12th May 2026

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office yesterday that while the ceasefire with Iran remained in place, it was "unbelievably weak" and referred to it as being on "massive life support". Referring to the blockade on fertilizers transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) told reporters in Paris, yesterday: "We have a few weeks ahead of us to prevent what will likely be a massive humanitarian crisis." He added, "We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation." whilst the global media has focused on the economic impacts of restricted movements of oil and gas the United Nations has been sounding the alarm of the threat the blockade poses to the world's food security, with countries in Africa and Asia likely to be particularly hard hit.  "The problem is the planting season can't wait", Moreira da Silva said, with some planting season in African countries ending within weeks. He warned that if the origin of the crisis is not resolved soon, the world will have to deal with the consequences through humanitarian aid.

Loving God, we bring to you our concerns and fears that so many of the world's poorest may suffer extreme hardship, as a consequence of a conflict so distant from them. We pray for the Holy Spirit to move among the US, Israeli, and Iranian leaders to move them into allowing ships carrying fertilizers to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. May people not involved in the Middle Eastern conflict not have their lives put at risk. May the blood of people living in Africa not be upon the hands of intransigent and powerful men living thousands of miles away. Turn waring factions away from violence. May they not be indifferent to the needs of others.  Lead them to work internationally to create hope. Loving God, inspire us all to play our part, to build a better world where every person can share in the joy of your bountiful gifts.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

JAnaïs Fournier, Anaïs Kerric, Raphaël A. Lavoie have written a research paper, "Half a Century of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Northern Gannet Eggs: Impact of Regulations".  It's an important paper because Pfas are a classed as a “forever chemical” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to a range of health issues such as cancer, thyroid disease, kidney problems and decreased immunity.  The researchers looked at levels of some of the most dangerous Pfas compounds in Canadian seabird eggs over a 55 year period and found that Pfas levels shot up from the 1960s through the peak of the chemicals’ use in the late 1990s and early aughts, then dramatically fell. Data shows the levels of Pfos fell from a peak level in the eggs of 100 parts per billion (ppb) to a level of 26ppb by 2024, a 74% drop. Levels of Pfoa are down about 40% over this time, though they ticked back up in recent years. The fall coincides with greater regulation and 3M, one of the largest producers of Pfas, moving away from Pfos.  Raphael Lavoie, a co-author and ecotoxicologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, called the findings “good news”. “We see this incredible rise to a peak where concentrations seem to be higher than toxicological threshold for those birds, then it really decreases in a nice way,” Lavoie said. “The regulations are having a good effect.”

You can find the research paper here.

Praise and glory be to you one almighty and eternal God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is the day that you have made.

We rejoice and are glad

and with thanksgiving enter your courts with praise.

We praise you, for your love endures for ever.

We praise you, for you established the times and seasons.

We praise you, for you provide all we need

to sustain us in earthly and eternal life.

We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ.

We thank you that he died for the sin of the world

and that you raised him to new life.

We praise you, that he sits at your right hand

and has sent the Holy Spirit to live within your faithful people.

We praise you, that we may share 

in your inheritance of eternal life

and live forever in your presence.

Praise and glory be to you one almighty and eternal God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 

Amen.