit out at "fake news" after a claim about the cost of post-Brexit blue British passports was shared tens of thousands of times on Twitter. Robbie Gibb said deliberately misrepresenting government policies "harms our democracy". Ex-Dragon's Den panellist James Caan had shared claims the passports would cost £500m but later withdrew them. The new passports will be issued from October 2019. The redesign, which happens routinely every five years, will come as part of a £490m contract which also includes printing and assembling passports and runs for 11 and a half years. But Mr Caan had claimed it would cost £500m just to change the colour. Blue passport to return after Brexit Should the British passport be blue? He tweeted: "A country that would spend £500m to change the colour of a passport while children sleep on the streets is a country whose pr...

Pentagon: Boeing wins $6.2bn contract for Qatar's F-15 NEWS / QATAR  INFOGRAPHIC The growing militarisation of the GCC Middle East Qatar United States Pentagon US & Canada, Qatar will buy 72 F-15s from the United States in a deal worth $12bn [File: Reuters] The US Department of Defense has announced that Boeing has been awarded a $6.2bn contract to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for Qatar's air force. The multi-role aircraft are to be delivered at the end of 2022 and will be built by the aerospace giant in St. Louis, in the US state of Missouri, the Pentagon said on Friday. "This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force," it said in a statement. The announcement covers half of the 72 F-15s Qatar will buy from the US. The two countries signed a deal worth $12bn in total in June after negotiations started in November 2016. Qatari Minister of Defence Khalid Al Attiyah said the dea...

Deadly flooding and landslides hit the Philippines NEWS / PHILIPPINES  Philippines region hit in 2013 struggles after new storm Weather Philippines Asia Pacific More than 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing in southern Philippines after Tropical Storm Tembin triggered mud slides and flash floods on the country's second largest island, Mindanao. The Philippines Red Cross said the storm, which has lashed Mindanao since Friday, left at least 156 people dead and 291 others missing. "We're really on our toes right now," Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippines Red Cross told repoting on Saturday. "And we're trying to figure out how to give help to so many people that are really in danger right now." It is heartbreaking that days before Christmas, the wrath of typhoon #VintaPH resulted in 156 deaths, 291 missing, & 86 injured individuals. Our Operations Center & chapters across Visayas & Mindanao are continuously monitorin...

US to provide weapons support to Ukraine NEWS / UNITED STATES  Ukraine United States Europe, The US says it will give Ukraine what it calls 'enhanced defensive capabilities'. US media are reporting the new arms include anti-tank missiles, but the state department has not confirmed lethal weapons will be sent. Washington has been providing Ukraine with support equipment and training in its battle against pro-Russia separatists.

Cuban dance performers suffer setbacks amid US travel ban NEWS / UNITED STATES  Cuba United States Latin America Arts & Culture One of the victims of Washington's decision to stop issuing travel visas from its embassy in Cuba is a unique dance company, that is no stranger to restrictions, both at home and abroad. But it is trying to make it work, Lucia Newman reports from Havana. Have your say. Give us feedback.

Constantino Chiwenga named ZANU-PF deputy NEWS / ZIMBABWE  READ MORE Robert Mugabe: Portrait of a presidency Politics Zimbabwe Africa, Chiwenga played a key role in the peaceful coup that lead to Mugabe's resignation [File: Reuters] Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a military commander who played a big part in the ousting of former leader Robert Mugabe as one of his deputies in the ruling party. The appointment of retired general Constantino Chiwenga at the senior ZANU-PF position, was announced on in a statement by the presidential press secretary. Kembo Mohadi, a long-serving state minister, was also named ZANU-PF vice president. Chiwenga, who resigned this week from his military role, was instrumental in a coup last month that eventually forced 93-year-old Mugabe to hand in his resignation letter after ruling the country for 37 years. The appointments are seen as a first step towards their elevation to vice president of the country. Ruling party deputies a...

Canada introduces scheme to improve food productivity NEWS / FOOD  Canada Food Agriculture Environment US & Canada, The high cost of fresh food is one of the many challenges for those living in Canada 's remote north. Cold temperatures, lack of sunlight and poor soil mean that vegetables and fruit have to be imported from thousands of kilometres away. The government has introduced a scheme to make it cheaper and even profitable for communities to grow food.

US congress approves funds for child healthcare programme NEWS / UNITED STATES  US & Canada United States, congress has approved a short-term injection of funds for a government programme that provides healthcare support to millions of children from low-income families. Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program known as CHIP lapsed at the end of September. Kristen Saloomey reports from New York

Philippines Tropical Storm Tembin kills dozens in Mindanao At least 90 people are reported to have been killed as a tropical storm swept through the southern Philippines, with dozens more missing. Storm Tembin brought flash flooding and mudslides to parts of Mindanao island. Two towns badly hit were Tubod and Piagapo, where a number of homes were buried by boulders. Tembin, with winds of up to 80km/h (50 mph), has now passed across Mindanao and is heading over the southern tip of Palawan before moving further west. The Philippines suffers regularly from deadly tropical storms, although Mindanao is not often hit. Tubod police tolds agencyTt there had been at least 19 deaths in the town. "The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there," he said. Who cleans up after hurricanes, earthquakes and war? Economic losses from natural disasters counted He said volunteers were digging through mud to try to recover bodies in the village of Dalama. An...

Iraq's paramilitary troops deployed at Syrian border NEWS / IRAQ  War & Conflict Iraq Middle East ISIS Roughly 63 factions make up Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces [Ari Jalal/Reuters] Iraq's Shia paramilitaries have deployed fighters to the Syrian border to support security forces after multiple attacks from within Syria. "After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch," Qassem Mesleh, the PMF commander for Iraq's western Anbar province, said in a statement on Friday. "Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian border in border guard positions to repel any attack or movement by the enemy. This area is not within the PMF's remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces." The PMF is largely outside of government...

UN imposes new sanctions on North Korea NEWS / UN  READ MORE S Korea, Japan seek to mount pressure on N Korea WATCH: How developed is North Korea's nuclear programme? (2:45) North Korea UN Nuclear weapons United States Politics The UN Security Council has unanimously voted to impose tough new sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's latest missile test . The sanctions, passed on Friday, include a ban on nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea. The restrictions, proposed by the US, are designed to prevent Pyongyang from furthering its nuclear programme . Mike Hanna, reporting from the UN, said the move was a "significant ramping up" of sanctions against North Korea. "The idea is to squeeze North Korea as tightly as possible to reduce its income, reduce its revenues, and in that way hopefully drive it to the negotiating table and also for it to stop its missile development process," he said. The resolution also orders North Ko...