Neighbourhood Prayer Network is urging churches to apply for funding from the 'Know Your Neighbourhood Fund' of £30 million being allocated to 27 of the most disadvantaged local authorities. The government launched it with The National Lottery, Historic England and UK Community Foundations to increase the number of projects which help improve wellbeing and social connections. Recent research revealed that adults are more likely to report feeling lonely if they live in a deprived area and that areas with higher unemployment rates tend to have higher rates of loneliness. Loneliness can impact anyone at any time in any community, and the work of voluntary organisations to reduce isolation and loneliness has been in demand since the pandemic.

Wagner is giving ‘career talks’ in Russian schools to recruit young soldiers. Wagner, Putin’s private army distributed questionnaires entitled ‘Application of a Young Warrior’ to collect pupils' details. Moscow attempted to win the Bakhmut conflict with a ‘human wave’ of battalions of convicts, followed by elite Wagner troops. Half are now dead. This initiative will not replace the convict recruit pipeline. Wagner made slow gains at an immense cost. Pray for the ‘career talks’ to fall on deaf ears as adults to protect vulnerable teenagers. Meanwhile on 16th March a short circuit appeared to have caused a fire, which ignited fuel tanks in a building used by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB is Russia's internal security service, responsible for counterintelligence, border security and counter-terrorism. There has been a spate of arson attacks on government buildings, such as enlistment and conscription offices since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The international criminal court in The Hague will seek arrest warrants against Russian individuals over war crimes. The arrest warrants come a year after the prosecutor opened investigations into possible war crimes against humanity and genocide. He has made three trips to Ukraine sites of alleged violations. Putin’s spokesperson said, ‘We do not recognise this court; or its jurisdiction.’ Russia left the leading human rights watchdog, Council of Europe, and threatened to withdraw from the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization, thereby deepening the country’s isolation from the west.

Freddy has weakened then re-intensified breaking all records and has the highest-ever accumulated energy for a single cyclone. This long-lasting cyclone refuses to dissipate, tearing through Malawi and Mozambique. 190 have died in Malawi, many more are injured and 5 are confirmed dead in Mozambique, but the extent of damage and deaths is not yet clear and expected to rise. Mudslides are hampering searches for survivors and many affected areas are cut off. The church is already responding with shelter and food for those whose homes are destroyed and giving psychosocial support to the bereaved as they bury the dead. Malawi's power supply has been crippled with most parts of the country experiencing lengthy blackouts. Cyclones are expected this time of year, but they are becoming much more intense and dangerous due to climate change. Pray for God to wrap his arms around all who are affected by this disaster.