Children are generally making progress to recover the learning they lost during the pandemic following action taken by the Department for Education, but disadvantaged pupils are further behind the expected level of attainment than other pupils, according to a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO). Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said, ‘The DofE needed to take action to support pupils to make up for the learning they lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and reach children who had been disproportionately affected by the disruption to schooling. Despite the progress that is being made, it is concerning that learning loss for disadvantaged pupils remains greater than for other pupils. It is vital that the Department maintains its focus on education recovery in the coming years to help all children to catch up and to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged and other pupils.’

In the latest round of industrial action over pay 85% of schools were affected by strikes. The Association of Christian Teachers say that Christians are called to follow God's will to seek justice and fairness and to respect and submit to earthly authorities, government and employers alike. The trade union movement has played a significant role in advocating for the rights and fair treatment of workers, many of whom historically were operating in dire conditions and barely making ends meet: a cause that is surely consistent with biblical teaching. Scriptures which speak about justice and righteousness and call on believers to work for justice and to care for the poor and marginalised are plentiful in both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 1:17 says, ‘Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.’

National Crime Agency (NCA) staff in Calais had only two days of official training before covering for striking Border Force staff. Border Force guards have three weeks training before interacting with the public, and then they work alongside a mentor for up to a month to ensure they can work solo checking on crimes like carrying a false passport, drug smuggling, people trafficking and modern slavery. An informed source said NCA staff had two training days, a quick familiarisation visit on Tuesday and then protecting the borders on Wednesday. They had no training to issue an IS81 form that gives officers the authority to detain people while they carry out further inquiries. It has to be issued even if someone is detained for just two minutes for a minor check. They did not have the power to detain people suspected of criminal activity.

Nine men appeared in court by video link charged with possessing offensive weapons. Police believe they had prevented a ‘serious disorder’ after discovering a sword, machetes, and a hatchet in vans in Newtownabbey. The men, aged between 18 and 41, were travelling to a relative's funeral; police were concerned over what they were going to do. In addition to possessing offensive weapons, Brian James Bradley is also charged with driving while disqualified, without insurance, and possessing a Class B drug. The judge refused bail as details provided by police ‘paint a picture of an organised, premeditated operation involving extremely dangerous weapons’ and ‘clear inference that extreme violence was going to be visited on persons unknown’. The case has been adjourned until 27 February.

A coalition of Western nations have confirmed they are willing to supply modern-made battle tanks to Ukraine. In modern warfare tanks are a key element for offensive operations to punch through enemy lines and retake territory. They provide mobile firepower, protection, shock and surprise. Concentrated in numbers, they can dislocate an enemy's defences. But they also need the support first of artillery to weaken those defences and then of infantry to hold retaken ground. History shows tanks alone don't win battles. As western nations give the go-ahead to send tanks to Ukraine, let us pray that Russia's response will not lead to even more deaths of innocent civilians.

There are currently three European cases where Christians are under attack for speaking out biblical truth concerning gender and same-sex marriage issues. Pastor Akil Pano is accused of hate speech in Albania after defending the words ‘mother’ and ‘father’ and rejecting ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’. In Malta, Matthew Grech has been accused of promoting ‘gay conversion therapy’, and in Ireland teacher Enoch Burke has been removed from his job after refusing to call a transitioning pupil by a new name and ‘gender neutral’ pronouns. Also, in Finland the case of Päivi Räsänen continues; after being acquitted for expressing her views based on the Bible about sexuality and marriage, she is again having to defend her views at the Court of Appeal.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is an Iran-supported terror organisation. On 27 January Israeli special forces conducted an unusually complex early morning raid in Jenin, eliminating a PIJ cell suspected of planning major attacks. The Associated Press reported nine dead including four Hamas terrorists and three from PIJ. The PIJ responded by issuing threats of escalation. We can pray for an increase in Israel's success against terrorism as accurate and actionable intelligence is passed on to Israel’s security forces. Hours after the raid seven people were killed outside a synagogue, and two Israelis were shot in occupied East Jerusalem. The worst violence in years across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories continues. On 29 January Pope Francis said, ‘It is with great pain that I hear news coming from the Holy Land.’ He called on Israel and Palestinians to engage in dialogue, pursue peace and halt the spiral of death.

As Zin Nwe Phyo and her classmates settled down with their teachers, bullets and bombs hit the school and children ran outside to hide. ‘Soldiers fired right through the school walls, hitting the children,’ said one eyewitness. ‘Pieces flying out of the main building injured children in the next building. There were big holes blown out of the ground floor.’ Their attackers were Russian Mi-35 helicopter gunships carrying powerful rapid-fire cannon and rockets which destroy people, vehicles and most buildings. Since Myanmar's military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, air strikes like this happen routinely in a civil war at a stalemate across much of the country. Zin Nwe Phyo and many others died that day. Resistance to military attacks on civilian targets has increased humanitarian needs and increased opportunities for Christian workers to share about Christ. Local missionaries care for children sheltering with them, opening the way to share the gospel with their parents.

When Pope Francis visited the DRC he said that the rich world must realise that people are more precious than minerals in the earth beneath them. Speaking to dignitaries at the presidential palace, he talked of ‘terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity, where vast mineral wealth fuels war, displacement and hunger. Hands off the DRC. Hands off Africa. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered.’ Congo has some of the world's richest diamond deposits as well as gold, copper, and other minerals. ‘The poison of greed has smeared its diamonds with blood,’ he said. An estimated 5.7 million people are internally displaced in Congo; 26 million face severe hunger, largely due to armed conflict. Half of the population are Roman Catholics, and the Church plays a crucial role in running schools and health facilities, as well as promoting democracy.

Persecution remains present in all South Asian countries, although location, social context and time frame all affect the intensity. In India and Nepal Christians are persecuted mostly by Hindus; in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives by Muslims; and in Sri Lanka by Buddhists. Some of this is a response of resentment and fear of church growth. But some persecution results from lack of sensitivity and wisdom by Christians ministering into these situations. Pray that evangelists, church planters and missionaries might share the gospel with love and boldness, but also with humility and wisdom. The Church in South Korea is a large and influential minority, an integral part of society. North Korea has an underground movement hunted down and reviled by the autocratic regime. But we can praise God for the recent growth of the Church in Asia through national workers, local evangelists and ordinary believers. These churches are Asian in structure, style and leadership. See also