With his life and freedom on the line as he challenged Russia's dictatorial regime, opposition leader Alexei Navalny reached out to Christian leaders in a search for ‘eternal values’. Sergey Rakhuba of Mission Eurasia says Navalny found God as he was facing great challenges and ‘fighting for his life’. Navalny proclaimed that he abandoned atheism and professed faith in God at a court hearing in January. ‘I believe he pronounced the most powerful sermon out of that cage in the courtroom,’ Rakhuba said. ‘He referred to the Bible as an ancient book that the world should adopt and build their rules on for daily living. I think it was the most powerful presentation of the Gospel.’ Navalny quoted Matthew, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled’.

In January the AstraZeneca vaccine was approved in Europe for all adults. But several countries, including France and Germany, restricted its use in over-65s due to a lack of data about its effectiveness. France’s Emmanuel Macron claimed the vaccine was ‘quasi-ineffective’ in older age groups, and the German newspaper Handelsblatt had a similar report; but these statements are unfounded. In the over-80s, a single shot of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine appears to be over 80% effective at preventing hospitalisation. Although the regulators have both now reversed their advice, the majority of their AstraZeneca doses are yet to be used. It seems that the regulators’ prevarications, and loose talk from politicians and bureaucrats, have undermined confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Conservatives within the United Methodist Church have announced their plans to form a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, with a doctrine that does not allow for LGBTQ and same-sex marriage. The move is expected to hasten the long-anticipated split of the nation's largest mainline Protestant denomination. The conference at which such a split would be debated has now been postponed to August 2022. ‘The church is basically stalemated right now,’ said Rev Keith Boyette, chair of the Transitional Leadership Council, which is guiding the creation of the Global Methodist Church. Another member of the council said, ‘I am convinced the Global Methodist Church will be a vibrant, vital expression of Methodism in terms of its teachings and ethics’.

The United Nations have declared 2021 the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. Children are being deprived of their childhood, their potential and their dignity. The worst forms include the sale and trafficking of children. For example trafficked children in Ghana worked longer hours, performed more hazardous work, and were more frequently prevented from attending school than non-trafficked children in the fishing industry. Also trafficked children do not have proper clothing and shelter and are more likely to be beaten. Trafficked girls risk sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Child labour can last for years, leaving children traumatised and robbing them of an education and social mobility. Covid-19 has closed schools, so teachers are not around to notice signs of abuse. An estimated 150 million people are in extreme poverty, creating conditions for child labour in its worst forms.