Man arrested after woman, 19, found dead in Maidstone

Crime reporter,kent(wp/bbc):

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 19-year-old woman was found dead at a property in Maidstone.

Kent Police said its officers attended an address in London Road following a call at 13:18 GMT.

South East Coast Ambulance Service were also sent to the scene and confirmed the teenager was dead.

Police said a 27-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. They said the pair are believed to have known each other.

Man dies after being hit by police car in Liverpool

Staff reporyter,Liverpool(wp/bbc):

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a police car in Liverpool on Christmas night.

The man - who has yet to be identified - was knocked down on Scotland Road at around 18:50 GMT and was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Merseyside Police reported the incident to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

An IOPC spokesman said investigators had assessed the scene and decided to carry out an independent investigation.

Scotland Road was closed following the incident, which Merseytravel said also prompted the closure of the Bootle-bound sliproad from the Wallasey Tunnel.

In a statement, Merseyside Police said: "Emergency services attended and the pedestrian was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

"Enquiries are ongoing to identify him and inform his next of kin."

Two teens charged with murder following death of 25-year-old from knife wounds

Crime reporter,London(wp/reuters):

Two teenage boys have been charged with the murder following the death of 25-year-old Wilham Mendes.

Mr Mendes was a Portuguese national who has lived in the UK since 2015 and a keen boxer, Scotland Yard said as they named him on Monday.

He was found in Albert Place, Tottenham, at around 1.20am with multiple knife wounds.

Police officers attended along with London Ambulance Service (LAS) and he was taken to an east London hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2.13am.

Mr Mendes' next of kin are aware and a post-mortem examination will be held in due course, police said.

The pair of boys, aged 15, were arrested on December 23 and charged on Christmas Eve.

They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, December 26.

Prince Philip misses Christmas Day church service

Royal correspondent,England(wp/reuters):
Britain’s Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, missed a traditional Christmas Day church service on Tuesday, though a royal source said that the 97-year old was in good health and just wanted to spend the day in private.

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, married Elizabeth in 1947 and has been by his wife’s side throughout her reign, the longest in British history.

“The duke is in perfectly good health, he is just spending the day privately,” the royal source said.

Former naval officer Philip, who had successful hip replacement surgery earlier this year, retired from public life last year, quipping at the time that he was no longer able to “stand up much”.

Senior members of the royal family traditionally attend a Christmas service at the St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, eastern England.

Elizabeth attended, as did Charles, Prince of Wales, heir to the throne. Charles’ wife, Camilla, did not attend, according to a Reuters photographer at the church.

Charles’ sons, Princes William and Harry, also went to the service with their wives, Kate and Meghan.

The U.S. born actress, who is pregnant, exchanged a smile with Kate as they walked to church.

Elizabeth will say in her Christmas message that the traditions of peace and goodwill need to be heeded as much as ever, and people should respect each other even when they harbour the most deeply held differences.

According to excerpts released by Buckingham Palace, the 92-year-old monarch will also speak of family and friendship following a year in which her grandson Harry married Meghan at a dazzling ceremony.

The queen has avoided commenting in public on contentious issues, and the excerpts make no mention of the visit in July by U.S. President Donald Trump or the turmoil over Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Speaking about the birth of Jesus, she will say: “I believe his message of peace on earth and goodwill to all is never out of date. It can be heeded by everyone; it’s needed as much as ever.”

“Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good step towards greater understanding.”

Britain commissions review of Christian persecution worldwide

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):

 Britain has commissioned an independent review into the persecution of Christians to find practical steps to support followers of a religion that it said has been subject to a dramatic rise in violence worldwide.

Some 215 million Christians worldwide faced persecution for their faith last year, it said, with Christian women and children particularly vulnerable and often subject to sexual violence as a result of their beliefs.

Last year, on average, 250 Christians were killed very month because of their faith, it said.

“So often the persecution of Christians is a telling early warning sign of the persecution of every minority,” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Today I have asked the Bishop of Truro to look at how the British government can better respond to the plight of persecuted Christians around the world.

“We can and must do more.”

The review will map Christian persecution in key countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, analyse British support and recommend a comprehensive policy response, the government said.

The Queen has sent a message to the President of Indonesia and the Indonesian people.

Royal Press:::
The Queen has sent the following message to the President of Indonesia and the Indonesian people.
"Prince Philip and I were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life following the devastating Tsunami in Indonesia.
“We send our sincere condolences to all who have lost loved ones, and those whose homes and livelihoods have been affected.
“I pay tribute to the courage and dedication of the emergency services and the volunteers that are providing support.”
Elizabeth R