The world is failing to give the United Nations the resources it needs to manage the worst refugee crisis in memory. For Palestinians trapped in the ruins of war-ravaged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, life is ‘a very slow death’ from hunger, barrel bombs or being beheaded. 21-year-old Nidal told the digital media project Syria Deeply, ‘Death’s coming and we cannot stop it. If we don’t get food, we’ll all die of hunger.’ Some sixty million people are on the run in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere from conflict, war and persecution; our collective moral compass seems to be failing us badly. The UN is under strain as never before. It needs $20 billion to get into places such as Yarmouk, to help the millions of refugees in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere who constitute the biggest humanitarian crisis in our lifetime. But its appeal is going largely unheard.

Alongside all the news this week about Chinese stockmarkets, Global Times tells the story of a wealthy businessman who converted to Christianity. He said that Chinese businessmen who converted to Christianity all had common characteristics - they believed their money was tainted with sin. ‘They wanted inner peace, and transformed their behaviour and their companies by changing their crooked commercial dealings.’ The Bible bans bribery, tax evasion and keeping mistresses - all of which are often considered standard conduct in business circles. The businessman said, ‘The only thought that supported me in continuing my faith was that I was following the teachings of Jesus Christ.’ This man is not unique. A number of Chinese businessmen who became wealthy by cutting corners in China’s booming cutthroat business environment have been turning to Christianity for help and spiritual consolation.

72% of respondents taking part in an online poll by MaltaToday agree that Malta’s police force needs a radical shakeup. The 1,586 respondents outnumbered the 550 respondents who stated they trusted the police but agreed the police needed to work hard to inspire more trust. 3.13% said they were not sure whether the force could be trusted or not. Over the years, the police have been embroiled in far too many controversies, with the most recent being the unethical behaviour of the family of police officers who had business interests with the family of a corrupt property entrepreneur. An internal police inquiry is now underway. In December 2014 Transparency International published its annual Corruption Perception Index, ranking Malta 43rd among 173 countries. Malta has dropped a percentage point each of the previous three years. The government's decisions, choices and actions over recent years have manifestly contributed to the perception that corruption has increased.

‘The refugee issue concerns everyone and there is a need of cooperation and common efforts to tackle it.’ said the Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Poposki, when speaking at the annual ambassadors’ conference in Skopje. The conference was also attended by the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Albanian Foreign Minister. During the trilateral meeting Mr Poposki said, ‘The refugee issue cannot be solved individually, there is a need for cooperation with everyone in Europe in order to tackle the pressure. Macedonia is looking for cooperation with countries in central and western Europe where these migrants are heading and where they wish to end their journey. Macedonia and Bulgaria are countries with a common border and common fate and we have to cooperate. This year we welcome foreign ministers from Bulgaria and Albania at the annual ambassadors’ conference. This is proof of developing good neighbourly relations.’