Plagued the a n cs currently to South African president jacob zuma now the contest to select his successor threatens to split the poxy. And Australian Police arrest a man accused of acting as an agent on behalf of north korea they say try to broker the sale of missile components in cold to third parties in indonesia and vietnam. On having a home free good to have you with us would be good in pakistan where a Suicide Attack on a Church Service has left at least nine people dead and dozens wounded gunman targeted a Methodist Church in quite where hundreds of worship us were attending Services Ahead of Christmas Police and army troops around of the church and exchanged fire with the heavily armed militants before one of the attack as new himself on the socalled Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Well joining us now on the line from islamabad is journalist. Asked that the socalled Islamic States claim responsibility for this attack how credible is that while absolutely so that thats just come in through there a mock news agency where they have released a short statement claiming that they had sent two attackers to this church now the credibility of these claims that have come in several times before is almost impossible to verify Islamic State has done this often where when its a tactic space and when it hasnt been playing in the hours that follow it they will release a statement that doesnt make them in some way usually the only way to corroborate whether they were actually involved is if a second statement comes in later in the day which often will have pictures of the attackers or will have some sort of video statement that kind of corroborates an actual physical link to the operational planning of this attack we do know that Islamic State has carried out attacks or the socalled Islamic State has carried out attacks in baluchistan before through local affiliates known as the last cottage and we and other me where so far hearing nothing from that group saying that they were involved in this so we will have to wait and see whether or not this is really a credible claim all right well were still learning more about the attack at this stage whats the latest you can tell us about the situation on the ground. Well at the moment now it seems that the area has been completely cured the police and army have finished their search and for an operations following the attack which occurred somewhere around Midday Services today on sunday eight seen two attackers workers attempting to gain entry into the compound they were first pretended by the guard who was at the gate that guard was killed by one of them and then the other attackers began to fire as they came into the into the main hall or tried to access the main hall police with an alerted and opened fire upon them one Suicide Attacker then blew up his vest another was unable to blow up his vest but then was continuing to fire for a short while later he was then killed by police as well most of the injuries and the deaths that weve seen have come from were hearing from the shattered glass and windows that were blown up from the force of the explosion that was outside the church itself and blew that debris into into the church and the worshippers so as of now it seems that the chief of police has said that the Search Operations are over and they have secured the area as had our attacks on the christian minority comment in this region yes absolutely weve seen unfortunately a number of attacks targeting all the fathers of minorities including christians in the last few years christians have always been a soft target in this country as they are is the number more than in the millions really impacts on there about one point eight percent of the population and so there are hundreds of churches across the country and police say that its while they do it tend to security at time particularly at times like these in the run up to christmas its almost impossible to secure all of them one of the biggest attacks that we saw was last year of course near easter there was a bombing at a park that was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban that killed more than seventy five people and was one of the deadliest attacks that year that was dark getting a festival that was being organized for mainly for christians to celebrate easter but there are muslims and all other pakistanis out there as well this was in the eastern city of lahore weve seen other attacks as well in the last few years generalist as that hashimi in islamabad thank you. Now who will succeed South African president jacob zuma as head of his Ruling African NationalCongress Party thousands of delegates are set to decide the answer to that question at a Party Congress in johannesburg Deputy President serum opposer is facing off against seumas exwife imposes on a. The winner is seen as likely to succeed jacob zuma as the countrys president as. Well for more on this im joined in the studio by d. W. Christine christine will we find out today who the next party leader will be all while we wait with baited breath and unfortunately in our streets to seem has come from the partys deputy secretary general to say because of the delays that weve seen pretty much since the start of this conference they only finalized the credentials earlier that late this morning essentially thats the procedure that must take place before voting can actually commence there were issues about certain delegates who were who were who were given a criticize who people had issue with and then there were some delegates who claim they could not be a creative side for the conference so there was a lot of issues around that so that we understand has been finalized but hell more delays so were going to have to wait until probably tomorrow morning at the latest to get the issues delays the divisions are already stark within the a. N. C. Just this potentially spell the beginning of the end for the party ellen if you had made that statement two years ago we would have talked about it being potentially sensationalist but we are in a New Territory with the a. N. C. Jacob zuma leadership of this party has brought it to a place that weve not seen before going into this there were eight president ial candidates people vying for this top job in the secretary general of the party said that was indicative of just how deeply rooted the divisions within this party were at an all time low with its partners they see is that right now one of the partners the the south African Communist Party refuses to have president zuma address its congresss so this is where we are at this party deeply. Divided a lot of faction is factions and people say that the threat of a split is real now more than its ever been the threat of a split and its certainly a tight race that were seeing here at the top candidates it is telling of the two top candidates so youve gotten calls on it and its stupid decision shes a woman shes held several big portfolios in south africas cabinet including interior minister most recently she was the chairperson of the African Union the perfect politician shes a woman and thats what people in politics are calling for right now in south africa the challenge she has is shes affiliated with jacob zuma he endorsed her and the problem with her is that people feel that if she takes over as n. C. President and potentially the president of south africa in two thousand and nineteen she will shield him from the prosecution that people say he needs to see that he needs to face his day in court weve had various ports in south africa saying hes breached the constitution people want him to be held to account people also feel that his style of politics will simply play out through her then youve got his deputies sorum of course or who by the way was meant to succeed Nelson Mandela way back when but has now come back hes been in business hes come back into politics he said he is ready to assume the role of leading the country his challenges that hes one of the richest men in the country a lot of black South Africans look at him and think youre too closely affiliated with the white monopoly capital race is still a massive thing in south African Society and so serious critics are very quick to remind the public that sort of also is so rich and he will only do the bill of the bidding of the western world for example all white people who by and large still hold south africas wealth now we saw that final speech from jacob zuma in my capacity as leader of the air and see he admitted failings of the party how was it received well heres the thing so you talked about the failings of the party he talked about the failings of of government at large even but he didnt take any of the blame he educated the blame to everybody and anybody else but himself and people felt that that was a moment that indeed it could have taken to say this is where we gotta draw this is where it could be improved but he says. Cle elum case the blame to to their lives partners to certain members who had even taken the party to court he scolded people for allowing external forces and influences within the party and people are saying as the leader of the party youve presided over a boss that has disintegrated to the point that we see the divisions that we see today the corruption levels he chose to to rile the dirt on private sector corruption and merely glancing over a Public Safety program in which is crippling that countrys economy and and keeping investment away christine thanks as ever since then and. Now to some of the other stories making news around the world thousands of ukrainians gathered in essential kiev for an Anti Corruption rally led by opposition figure Mikhail Saakashvili the former president of georgia has been calling for the removal of all agog from the government and the impeachment of ukrainian president petro poroshenko. Polls have opened in chiles run off president ial election the vote vote determine if the country turns right with conservative billionaire president Sebastian Pinera or stays on its center left course candidate that one hundred days is supported by the current president michel. In the philippines Tropical Storm tack has triggered landslides and floods that have killed more than thirty people and wrecked several others missing the slow moving storm passed over the eastern philippines on saturday officials report heavy damage to power lines roads and bridges. Police in australia have arrested a man for allegedly acting as an economic agent for north korea hes accused of attempting to broker a sales of Missile Technology in coal to third parties in indonesia and vietnam that naturalized Australian Citizen of korean descent is the first person to be charged under the countrys weapons of mass destruction act. The police have called it a case like nothing ever seen on a stray in soil sydney resident chan han choice stands accused of working as an economic an agent for north korea he allegedly used encrypted messages to try and broker sales of illegal exports including missile parts and technology in an effort to raise money for pyongyang astray and Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull delivered a stern warning to anyone thinking of assisting north korea. North korea is a dangerous reckless criminal regime threatening the pace of the region it is vitally important that all nations work relentlessly to enforce those sanctions because the more economic pressure that can be brought on north korea the soon art world that regime will be brought to its senses if its five showing yang to expand its Intercontinental Missile capabilities have excel aerated in recent months resulting in a tightening of economic sanctions a strain federal Police Assistant commissioner neil gown told reporters that the case is a sign those measures are having an effect. By sweetly as an economic idea on behalf of north korea theres nothing to suggest hes doing anything but that is doing it of a patriotic purpose you know i think at the end of the day he would so whatever he could to to make money back the north korean government i think it does go to show that the sections of boarding the fact that weve got people involved in those top of activities and Police Believe chan hang choice illicit deals could have netted north korea tens of millions of dollars in much needed revenue. And the United States authorities have ordered new evacuations in parts of california as a Massive Wildfire continues to spread fierce winds have pushed the inferno closer to Santa Barbara and want to see to it with thousands of homes now threatened by the place. More than seven hundred homes have been engulfed by these flames. And nest a place reaches the city of monta seato its residents could only pray for the best. The fire has been devastating california for two weeks and has now become the Third Largest wildfire the state has ever recorded. The firefighters have been battling around the clock but strong winds are keeping that task extremely difficult. So some again this is the firefighters were facing last night were the expected the sundowners to hit somewhere between two am four am so strong winds our north pushing the fire back downhill so extremely gusty cold. You know rules of human is being low its a very hazardous day and very hazardous firefighting facing a high threat tens of thousands in some parts of Santa Barbara and venturer have been forced to leave their homes. And the smoke has blotted out the county sploofus skies. Authorities say the wind has shifted in the firefighters favor but so far only forty percent of the blaze has been contained. Some sports news now and sundays early game in the in his league was an eight goal thriller between one of our naval coups and the teams traded blows with changing hands three times before they both had to settle for a four four draw lay on a baby scored twice to secure a point for the visitors the result and extend their unbeaten run to twelve games for. Thousands of people have turned out at the vatican to wish pope francis a happy birthday the pontiff turns eighty one today crowds shouted their good wishes to frantically delivered his weekly address earlier in the day to pope joint children from the vatican Medical Clinic where he was presented with not one but two birthday cakes the first somewhat more traditional second. More news at the top of the hour join me that if you can. My first bicycle was a sewing machine. Where i come from women are balanced by this notion for. Something as simple as learning how to ride a bicycle it isnt. Since i was a little girl i want