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Bloodbath As Over 70 Killed In Mogadishu Bomb Blast

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Share Media caption Watch: The aftermath of the blast in Mogadishu At least 73 people are reported to have been killed by a car bomb during morning rush hour in Somalia's capital. The blast took place at a checkpoint at a busy intersection in Mogadishu. Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, director of Madina hospital, told the AP news agency they had received 73 bodies. The death toll is expected to rise. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb but al-Shabab militants have often carried out attacks there. Al-Shabab - a group of Islamist militants, allied to Al-Qaeda - has waged an insurgency for more than 10 years. It was forced out of the capital in 2011 but still controls areas of the country. Witnesses described carnage at the scene. "All I could see was scattered dead bodies ... amid the blast and some of them burned beyond recognition," said Sakariye Abdukadir, who was close to the blast. Image copyright REUTERS Image captio

God Loves Us All - Pope

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Share Image copyright EPA Image caption Pope Francis last week introduced sweeping changes to remove the rule of "pontifical secrecy" Pope Francis has ushered in Christmas by saying God loves everyone - "even the worst of us". He was speaking to thousands of people during Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. "You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things... but the Lord continues to love you," the Argentine pontiff said. This will be interpreted by some as a reference to Church scandals, including sex abuse, our correspondent says. Pope Francis will return to St Peter's Basilica later on Christmas Day to deliver the traditional papal message to the world. Among those taking part in the Mass were children chosen from countries including Venezuela, Iraq and Uganda. The BBC's Rome correspondent Mark Lowen says this is a clear gesture from the leader of 1.3 billion Cath

Christian Rumpus Over Trump Impeachment

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Share Image copyright ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES Image caption President Trump prays with faith leaders in the Oval Office Evangelical support for US President Donald Trump is back in the spotlight after the resignation of a leading journalist for Christian Post magazine. Journalist Napp Nazworth's departure follows an op-ed from another Christian outlet calling for Mr Trump's removal. The ensuing outcry has served as a proxy war among US evangelists over Mr Trump's largely unchallenged grip on the religious right. He has claimed overwhelming evangelical support since taking office. So what is behind this conflict and what are the consequences for the president? How did this controversy begin? Last week, after the US House of Representatives voted to impeach Mr Trump, Christianity Today published an editorial by editor-in-chief Mark Galli urging the president's removal. Deriding Mr Trump's "grossly immoral character", Mr Galli