Dave Bookless of A Rocha writes: ‘On 4-5 October I spoke at a symposium on “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change” held in Beirut by the Middle East Council of Churches. It was remarkable to see all the diverse cardinals, metropolitans, bishops and archimandrites, and hundreds of robed and bearded priests and seminary students, all coming together to address creation care. All the churches of the region were represented - an amazing witness to Christian unity. The whole event was televised across the Middle East. Amazingly, all the Churches of the Middle East have agreed to a joint statement and call to action which will be presented at COP28, due to be held in Dubai at the end of November.’

An exposé has shown that the Bank of Baroda made it simple and easy for its agents to steal money from customers’ accounts - and some of them did. The bank’s employees had linked unauthorised mobile numbers to accounts before uploading them onto the bank’s new mobile app. These numbers were of bank staff, managers, guards, their relatives, and bank agents in remote areas. Internal documents show that some of the bank’s agents withdrew tens of thousands of rupees from customers’ accounts. The bank’s head office has asked the managers concerned to do everything necessary to restore the money to the accounts. The  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered an audit, and has told the bank to stop registering new customers on its app.

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck western Afghanistan, four days after a series of deadly quakes left at least a thousand people dead. This second earthquake struck an area near Herat early on 10 October. There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties: one spokesperson reported at least 120 injured. It flattened all 700 homes in Chahak village, which was untouched by Saturday’s quakes. Rescue workers and volunteers have been working around the clock to try to dig out survivors and bodies from the ruins of the villages since the weekend. Relief efforts have been hampered by poor infrastructure in the impoverished country, following decades of war and a decline in foreign aid.

Church leader Rev Youssef Ourahmane has been convicted of holding an unauthorised religious assembly and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a fine equivalent to approximately £600. He is vice-president of the Èglise Protestante d’Algérie (EPA), an association of around 45 Algerian churches which have been suffering under a severe crackdown that began in 2017. Many EPA-affiliated churches have been forced to close. In March 2023 a small number of Christian families spent three days in a church compound under Rev Youssef’s supervision. The small church in the compound had been sealed by order of the provincial governor in 2019. The pastor was charged with holding an unauthorised religious assembly and holding worship in a building not permitted for worship. He was convicted in absentia and was not informed of the court hearing or the verdict until mid-September. He has appealed the verdict: a hearing date has been set for 19 November.

Tension is rising in Guatemala, where protests by supporters of president-elect Bernardo Arévalo have run into a second week. They are demanding the resignation of attorney-general Consuelo Porras, who they accuse of plotting to prevent Mr Arévalo from taking office. He won the presidential election by a landslide in August, but just hours later his party was suspended by the supreme electoral tribunal - a move widely viewed as an attempt to stop Mr Arévalo, a political outsider who has campaigned against corruption, from being sworn in as planned. Ms Porras argues that the party was not properly registered, but critics point out that she only launched her investigation after Mr Arévalo secured a spot in the run-off. The protests intensified last week as demonstrators blocked key roads across the country, causing fuel and food shortages and paralysing traffic. The outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei, condemned the blockades, and asked Mr Arévalo to sit down with mediators sent by the Organisation of American States (OAS), to ensure a peaceful handover of power.

The Boys' Brigade, founded in Glasgow in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, marks its 140th anniversary as the world's first uniformed youth organisation. With a presence in sixty countries and over half a million members, it has remained committed to instilling Christian values in young lives. Regular gatherings involve Bible studies, prayer sessions, church services, and recreational pursuits. The late Queen Elizabeth II was their patron, a testament to the organisation's royal support. In honour of this milestone, the Boys' Brigade will plant an oak tree to commemorate its founder's legacy in a Heroes of the Faith woodland near Birmingham. This gesture symbolises the growth and steadfastness of the organisation over the years.

In the turbulent period of the Cultural Revolution in China, Bibles were confiscated, and churches forcibly closed. However, the Bible's journey has now evolved from being an underground rarity to becoming a cherished bestseller. Since 1987, the presence of the Bible Society's Amity Press in Nanjing has been nothing short of remarkable. This facility, the largest Bible factory in the world, has produced an astounding 90 million Bibles for dissemination within China, and 140 million copies in various languages for global distribution. The open availability of the Bible through authorised channels has played a pivotal role in the astonishing growth of the Chinese Church. Lay leaders and devoted volunteers often step forward to bridge the leadership gap, particularly in less affluent regions where a single ordained pastor may serve more than six thousand Christians. The Chinese Church's ongoing growth reflects the abundant harvest that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 9:37, where the workers are indeed few but filled with boundless devotion.

Rishi Sunak has faced sharp criticism for cancelling the northern leg of HS2, but he refuses to apologise. The PM defended the decision, stating that the cost had doubled, and he believes the new plan will benefit more people and places. He emphasised that the £36 billion saved from this project would be reinvested in various forms of transportation and across the country. While some expressed concerns about the impact on investors and the stop-start approach to infrastructure projects, Sunak disagreed and believed that it wouldn't deter investments. In his speech, Sunak positioned himself as a leader of change despite his party's long tenure in power. His decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2 has met with mixed reactions, with some northern leaders feeling left out of the process and others questioning the funding and strategic planning of alternative transport schemes.

Rishi Sunak has unveiled a plan to increase the legal smoking age by one year every year, describing it as the ‘most significant public health intervention in a generation’. This initiative has the potential to substantially reduce smoking among young people by as early as 2040. Sunak emphasised the critical importance of addressing smoking, stating that it is the leading preventable cause of death, disability, and illness in society. He argued that there is ‘no safe level of smoking’ and defended the move against concerns about individual choice. The Government anticipates that these measures could result in up to 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075. Sunak stressed the need to prevent teenagers from taking up smoking, as the majority of smokers start before the age of 20. In addition to cracking down on smoking, the Government also plans to examine and regulate the availability and marketing of vaping products, especially to children. The goal is to reduce the attractiveness of vaping to young people while providing an alternative to smoking for current smokers.

The UK has experienced its joint-warmest September since record-keeping began nearly 150 years ago. The record-breaking month was characterised by an exceptionally warm first half, featuring the year's hottest day and seven consecutive days with temperatures above 30°C in parts of the UK, an unprecedented occurrence for September. Scientists attribute this heatwave primarily to climate change, though natural factors like El Niño and ocean circulation changes have also played a role. The rise in greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, is a major contributor to this record-breaking heat. As we confront these alarming climate trends, the need for urgent ambitious climate action becomes even more critical. With global climate talks (COP28) scheduled for December, the necessity of addressing climate change's devastating effects is paramount. This record-breaking heat serves as a stark reminder that climate change is a global crisis that demands immediate attention and action.