We’re facing mountains of plastic pollution. 2 billion people have no safe way to dispose of rubbish, and its people in poverty who are suffering the worst impacts of the rubbish problem. They must live and work among piles of waste, which releases toxic fumes, floods communities and causes up to a million deaths annually. During 2023 and 2024, nearly 200 governments are meeting to develop the first-ever global treaty on plastic pollution. But it’s not a done deal, so Christians from six continents are calling people to take bold action and petition their leaders who are responsible for food and rural affairs or the environment, plus all who are negotiating on the plastics treaty - To create an effective, binding plan that holds big polluters to account, reduces plastic production, supports the vital work of waste pickers, and ends the impacts of plastic pollution on people living in poverty. See

Imagine you’re looking for a new job. You come across an advert online for a well-paid, dream role. You get the job and move to a different country, full of excitement for this amazing opportunity. But when you arrive, you realise you’ve been sold a lie. It's too late. You’re trapped inside a compound, forced to scam people with fake romance or investment opportunities. You’re electrocuted if you don’t hit your targets. This nightmare of cyber-scam slavery is a reality for thousands of people in Southeast Asia. Pray for God to give success to the people who are tirelessly working to free the captives from these walled compounds. Pray for the traffickers to be caught and convicted so that those who were deceived and entrapped receive justice.

The state of New York has agreed to pay $250,000 to a Christian adoption agency after trying to shut it down for its religious beliefs. The settlement ensures that New Hope Family Services can no longer be targeted for its faith-based policies of placing children solely with married, heterosexual couples. New Hope is a private religious ministry that doesn’t receive any government funding, their faith-guided services don’t coerce anyone, and do nothing to interfere with other adoption providers who have different beliefs about family and the best interests of children.

‘I woke up with excruciating pain at the back of my head and felt like if a person were to pop my head with a pin, it would explode. I couldn’t even lay my head down without bolting back up in pain. I partook of holy Communion and confessed my healing. The next day, the pain was more unbearable. I curled up in a ball, crying in pain. I told the Lord I really needed the pain to go! While crying, I continued to feed my spirit healing scriptures. I tuned on YouTube and listened to a sermon on Healing soaking up every word. Then he began to pray after saying ‘You don’t have to pray. Let me pray for you. God wants you to receive. Rest and believe He loves you and is healing you!’  I did as he said with tears streaming down my face. God’s healing came. I haven't had any pain since.’

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s budget scrapped the lifetime allowance on tax-free pension contributions. There were other key measures: Free 30 hours per week childcare is expanded to cover children from nine months to two years old. Fuel duty is frozen for another year and government help with energy bills is extended by three months. Funding will be provided for 50,000 places on a voluntary employment scheme for disabled people, called Universal Support. Tougher requirements to look for work and increased job support for lead child carers on universal credit. More places on ‘skills boot camps’ to encourage over-50s who have left their jobs to return to the workplace. Defence spending and corporation tax will be increased. The economy is forecast to grow by 1.8% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025 and Inflation is forecast to fall from 10.7% last year to 2.9% by the end of this year.

Christian Labour MP Alex Cunningham said, ‘the budget lacks ambition to tackle the cost of living crisis and support those in need. There is nothing to deal with rising poverty. We need much more done for people at the bottom end of the income line. Above all we need to ensure food supplies are improved - we have already seen prices rise due to shortages. We must tackle these things in order to drive down inflation so that people get better benefits out of the money they have.’ The latest data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that 23% of adults in Great Britain are borrowing more money or using more credit. Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church, Paul Morrison, said that the Budget's number one priority should be to support the poor. People are experiencing destitution in the UK. Destitution should not happen in a country as wealthy as ours.

Harassment, rejection, torture, and death cause many to flee their country. Faiza went from living a comfortable life with her Muslim family to being divorced, homeless and on the streets after she connected with Christians online who helped her study the Bible. God’s Word came alive, bringing answers to her questions and she came to faith in Jesus. Then swift unrelenting persecution came including physical abuse from her husband, who eventually divorced her and took her children away. She lost her job, so her income disappeared. When she heard that her uncle planned to kill her, she knew she must flee. She recalls crying and asking God to come closer so she could hear his voice. She was tired of being homeless, a disgrace and shame to her family, and always in need. ‘I cannot go back to my home country. I will die. Without a visa and no one to help.’ See also

Campaigners say freedom of thought is being criminalised after MPs voted against an amendment to protect silent prayer and consensual conversations around abortion clinics. The amendment proposed to protect peaceful prayer and conversations was lost by 116 in favour to 299 against. Christian advocacy group ADF UK said that this is the first time that Parliament has voted to introduce in modern British history 'thought crime'. Nobody should be arrested, go to court and face these measures simply for holding a peaceful silent prayer in their own mind. The censorship zones around abortion clinics are intended to prevent the harassment of women using abortion services, but this new legislation removes ‘valid choices’ for those in crisis pregnancies and is ‘devastating’ for women and Christians.  MP Andrew Lewer said, ‘the clause leads us into the territory of thought crimes and creates unprecedented interference with the rights to freedom of speech and thought in the UK that would not be out of place in a dystopian novel’.

A 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers.  In addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up the past year's pay award.  Unions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end. The offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.  Fourteen unions were represented at the talks, covering: nurses, ambulance staff, physiotherapists, midwives, support staff, including cleaners and porters. The biggest three - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - are all backing the deal, while Unite the Union has said it cannot recommend it to members but will put it to a vote.

On 27 February around 100 people gathered online from across Scotland and beyond in prayer declaring the greatness and goodness of God, confessing the sins of the nation, and praying into aspects of the conduct and process of the SNP leadership campaign. They decided to meet online again on 13 March, the same day that SNP members began voting for their new leader. Voting ends on 27 March. This election is not only important for the SNP, it is significant for the whole of Scotland and beyond.  The new SNP leader will be Scotland’s First Minister, leading the Scottish Government, dealing with leaders of the rest of the United Kingdom, notably with London’s PM and Cabinet. They must maintain the SNP's place in Government, while pushing forward Independence. With Sturgeon no longer leader, her opponents could grasp the opportunity for electing an alternative government - firmly cementing the future of the Union.  See also