And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me ~ Ezekiel 2:2.

Introduction:

It cannot be overemphasized that every excelling goodness on earth is a product of the grace of God. Grace is favour minus the sweat and the duress of labour. Gracebrings promotion without certain known and essential credentials (Romans 9:16).

No matter how impossible things appear to be, there will always be a performance for the man who has contacted God’s exceeding grace. Even in situations where “able” men have had it rough, the ordinary man with God’s grace will still make a headway, because the Almighty God is on his side.

Grace is an outflow of the blessing of God (Genesis 33:23, 39:21; Exodus 3:21, 11:3, 12:36). It’s a supernatural admixture ofchance and divine timing, which we all call opportunity (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Grace naturally makes you a wonder on earth(Psalms 71:7).

When grace speaks, protocols are suspended, transgressions are overlooked and qualifications (or disqualifications) are set aside. With grace on your side, connections are not too important and, in fact, they’re sometimes ruled out of order. With the backing of grace, age, size and strength are no longer counted as critical factors of enthronement.

Grace and glory are inseparably intertwined! Grace is required to produce glory, which is essential to promote grace. Meanwhile, we all have personal responsibilities to the grace of God.

Our Personal Responsibilities To God’s Grace!

Everyone who has received divine grace, and is duly exposed to the truth of God’s Word via a genuine revelation of the Holy Spirit, must choose to manifest God’s glory and yield sufficiently to justify His wisdom.

There is something locked up in you that the world is waiting for. God’s Word is a seed, and when it’s properly sown into a man’s heart, the man himself becomes a servant-seed (Psalms 22:27-31). This is what makes those who bear the precious seed of God's Word dangerous materials against the devil.

Beloved child of God, the entire creation is waiting with greatest eagerness for you to manifest in glory (Romans 8:18-19). If you delay your manifestation, fake champions will continue to enjoy a field day!

Nebuchadnezzar thought there was no god beside him until the three Hebrew children showed forth the glory of the Son of God (Daniel 3:25). Even Pharaoh thought he was the Alpha and Omega until Moses showed up.

Until you manifest in the glorious power of God’s grace, those you are sent to liberate from intimidation and defeat will continue to wriggle under shackles. If Joseph had died in captivity, Israel would have been helplessly famished, and her glorious destiny would have remained hazy.

Darkness continues its rule unabated until light appears. You carry the spirit of grace and the seed of dominion within; therefore, you are a debtor to the world. The glory of the earth is incomplete until you release the portion of God's glory in you (Numbers 14:21).

It’s Time For Action!

Friends, your “today” is very important to your “tomorrow”. Your today conceives and delivers the fulfillment in your tomorrow. Your feats today are the requisite credentials for your enthronement tomorrow.

Trash the failures of the past, conquer the challenges of the present, blindside the fear of the future, and crush all the roadblocks on your life's journey to distinction. With daring tenacity, push through forcefully, and you won’t experience an empty tomorrow.

Like Benaiah of old, carry yourself with courage in the power of the Holy Ghost (2Samuel 23:20-23). Even when you’re in a difficult arena, and faced with complicated danger or anxious moments, go forth to conquer and be ever set on the course to win in life.

A glorious future is reserved for those who can forget the past and command their nerves to see God in their future(Philippians 3:13-14).

Life has no discrimination against the works of valour. Social status or gender barriers are only in the mind. If you act in valour, your background notwithstanding, you will still earn the honour.

Jael was just an ordinary woman, but she was accorded the honour of a full general when she killed Sisera who, as captain of Jabin at that time, had become a fish bone in the throat of Israel. Thereafter, the entire world sang the praises of her high feat (Judges 5:24-27).

You were not created to live like a commoner. Our Creator-God is the Most High, and you will, most certainly, be dishonouring Him if you live as the lowest nameless creature. Know that answersproduce distinction, and it is results that terminate common insults.

Stop robbing the world of the benefit of your uniqueness. Show up now, and become a “somebody” for God. Dare great things with Him; at the hours of honor you will not be dismayed. Men and brethren, it's time to go forth in the might of the Holy Spirit.

Irreducible Atmosphere for Breakthrough Grace!

There’s a ruggedness of faith that always comes with grace, which makes it impregnable to failure. The following will lubricate the grace of God in your life and invigorate your faith, any day!

A lifestyle of righteousness is very basic here (Psalm 5:12). When Jesus Christ, the Righteousness of God, dwells in you and you consistently yield to Him, grace will never be frustrated in your life (Galatians 2:21).

Furthermore, the way you use your peculiar gifts, talents and treasures to impact lives and make the world better in the power of the gospel will define the atmosphere of the divine grace you carry (Psalms 45:12).

The currencies of grace and glory are to be spent, not hoarded! Let’s arise and go forth, therefore, developing our businesses/careers, winning souls for Christ, touching lives for good and making the world more livable to the glory of God (Titus 2:11).

These, of course, bespeak an ever-readyKingdom-mindedness (Psalms 102:13-14).Primarily, the grace of God is bestowed on us to project the glory and the power of God. When we lay this to our hearts, the grace of God will find a resting place in our entire being.

Nevertheless, please keep in mind that you cannot have the mind of the kingdom if you’re not a citizen of the kingdom. You must be born again (John 3:3). This you can do today by repenting of your sins and embracing the love and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

As you do, the embodiment of God’s grace, Jesus Christ, will dwell in you supernaturally, and people around you will begin to see sufficient proof of God’s goodness in your life and destiny.

Friends and brethren, this is your due time for glorious manifestations. No force from the depths of hell will be able to hold you down any more. You will start to outrun those who have run ahead of you. The zeal of the Lord shall perform it. You won’t miss it, in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Archbishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

Sometimes we pray to fulfil all righteousness. And after we have prayed, we come back to our senses and have panic attacks.

A lady’s son was going back to the United States from Nigeria. He had an American passport and a Nigerian passport simultaneously.  He came in with his Nigerian passport, which meant that he did not get a Nigerian visa.  But if he tries to leave with his Nigerian passport, they would require him to show a visa for his destination, the United States.   

That meant he would have to show his American passport. But dual nationality had been suspended in Nigeria.  If he showed his American passport, they would ask him how he got into the country without a Nigerian visa. 

It was a “Catch 22” situation. So, she took the matter to God and asked for help. Then she went to the airport with her son. But on getting there she had a panic attack. She started looking for other gods to help her.  Perhaps there is somebody that she knows? Perhaps if she talks nicely to the immigration official? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.   

But what does the word of God says?

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

But this lady was anxious about everything, and she had no peace. Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke: “Did you not ask Me for help? So why are you still anxious?” 

Suddenly, she stood there in the airport terminal apologising to the Holy Spirit. She had scarcely finished praying her apologies when someone called her name. 

“Professor Ogwu is that you?” 

She looked up to see this distinguished military officer standing in front of her and smiling at her. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked. 

“My son is travelling to the United States.” 

“Where is he?” the man asked, taking charge. 

He took charge so completely that he ushered him past immigration and literally on to the plane. Problem solved.

When Joy told her husband what had happened, he was unimpressed. “It was just a coincidence,” he insisted. 

Coincidence my foot! God is not a coincidental God.

Babalawo Option

At other times, we are so worried we cannot even pray. 

“Pastor, I have been so worried, I have not been able to pray.”

It could be because you don’t believe in prayer anyway. Maybe you only pray to fulfil all righteousness.  Otherwise, I fail to understand why a man would refuse to pray when he is in trouble. It is like falling off a cliff and hanging by a shrub and refusing to cry out for help. Maybe you are convinced that no help would come in any case.  

 If there ever were a time to pray, it is in time of trouble. God says:

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalms 50:15).

My brother had left the country unannounced. For years we did not know where he was. But one day my Aunty, who is a Christian, came with a wonderful suggestion. 

“I am not saying that God is not powerful,” she said, starting on an apologetic and defensive note. “But what I am saying is that sometimes we need to mix things with our own native and local abracadabra.” 

Her suggestion was that we should go to the “babalawo” (the voodoo man or fortune teller), who would be sure to tell us exactly where Bayo was. Her logic was impeccable: God sometimes needs local help.

But the message of the Bible is without ambiguity:

“Why are you trying to find out the future by consulting witches and mediums? Don’t listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?” (Isaiah 8:19).

A god who needs help is not God. A god who needs help does not deserve our worship. When man decides to help God, he ends up with Ishmael and not with Isaac. When man decides to help God, he arrogates himself as God and sometimes ends up dead, like Uzzah, who tried to help the ark from falling down.  When a man decides to help God, he is likely to end up with a lorry-load of problems. 

That is how people get children from the god of the river and start eating the bread of sorrows. That is how people make deals with the devil, get rich quick and within a short time the god of mammon receives them into his everlasting habitations.

Man-made Gods

The Bible says “casting down imaginations.” God is not a God of our imagination. We do not serve an imaginary God. We serve a God who is real and who is true. We should not presume anything about him. 

We cannot know God by reason or thinking. His ways are not our ways; his thoughts are not our thoughts.  We can only get to know God through the bible. The word of God says: “I am the way the truth and the life, no one can get to the Father except by me.”

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  

But I thought there was only one God, so how can I have another god when there is only one? 

Men are very creative. We are specialists God-creators. We prefer to worship a God who is created in our own image and likeness. We prefer a God of our own imagination. We don’t have time to get to know the one true God. In any case, the one true God is a “hard man.” He is not the God we want.

“Why don’t you like Me,” asks God? “What did I do to drive you away? What iniquity did you find in Me that turned you against Me?” (Jeremiah 2:5).

It wasn’t that we found iniquity in Him, but that He would not allow us to do the things that we want to do. We needed to get away from Him, so that we could live our own lives by our own rules. We needed to get away from Him so that we, and not He, could be the god of our lives.

When God finally showed up in the person of Jesus Christ, we did not like Him. He came unto His own, His own received Him not.

All our lives, we have dealt with men and they have disappointed us.  We have dealt with men, and they have lied to our face. We have dealt with men, and they have betrayed us. We have dealt with men, and they have deceived us.

Many have even used God to deceive us.  Many use the name of God to defraud us.  Many swear by God and then stab us in the back. So, when it comes to dealing directly with God, we become hostages of our past. But we need to remember one thing. God is not a man even though He became man. 

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfil? (Numbers 23:19). 

Let God be true even if all men were liars. Jesus can never fail us; He can never disappoint us.

Spirit of Fear

Worries. Anxieties. Problems. If God is with us, why do we fear? Why are we lonely? Why are we sad? Why are we anxious? Why are we troubled? If Jesus is in the boat, why should we be afraid of perishing? 

The answer is simple. We fear because we don’t know Him. We fear because we don’t really believe in Him. But eternal life is in the knowledge of God. Without trust we cannot please God.

Is God not enough?  God says don’t worry and we are still worried. Is there any other reassurance that we need?  If God cannot reassure us and we keep our peace, then tell me who can?

Dear God, I thought everything would be smooth sailing because I have You. But things were getting worse and worse. “God, you deceived me,” cried Jeremiah. “You said You would defend me, so why am I here in this dungeon?” 

John the Baptist experiences a similar crisis of faith. “Are You really the Messiah,” he asked Jesus.  Or should we look for another?” If you are really the Messiah, why should I end up in prison for doing Your work?

“My case was different,” said one of my parishioners. “I was a faithful servant. I really waited for God. But He kept me waiting forever. I simply had to do something before it was too late.” 

I could not but sympathise with the fellow. The problem with God is that He always takes too long.  Where was He all this time? Where was He when all those problems were piling up?  “I had told God I could only wait for Him until eleven o’clock. After eleven o’clock, I had no choice but to look for other options.”

We have other options because we have other gods. We have gods as insurance policies. We have gods as fallback positions. Just in case God fails to act let me not be entirely godless. But God is never late with people who truly put their trust in him. And he that believes never makes haste. (Isaiah 28:16).

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com

Certain interactions live rent-free in my head: a friend dismissing my very sound advice, my landlord insisting my roach-infested apartment has no roaches, a last-minute gate change resulting in me running to catch my flight. 

I know I’m giving these annoyances much more thought than they deserve, but that doesn’t stop me from stewing. 

That’s why I was interested in reading my colleague Renée Onque’s articleon the book “How to Let Things Go” by Shunmyo Masuno, a Zen Buddhist monk. It offers five ways to keep yourself from getting hung up on the small stuff.  

1 Aim to be more detached from relationships. You cannot change people, and thinking you can will only frustrate you more. “Commit to observing, not intervening” in your personal relationships, Masuno writes. 

2 Hold onto only your important concerns. “According to one theory, the ability to forget is an instinct for self-preservation,” Masuno writes. Allow yourself to push the trivial things out of your mind and you’ll be less likely to work yourself up over them. 

3 Be mindful with your interactions. You don’t need to know all things, all the time. Many people seek information without factoring in that “all too often, its accuracy is dubious, it’s of little importance to you, and it heightens your anxiety,” Mansuno writes.

4 Avoid wasting your energy. Failures and successes become a thing of the past the very moment after they occur. So immerse yourself in the now and in activities that engage you. 

5 Remember that nothing is black and white.Labeling your choices as “good” or “bad” doesn’t serve you. “All we can do is concentrate on what demands our attention right now in order to turn our failures into opportunities for growth and to prevent our fears from becoming reality,” Mansuno writes. 

Accepting that I can’t control my friends or family, and leaving my past decisions and experiences where they belong, in the past, is easier said than done. But with Masuno’s guidance I feel a little more equipped to actually let things go.

CNBC

Today, 1,757,205 registered voters in Ondo State will head to polling stations across its 18 local government areas to elect a new governor who will steer the affairs of the state for the next four years.

This marks an increase in the number of registered voters compared to the 2020 election, which had 1,647,973 registered voters, of which only 580,887 votes were recorded. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness for the exercise, deploying 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices across 3,933 polling units, with 812 units on standby in case of technical hitches.

Speaking on the commission’s preparations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured the public that sensitive materials were distributed on Thursday to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) for timely deployment.

Key issues to shape victory

While 17 political parties have been cleared by INEC to contest, analysts suggest the election will be a two-horse race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag-bearer, Agboola Ajayi.

Both contenders, intriguingly, served as deputies to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, leading many to dub this poll the “battle of deputies.” Akeredolu, who died last year after battling prostate cancer and was succeeded by Aiyedatiwa, left a significant political legacy in the state, and this is still expected to shape the outcome.

While Agboola served in Akeredolu’s first term, his ambition was believed to have driven a wedge between them and was replaced with Aiyedatiwa for the 2020 governorship election. 

Heavy deployment of security

In a move aimed at ensuring a peaceful process, over 43,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order during the election.  

The Nigeria Police Force is spearheading the effort, contributing 34,657 officers, with at least four stationed at each polling unit. Supporting this robust presence are 6,000 officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and additional deployments from the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies.

The Nigerian Navy has also mobilised gunboats to secure waterways and protect election materials, particularly in the riverine regions of the state. Additionally, the military has been placed on standby to provide backup where needed.

A show of force was observed in Akure, the state capital, as security operatives conducted a motorcade across major streets, signaling their readiness to respond to any disruptions. 

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has imposed a restriction on vehicular movement from 6 am to 6 pm on election day, barring essential services such as ambulances, fire services, and accredited media personnel. He also prohibited VIP escorts from accompanying their principals to polling units.

He revealed that DIG Sylvester Alabi has been appointed as the coordinating officer for the election, supported by AIG Bennett Igweh and CP Tunji Disu, to oversee the implementation of security measures.

Observers flag vote-buying, misinformation

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) has deployed monitors to counter disinformation and fact-check narratives. Adele Jinadu, Chair of CDD’s Election Analysis Centre, called for impartiality and adherence to democratic standards.

Jinadu highlighted concerns over voter apathy and gendered disinformation. “Initiatives to counter misogynistic narratives and empower women in politics are essential,” he said.

Similarly, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Chair of the 2024 Ondo Election Mission for Yiaga Africa, called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone engaging in vote-buying or other electoral malpractices. “We encourage strict enforcement of laws against voter inducement, ballot box snatching, and other illegal activities,” he said.

Residents stock up amid uncertainty

In the lead-up to the election, Akure and other towns in Ondo have witnessed a flurry of activity. Residents on Friday were seen trooping to markets to stock their homes with essential items to prepare for the restriction on movement. Markets, food stores, and supermarkets have been bustling with last-minute shoppers.

At the Oba Adesida and Oba Adedeji markets, traders reported brisk sales. A trader, Ahmed Musa, expressed optimism, saying, “I am happy at how people have been trooping here since morning. Many of us are making good sales. I pray that the election goes on smoothly.”

For many residents, the rush to stock up is driven by concerns over potential post-election unrest. Ms Abiola Adedapo, a resident, said, “I have to stock my home because we don’t know what could happen. The desperation among the politicians is just too much.”

Key Findings

Headline Inflation

- Current Rate: 33.88% (October 2024)

- Previous Month: 32.7% (September 2024)

- Year-over-Year Increase: 6.55 percentage points (from 27.33% in October 2023)

- Monthly Change: 2.64% (up from 2.52% in September)

Food Inflation

- Current Rate: 39.16% (October 2024)

- Previous Month: 33.77% (September 2024)

- Year-over-Year Increase: 7.64 percentage points (from 31.52% in October 2023)

- Monthly Change: 2.94% (up from 2.64% in September)

Major Contributing Factors

Primary Food Categories Driving Inflation

1. Cereals and Bread

   - Guinea corn

   - Rice

   - Maize grains

2. Tubers

   - Yam varieties (Water Yam, Coco Yam)

3. Oils and Fats

   - Palm Oil

   - Vegetable Oil

4. Beverages

   - Milo

   - Lipton

   - Bournvita

Regional Analysis

Highest Food Inflation (Year-on-Year)

1. Sokoto: 52.18%

2. Edo: 46.55%

3. Borno: 45.85%

Lowest Food Inflation (Year-on-Year)

1. Kwara: 31.68%

2. Kogi: 33.30%

3. Rivers: 33.87%

Analysis

The October 2024 inflation data reveals a concerning trend in Nigeria's economy, with both headline and food inflation reaching new heights. The food inflation rate of 39.16% is particularly alarming, as it directly impacts household purchasing power and food security.

Key Implications

1. The persistent rise in food prices suggests structural issues in Nigeria's agricultural and food distribution sectors

2. Regional disparities in inflation rates indicate varying levels of economic stress across states

3. The monthly acceleration in inflation rates suggests that price pressures are not abating

Long-term Trend

The average annual food inflation rate for the twelve months ending October 2024 was 38.12%, representing an 11.79 percentage point increase from the previous year's average of 26.33%. This indicates a sustained deterioration in price stability over the medium term.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended G. C Aguma of the High Court of Rivers State and A.O Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court from performing judicial functions.

They were both suspended for the period of one year without pay and placed on watch list for two years thereafter.

The decision was taken at the 107th Meeting of the NJC chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on 13 and 14 November 2024.

A total of five serving Judicial Officers were sanctioned for various acts of misconduct.

The Council also recommended two Heads of Court for compulsory retirement over falsification of age.

The duo of the Chief Judge of Imo State, T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Babagana Mahdi, were recommended for compulsory retirement for falsification of their ages.

The Council equally considered the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee, which considered a total number of 30 petitions, empanelled 6 Committees for further investigation. While 22 were dismissed for lacking in merit, two were sub judice.

The Council also empanelled a Committee to investigate all complaints and petitions against O. A. Ojo, Chief Judge, Osun State.

Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, deputy director of information of NJC in a statement on Friday revealed that these decisions were reached at its 107th meeting held on November 13 and 14, 2024.

Several petitions against judicial officers were dismissed for lack of merit. Allegations of bribery involving Peter O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, were deemed unsubstantiated.

The Council stressed its duty to protect judicial officers from baseless accusations while maintaining accountability for misconduct.

In addition to disciplinary actions, the NJC recommended 36 candidates for judicial appointments across states, including Oyo, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Akwa Ibom, as well as the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal. These appointments are expected to strengthen the judiciary and improve its capacity to dispense justice.

The Guardian

Iran backs Lebanese government on ceasefire talks, advisor to Khamenei says

Iran will support any decision taken by the Lebanese government and Lebanon's "resistance" in current talks on a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Ali Larijani, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said on Friday.

"We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems," Larijani said after meeting Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

Larijani, referring to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. said Iran would support the "resistance" under all circumstances.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Germany's Scholz calls Putin, ending Western isolation over Ukraine

Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for the first time in nearly two years as the German leader gears up for a snap election and Europe waits to hear Donald Trump's plan for ending the war in Ukraine.

In a phone call that was swiftly criticised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Scholz urged Putin to pull his forces out of Ukraine and begin talks with Kyiv that would open the way for a "just and lasting peace", the German government said.

The Kremlin said the conversation had come at Berlin's request, and that Putin had told Scholz any agreement to end the war in Ukraine must take Russian security interests into account and reflect "new territorial realities".

The call opened a "Pandora's box" by undermining efforts to isolate the Russian leader, Zelenskiy said. He and other European officials had cautioned Scholz against the move, according to sources familiar with the matter, who believed it was more for domestic consumption.

Facing a snap election on Feb. 23, Scholz's Social Democrats are coming under pressure from Russia-friendly populist parties on both sides of the political spectrum that argue the government has not deployed enough diplomacy to end the war.

"The chancellor urged Russia to show willingness to enter talks with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace," a German government spokesperson said in a statement.

"He stressed Germany's unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression for as long as necessary," the spokesperson added.

Ukraine said however that phone conversations with Putin brought no added value on the path to achieving a "just peace" in Ukraine but just help him weaken his isolation.

"Now there may be other conversations, other calls. Just a lot of words," said Zelenskiy in his evening address. "And this is exactly what Putin has long wanted: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation and to conduct ordinary negotiations."

The call comes in the week after Trump was elected as the next U.S. president. He has suggested he could put a swift end to the war, without explaining how, and repeatedly criticised the scale of Western financial and military aid for Kyiv.

"It sends a bad signal especially after Trump’s election," said one Western diplomat, noting their country had told Berlin it was not a good idea.

"My hope is that Scholz can now say to his electorate 'look, I have done it, and it’s a waste of time as Putin isn’t open to anything'. But of course, (it is a) question about how Russia spins it."

French President Emmanuel Macron does not have any talks scheduled with Putin, a source in his entourage said.

SCHOLZ TO BRIEF ALLIES

The Kremlin said Putin had told Scholz Russia was willing to look at energy deals if Germany was interested. Germany was heavily reliant on Russian gas before the war but direct shipments ceased when pipelines under the Baltic Sea were blown up in 2022.

Scholz plans to brief Zelenskiy, Germany's allies, partners and the heads of the European Union and NATO on the outcome of Friday's call, German officials said. Putin and Scholz agreed to stay in contact, they added.

Ukraine is facing increasingly difficult conditions on the frontlines in its east amid shortages of arms and personnel, while Russian forces make steady advances.

A separate German government official said Scholz had told Putin the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for combat missions against Ukraine was seen as a serious escalation and expansion of the conflict.

Zelenskiy says North Korea has 11,000 troops in Russia and that some have suffered casualties in combat with Ukrainian forces which are currently occupying territory in Russia's southern Kursk region.

Germany has given Ukraine a total of 15 billion euros in financial, humanitarian and military support since the start of the full-scale war, making it Kyiv's second-largest backer after the United States.

The future of U.S. aid to Ukraine is unclear following Trump's election victory.

Scholz and Putin last spoke in December 2022, 10 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, plunging relations with the West into their deepest freeze since the Cold War.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kremlin confirms call with Germany’s Scholz

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone on Friday, their first direct contact in almost two years, the Kremlin has confirmed, saying that the Ukraine crisis was the primary topic of the conversation.

According to the Kremlin statement, Putin and Scholz last spoke directly in December 2022. During Friday’s call, which Moscow said was initiated by the German side, the two leaders held a “detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine.”

Putin told Scholz that the current crisis was "a direct result of NATO’s long-standing aggressive policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian bridgehead on Ukrainian territory, while ignoring our country’s interests in the field of security and trampling on the rights of Russian-speaking residents,” the Kremlin said.

Discussing the prospects for a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict, the Russian president said Moscow has never refused to hold peace negotiations with Kiev and remains open to relaunching talks, which had previously been shut down by the Ukrainian side.

Putin noted, however, that any potential settlements between Moscow and Kiev should take into account Russia’s interests in the sphere of security, as well as the new territorial realities, and “eliminate the root causes of the conflict.”

The two leaders also discussed Russian-German relations, with Putin saying that their"unprecedented degradation" was the result of "unfriendly policies" implemented by Berlin. Moscow, meanwhile, has always adhered to both its treaty and contractual obligations in the energy sector and remains ready for mutually beneficial cooperation, Putin said.
The leaders also discussed tensions in the Middle East and efforts to find peaceful resolutions to the crisis in the region, the Kremlin said. Following their conversation, Putin and Scholz agreed to remain in touch, it added.

German officials also confirmed the talks, reporting that during the phone call, Scholz urged Putin to end the Ukraine conflict and “withdraw his troops.”
According to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, the Chancellor “insisted on Russia’s readiness to negotiate with Ukraine in order to achieve a fair and lasting peace” and spoke of Berlin’s “unwavering determination” to support Kiev “as long as necessary.”

Reuters/RT

Has it ever occurred to you that you are after all just one person? As the great humorist and philanthropist extra-ordinary MKO Abiola used to say: “No one is a ‘four-man” [foreman]. “It is sheer flattery to call a man ‘four man’” he used to quip.

And really and truly, no one is ever more than one.

People who hold offices and find themselves surrounded by retinue of servants and hangers- on get so carried away that they hardly ever have time to reflect on their positions in life. When a man gets down from his car and about a dozen people jostle to carry his handbag, he thinks that he is greater than the rest of the world put together. He gets so swollen headed and gets himself puffed up like a balloon. In that circumstance, he imagines himself to be more than what he really is: one person!

This piece has become necessary in view of the nauseating display of opulence by the privileged few in the society, who believe, wrongly though, that life is a straight line and there would never be fluctuations in their life situation.

People elected into offices or appointed into positions get so carried away that in their daily dealings with their subordinates they exhibit an air of ‘I know it all’. In discussions on any subject under the sun, they parade themselves as if they are masters of all disciplines. A governor, who was a school drop-out a few years back, would be talking about aviation as if he was professor of aeronautical engineering.

A governor would be talking down members of his cabinet which may include professors and Senior Advocates as if he was an authority on electricity, engineering, medicine, hydro-dynamics and even molecular science. At that point in time, the governor sees himself as a compound of all those disciplines. He no longer sees himself as one person limited by the natural matter of being just a human being. One person!

Traditional rulers who see themselves as representatives of Deities on earth really behave as if they are individually more than just one individual. No single person is 2 persons whatever the enormity and scope of the powers possessed by that individual. The case of traditional rulers is very peculiar in the sense that but for a serious misdemeanour, a King knows that he may hold his inherited position for life. And because he is blind to a consideration that his exalted position may change, he continues to behave as if he is more than one person. In fact, because he is addressed in the third person, he himself is deluded to the extent that he uses the plural noun or pronoun for himself. In speeches he talks of himself as ‘We’.

I believe it is important for every mortal to carry out the following simple exercise every morning: Go into your bathroom and strip yourself naked. Look around you. What do you see? If there is a giant mirror in your bathroom, for those who worship vanity, look at every anatomical detail in your physique. Look at your belly. Look at your buttocks. Look at your legs that are either swollen or are like the legs of mosquito. Look at the structure of those legs. Now you know you are alone with your two eyes and two lobes of ears. See how lonesome you are. See how much alone you are. In that moment, you are stripped of power and importance. You are just a lump of flesh mounted on a collection of bones architecturally put together by the Almighty Supreme Intelligence. It is just you. The lone you. Let your mind quickly race through what you have done in the last 24 hours and what you intend to do in the next 24 hours. Remember how you came into the world stark naked. Remember how you are pulled out of the womb or got pushed out by your mother’s powerful breath. What do you see?

At the end of the day, that is all you are. One person in his natural ordinariness.

Nothing brings forth the reality of just being one person than the situation a 4-star General in the Military finds himself when he is retired or retires from active service. A once dreaded, heavily moustached fire-spitting top Military officer is now a powerless individual queuing up in the bank or at a gas station like every other common individual. At the time he was in service, he saw himself as a battalion. In fact if he was a General Officer commanding a Division, he might equate his power and his person to the entire officers and men of the Division.

It was like the situation of some Emperors of old who considered themselves to be the State. To them, they were the State, and the State was them.

But this was a false and self-serving idea. And by the time such Emperors crashed, it was too late for them to come to terms with the reality of their absurdity. Either they got their heads chopped off or got seriously disgraced and humiliated as they were cut to size.

There is eternal wisdom and attendant joy in realising that we are actually not more than what Nature meant us to be. Power, position, influence and affluence are mere decorations to the body. They are all temporary acquisitions that are not skin deep. They do not make a person to grow into two persons, left alone to make he feel that he is bigger than a whole city, community or country.

All those parading the corridors of power and those who actually occupy the bed-room of power should bear in mind at all times that the power they hold and wield is a mere gown which can be removed from their bodies by the same process that put the garment on them. And when the garment is removed, it is the naked lonesome man in the bathroom that you are.

This reality may even be made more pungent when you pay a visit to the mortuary. It is in the mortuary that you are confronted with the sight of great men and women of yesterday being tossed up and down in the frozen cubicles they are confined to in their lockers. Alone. Dead alone.

Now, the breath of life is still going in and out of your nostrils. You think you are god. You think the whole world is at your feet. And you behave as if you are a million persons rolled into one.

When power leaves you, and position relocates to the man next door, you will discover to your chagrin that the multitude milling round you, and which made you think that you were more than what you were, would disappear.

Have you seen some former Presidents lately? Have you seen some once powerful boxing world champions? Have you lately run into some former Military Governors? Have you run into some past richest men in their communities?

What did you see? One man or ‘four man’?

Popular Douyin streamer Kong Yufeng recently sparked controversy in China by eating pig feed on camera as part of a challenge to live on the cheapest food she could find.

On October 30, Kong Yufeng, aka ‘King Kong Liuke’, posted a controversial video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, in which she announced a self-imposed challenge to live on the cheapest food she could find for at least one week. The popular streamer told her fans that she had browsed Zhihu, a Chinese forum known for sharing budget-friendly tips, and found pig feed to be the best option. A large bag of pig feed cost only 100 yuan (US$14) and was allegedly high in protein, low in fat, and “healthier than takeaway food,” so she decided to try it in front of her fans. According to Kong, the pig feed contained natural ingredients like soybeans, peanuts, sesame, corn, and added vitamins, but the taste was an acquired one.

“It’s so salty! A bit sour too! I cannot stand it; I need to drink more water,” Kong Yufeng told her viewers as she tried to swallow mouthfuls of pig feed mixed with hot water. Despite the milky oatmeal smell of the dry mix, the prepared version was not as pleasant. But the influencer didn’t let that stop her from telling viewers that she would try to live on it for at least a week.

Although Kong cautioned people not to follow her example unless they were “extremely poor,” her viral video was still met with a lot of criticism online. Many accused her of promoting food not meant for human consumption as a way to save money, while others accused her of doing anything for views.

“During times of famine, pig feed was a valuable resource. But today, with better living standards, why take such a risk?” one person commented.

“How can food designed for pigs meet safety standards for humans?” someone else asked.

One nutrition expert told Shangyou News that following Kong Yufeng’s example could have disastrous consequences because pig feed is not formulated for human digestion and relying on it for sustenance could create deficiencies in essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and iodine.

Kong Yufeng’s video got millions of views on Chinese social media, but all the attention came at a cost for the influencer, as her video was apparently taken down and her account is no longer searchable on Douyin.

Oddity Central