Ukraine has asked Russia to repatriate several high-profile prisoners, raising hopes for an exchange that could free controversial detainees caught up in the confrontation between the two countries. The two countries are separately considering appeals from thirteen Russians jailed in Ukraine to serve out their sentences in their home country. The ministry said it would take thirty days to consider the Ukrainian request, and that any repatriation would be carried out under the 1983 convention on the transfer of sentenced prisoners. Four Ukrainian men were jailed in Russia last year on what critics say were fabricated charges of terrorism designed to punish them for being pro-Ukrainian activists.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are inviting all churches to pray for the evangelisation of the nation during the week leading up to Pentecost Sunday. They have written to every serving parish priest, expressing their longing ‘to see a great wave of prayer across our land, throughout the Church of England and many other churches from 8 to15 May. The week will culminate in ‘beacon events’ around the country over Pentecost weekend, with people praying for Holy Spirit renewal and confidence to share their faith. At the heart of the prayers will be ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.’ It’s impossible to overstate the life-transforming power of the Lord’s Prayer. The Archbishops are suggesting ways in which churches can engage with the initiative.  These include holding a day or week of continuous ‘24/7’ prayer as parishes, teams or deaneries, saying special prayers in Sunday worship, prayer walking, and handing out prayer cards to congregation members. See

The European Union was birthed to foster cooperation between countries to avoid another war. It has grown into a ‘single market’ for goods and people to move around as if the EU was a country with its own currency, its own parliament and setting rules on the environment, transport, consumer rights and things like mobile phone charges. Mr Cameron’s package of changes to the UK's EU membership will take effect immediately if we vote to remain in the EU. Changes include child benefit payments to migrant workers for children living overseas to reflect the cost of living in their home countries. Mr Cameron originally wanted a complete ban on migrants sending child benefit abroad but had to compromise. Other changes are to deny free movement rights to nationals of a country outside the EU who marry an EU national, to tackle ‘sham’ marriages, and to have new powers to exclude people believed to be a security risk - even if they have no previous convictions.

The Church of England is to make far-reaching changes to the way it deals with cases of sex abuse, following an independent report detailing how senior C of E figures failed to act upon repeated disclosures of a sadistic assault by a cleric. The first independent review commissioned by the Church into its handling of a sex abuse case highlights the ‘deeply disturbing’ failure of those in senior positions to record or take action on the survivor’s disclosures over a period of almost four decades. The Church acknowledged that the report made ‘embarrassing and uncomfortable’ reading. Last October, the C of E paid £35,000 in compensation and apologised to the victim. Now a government-appointed inquiry into child sex abuse prepares to examine hundreds of thousands of files relating to the abuse of children and vulnerable adults within the Church. Justin Welby has said that abuse by Church figures and within other institutions has been ‘rampant’.