Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release after Hamas' 'humiliating' treatment of hostages, Netanyahu says

Israel will delay the seventh hostage-prisoner exchange in protest of Hamas' "humiliating" treatment of hostages, according to Israeli officials.

The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, which was scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Sunday morning, Netanyahu's office issued a statement condemning Hamas propaganda generated during the exchange.

"In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies," the office's statement said.

The statement came after reports of Hamas fighters exploiting Israeli prisoners while they were being released. On Saturday, five of the six freed hostages were accompanied by armed militants in front of a crowd, including three Israeli hostages who posed alongside terrorists.

Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen were among the hostages forced to pose with the terrorists. Shem Tov was also forced to appear cheerful, kiss two militants on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. 

The three also wore fake army uniforms, though they were not enlisted when they were captured by Hamas.

In another recent ceremony orchestrated by Hamas, four coffins were placed in front of a caricature of Netanyahu with a banner that said, "The war criminal Netanyahu & his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes."

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon called the gesture "evil and depraved."

"For 16 months, Israel has been fighting a deranged terrorist organization that places no value on human life, especially if it is Israeli or Jewish — all while international institutions like the U.N. refrained from condemning Hamas and formally demanding the immediate return of our hostages,"Danon said.

The United Nations also condemned the coffin incident.

"Under international law, any handover of the remains of [the] deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families," the United Nations Geneva said on X, attributing the quote to High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Fox News

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Trump sounds off on Zelenskyy's insults as US works to broker Ukraine peace deal with Russia: 'I've had it'

President Donald Trump addressed escalating tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Friday, warning he has "had it" with the backlash as the U.S. works with Russian officials to broker a peace deal in the ongoing war. 

Trump argued Zelenskyy has "no cards" to negotiate leverage for a deal on "The Brian Kilmeade Show," as the pair have publicly hurled insults at one another in recent days. 

"I've been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated," Trump told Brian Kilmeade.

"I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it," he continued. "You just get sick of it, and I've had it."

Trump argued Zelenskyy is a poor negotiator, noting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Ukraine last week to broker a mineral agreement, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, but said the pair "couldn't even come close" to a deal.

The president said the entire trip was dangerous for Bessent, and a waste of time. 

The deal would have facilitated U.S. investment in the war-torn nation and also provided "the best security guarantee they could ever hope for," according to national security advisor Mike Waltz.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible peace deal with Russian counterparts, a meeting that Ukraine was not invited to. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Waltz met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs advisor, Yuri Ushakov, to hash out ways to end the conflict. 

Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday in Turkey that "nobody decides anything behind our back," after stressing in recent days that Kyiv will not agree to a peace negotiation without Ukraine’s input.

"I get tired of listening to it," Trump responded. "I've seen it enough, and then he complains that he's not at a meeting that we're having with Saudi Arabia trying to intermediate peace. Well, he's been at meetings for three years with a... president who didn't know what the hell he was doing. He's been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done, so I don't think he's very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He's been there for three years. He's he makes it very hard to make deals."

U.S. officials also have met with Ukrainian officials about a peace deal. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said Wednesday in a post on X that the U.S. remains committed to ending the war and finding ways to establish "sustainable peace." 

Trump placed blame for the war on then-President Biden's inability to negotiate with Putin. 

"Joe Biden is a very dumb man who was dumber than ever before," he said. "He had no idea what he was doing, and everything he said was wrong. And I said, you know what… I think he's going to cause a war. And that's what happened… Putin could have been talked out of that so easy, but they didn't know how to talk… but [Biden] said all the wrong things — and I'm not trying to make Putin like nicer or better — I'm just telling you the fact that war should have never happened. Putin would have never gone in."

Trump now says a peace deal between the countries is only possible because he is back in office.

"They only want to talk because of me," Trump said. "If I wasn't involved, they wouldn't be talking to each other, and Russia would continue to… go through Ukraine… They've taken a lot of land, and Russia would continue the march through Ukraine. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be talking at all. I'm the only reason they're talking."

"I've been watching this go on for years, and I'm doing it for one reason," he said. "I hate the killing. I hate to see those young people killed. They're not Americans. They're Russians and Ukrainians. I hate to see the killing."

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian forces hit Ukrainian attack drone warehouses, drone operator sites — top brass

The Russian military struck Ukrainian infrastructure over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported.

"The Russian Armed Forces hit the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airfields, attack drone warehouses and drone operator sites, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as enemy temporary deployment sites in 157 areas," the ministry said.

TASS has compiled the main information on the special military operation progress over the past 24 hours.

Battlegroup West

The Russian Armed Forces have liberated the Novolubovka settlement in the Lugansk People's Republic, the Defense Ministry reported.

"As a result of decisive actions of the battlegroup West, the Novolubovka settlement in the Lugansk People's Republic has been liberated," it said.

According to the ministry, over the past 24 hours, the battlegroup defeated the manpower and equipment of six Ukrainian brigades, eliminating over 200 enemy servicemen and destroying a tank and a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier.

Battlegroup South

The servicemen on the battlegroup South have defeated Ukraine’s Foreign Legion units in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian military reported.

"The battlegroup South has taken more favorable lines and positions, defeating the manpower and equipment of six Ukrainian brigades and the Foreign Legion units. The battlegroup also eliminated up to 220 Ukrainian servicemen," the statement said.

The ministry added that the Ukrainian military also lost an infantry fighting vehicle, nine vehicles and six field artillery guns, including a US-made 155 mm M777 howitzer, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot.

Battlegroup Center

Russia’s battlegroup Center has improved its tactical positions, eliminating over 375 Ukrainian servicemen, the Defense Ministry said.

"The battlegroup Center defeated the manpower and equipment of 17 Ukrainian brigades. The enemy lost over 375 servicemen," the statement emphasized.

The Ukrainian military also lost four armored combat vehicles, including a US-made MaxxPro armored vehicle, five vehicles and seven field artillery guns, including a US-made Paladin 155 mm howitzer, the ministry added.

Battlegroup East

The battlegroup East eliminated up to 160 servicemen and destroyed a German-made Leopard tank over the past 24 hours, the ministry pointed out.

"The battlegroup East continued to advance deep into the enemy's defense, defeating the manpower and equipment of five Ukrainian brigades. The enemy lost up to 160 servicemen, two tanks, including a German-made Leopard, three vehicles and two field artillery guns," the statement said.

Battlegroups North, Dnepr

The battlegroups North and Dnepr wipes out up to 125 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the military said.

The enemy also lost an armored personnel carrier, six vehicles, two artillery guns and four electronic warfare stations, as well as an ammunition depot.

Fox News/Tass

Any student of history who has encountered the legendary South African figure known as Shaka Zulu knows that you either hate him or love him.

In a life filled with brutality and deception, Shaka killed his half-brother to become king. In the fullness of time, he was similarly killed by his half-brothers, bringing an end to the bloodiest era in his people’s history.

As both king and warrior, Shaka was so ruthless that he killed more of his own people than his enemies did. A man who seemed to love the smell of blood, he slaughtered men, women, and children, sometimes in the most casual and cruel of ways.

For instance, he killed men who were short because he believed they would be a liability in battle. Declaring a year-long mourning period after his mother’s passing, he ordered the execution of any woman found to be pregnant, and, for good measure, her husband. He even had cows that gave birth executed so their calves could experience the pain of being without a mother.

In 1985, soon after General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida became Nigeria’s leader, I was part of a newspaper delegation that interviewed him in Lagos. At the end of what had been a fairly routine visit, someone asked him who his military hero was.

The General replied: “Shaka Zulu!”

That was 31 years ago, yet I still remember how quickly my blood froze. I thought to myself that the interview had been a lie, reflecting on how different it could have been had that final question come much earlier.

Nonetheless, you do not write off a man simply because he admires someone you loathe. I rationalised that the Nigerian leader could accomplish some of the things Shaka did, using methods that were humane and elevating.

Babangida was in power for eight years, during which he positioned and advertised himself as a historic figure. He turned out to be one, but not in the way he wanted the world to believe. Today, he is remembered for two things.

The first is that in 1993, after years of rhetoric that promised a democratically elected president in what was Nigeria’s best election up to that point, he summarily nullified the process. With that action, he sent Nigeria down a path from which it has yet to recover, remorselessly placing himself first. Shaka.

IBB was no stranger to betraying his own friends. During his reign, for instance, he sent General Mamman Vatsa to the firing squad, while the election he annulled was won by Moshood Abiola. These were two men he had dined and drank with, one was shot in the front, the other in the back. Shaka.

The second thing IBB is best remembered for is presiding over the most corrupt government in Nigeria’s history. He became the gold standard, if such a thing exists, of corruption in governance. Under his rule, the culture of “settlement” was firmly established.

Through IBB’s so-called National Economic and Reconstruction Fund, round-tripping became the order of the day: individuals obtained huge “loans” to buy foreign exchange at the cheap official rate, only to resell it for immense profit on the black market. [They could then repay the loan, if they wished, the same day!]

IBB himself was widely believed to have amassed vast wealth. In 2005, the New York Daily News included him on a shortlist of former world leaders who had stolen billions of dollars but had yet to be brought to justice.

Despite all of that, and reflecting the emptiness of our national values, Babangida was rewarded with the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic award, his second, by the government of Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.

The irony is that in 1994, just a year after Babangida scampered out of office, Obasanjo had seen him clearly for what he was. During a conference, he described him in these words, among others:

“…After successfully undoing his military colleagues with the acquiescence of the non-military, General Babangida came out in his true colours, demonstrating again and again that he is a master of intrigues, mismanagement, corruption, manipulation, deceit, settlement, cover-up and self-promotion at the expense of almost everybody else and everything else…Babangida is the main architect of the state in which (Nigeria) finds itself today…”

Nonetheless, as Obasanjo’s tenure wound down, and with no remorse for the grand sabotage of his military rule, IBB declared his intention to run for president again in 2007. His Vision 2007 National Secretary, Abdullai Michael, quoted IBB as telling him:

“Go [to] work. We shall occupy Aso Rock in 2007. All my past mistakes I have slept over them and will correct them in 2007.”

Mercifully, IBB soon realised he did not stand a chance and abandoned the goose chase. Since then, he has maintained a lower profile, his wife passing away in the United States a few years ago.

Now, here we are in 2016, and last week, amid widespread rumours of his death, IBB, now in poor health, gathered a group of reporters at his so-called Hilltop Mansion to dispel the speculation.

He told them:

“It doesn’t shock me, neither does it bother me, because I know I must go and meet God, my Creator, one day…”

Knowing he would be quoted, he couldn’t resist the temptation for one more of the dribbles that earned him the nickname “Maradona” after the Argentine football star.

“I strongly believe in this country, which is further demonstrated by the people of this great nation because they are very industrious people, hardworking. This gives me hope for Nigeria.”

It is these kinds of empty platitudes that have made Nigeria the laughing stock she is today. IBB’s optimism is 30 years too late; he should have invested it in the country when he had the power to do so. If a Nigerian leader truly believes his people are industrious and hardworking, that should be his cue to respect them and provide the fertiliser they need to flourish.

Instead, we have leaders who thrive on betrayal. That is why Nigeria lacks statesmen.

Go to any country, and you will find Nigerians scrambling for the crumbs of opportunities their homeland has denied them. Travel across Nigeria, and you will meet people of great capacity who have been diminished by compromised leadership.

That includes you, IBB. perhaps especially you. But if you are now reconciling your account with God, then perhaps you finally understand how ephemeral power and wealth are when selfishly acquired and dubiously deployed.

Yet, all is not lost. If you truly believe in Nigeria, do something unprecedented, set an example for other former leaders. Give back half your wealth.

Return what is not yours and encourage those who amassed fortunes under you to do the same. Build schools across the North to enhance education. Establish a first-class hospital for women in every state in honour of your wife. Endow a chair in every public university for the best-graduating students.

Every culture, every religion, and every era celebrates penance.

When you do go, General, leave Nigerians with the memory of a truly contrite leader.

Not Shaka Zulu.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal ~ 1Corinthians 12:6-7.

Preamble:

Our modern day world needs strong interventions and unmistakable helps from heaven now more than ever! Troubling end-time signs and prophecies as foretold by Jesus Christ are being fulfilled daily (Luke 21:16-28).

Even the socio-political environment is very concerning, globally. Many people that are born as kingdom stars now live as commoners on the earth, and may eventually die in obscurity. Nevertheless, fulfilling our destiny remains top on God's priority list.

God always wants to manifest His power, signs and wonders in our midst, to liberate His people from the yokes of sin, poverty, sickness, fear and curse. However, He does so only when He finds us yielded to His power and principles (Isaiah 8:18).

To manifest means to show up, to come to light, or to stand to be discovered. By now, it should have dawned on us that the Holy Spirit is hidden in Himself until an atmosphere is created for His manifestation. Thus, we must work on ourselves, and cooperate well enough with Him to unleash His supernatural power (Luke 16:11-12)!

The concept of the “supernatural” spans the entire Bible, and it’s crucial for every believer to fully grasp it. The revelation of God’s Word is the most formidable secret of supernatural intervention. With God’s Word, the atmosphere changes, darkness fleesand bondages are broken.

Concerning Spiritual Things

We must accept that there are profound mysteries concerning things pertaining to, related with and of the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1Timothy 3:16). We cannot afford to be ignorant of these, if we wish to enjoy all-round fulfilment in our destinies (1Corinthians 12:1-2).

All of us have seen and/or heard of the performances of real dark magic in many regions of the world today. We also must have heard of magical spells, etcetera. All these dark operations hidden in plain sight are just calling us to fully open our eyes to see the world for what it is.

We must arise as ambassadors of light in our generation to release positive supernatural agencies to mitigate the deceptive works of darkness in our lives and in our communities.

There’s a real spirit world. However, the high note for all believers in Christ is that we’re superior to all the dark operators in the spirit realm, because we’re Christ’s representatives in this world (1John 4:17).

Behind all the dark magical operations are fallen angels, otherwise called demons, which are located in the various regions of the world (Ephesians 6:12). But Christians are royal ambassadors of the Creator of all things, including demons. Everywhere on earth is our constituency, and we can also operate from a superior covenant context (Matthew 11:7-12).

See, in the beginning, God created two separate but forceful interacting worlds: the spiritual world and the physical world. Both worlds have beings, things, processes, etcetera. However, when Christ completed His work for the redemption of mankind, a new creation, referred to as the “spiritual body”, emerged (1Corinthians 15:44).

The spiritual body is not a ghost-like entity, nor a dismembered form or an apparition, but rather a physical body infused with the Spirit of God and saturated with His energies. It’s a body that’s fully alive with and completely sustained by the life-giving Spirit of God.

This is a mysterious space opened up by the operation of the Holy Spirit in our world today, and it enables the new creatures in Christ to become fully vivified and empowered to the extent that their former existence seems in comparison to have been like a shadow (2Corinthians 5:17).

God designed spiritual beings to operate, both directly and indirectly, in the natural world as an invisible power. In fact, though the natural world exists and behaves based on observable natural laws, yet it’s powered by the indirect unobservable spiritual powers (Hebrews 1:3).

When spiritual powers operate in the natural world, they interrupt natural principles and laws, and cause visible manifestations beyond natural laws. Such observable natural phenomena are called miracles, or God’s gracious interventions on earth (Matthew 15:30-31; Acts 3:10).

It’s particularly important, therefore, that we familiarize ourselves with the agents who God typically deploys for these interventions, and to be conversant with their operational details, especially their modes of engagement and deployment.

Meanwhile, though all the gifts flow from the one God, Lord, and Spirit, the "manifestation" by which the Holy Spirit acts varies in each individual, with a view to profiting the whole Church.

Miracles are marks of a divine presence in our lives and situation, and they generate positive alarms — amazement, awe, astonishment, surprise, admiration or bewilderment — in the supernatural realms, urging people to look beyond the ordinary for interpretations of the marvelous events(1Samuel 3:11).

There is no other divine agenda for rescuing the world except through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and miracles are the means through which God operates in all ages to attract men to His love, and to confirm His eternal truth (Psalm 2:8-9).

Repositioning Ourselves for Glorious Manifestations

Our God is the supernatural God of swift wonders (Job 9:10; Psalms 77:14). He always wishes to do wonders in the lives of His people (Isaiah 29:14; Exodus 3:20). And when He does, the recipient becomes a wonder (Psalms 71:7).

He has to be involved if any man’s doors must open to diverse manifestations of the Holy Ghost (Isaiah 45:1-3). Nevertheless, we must readily cooperate with Him to release the wonders.

A foremost step you must take in this regard is to repent, be born again and become a child of God, by hooking unto Jesus Christ (Acts 2:22).

When we look to the world, we are perplexed; but when we look to Christ, we find total salvation (Psalms 34:5-8). “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him”!

Moreover, we must live separate from evil to make room for the Holy Spirit in our lives (Joshua 3:5). One of the common signs of a sanctified life is that you live in awe and holy fear of God Almighty (Acts 2:43).

Furthermore, we must seek to be constantly refilled by the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:8). Man is empowered to enjoy the glory of God only by the Spirit of God, when he has turned to the Lord (2Corinthians 3:7-18). Once there is that holy glow in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.

Stars are born as gifts to every clan; but, only those that stand out to shine are recognized as such.

Brethren, as God’s children, we have received access to the redemptive rights that can crown us as champions, any day (1Corinthians 2:4). Spring forth in faith, and you will enjoy the glory you’ll see. You won’t miss it, in Jesus name. 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

God says: 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9).

Jesus goes even further to reveal that the ways of God are not only different from but often diametrically opposite to those of man. (Luke 16:15).

This means that if man thinks something is black, God is likely to consider it to be white. If man thinks that something is good, God is likely to consider it to be bad. Or if man thinks something is beautiful, God is likely to consider it to be ugly.

Kingdom Dynamics

Let me put this even more graphically. If man establishes a university and says that the first 100 pupils in the exam would be admitted, then know that in God’s university, it is the last 100 pupils that would be admitted.

Or if man has an Olympic Games and gives the gold medal to the person who comes first, then be sure that in God’s Olympic Games, the gold medal would be given to the person who comes last. The first must become last and the last become the first.

God seems to violate deliberately every human yardstick and criterion. This inclination was a matter of great fascination to Solomon. He notes that:

“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

When God sent Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king of Israel, Samuel forgot that he was not acting on behalf of a man. He immediately jumped to the conclusion that Eliab, the oldest, tallest and most distinguished son, was the Lord’s choice. But the Lord quickly corrected him:  

“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Reversal of Fortune

The kingdom of God is designed to bring about a radical transformation of the human or world order. For this reason, God works in contradictions, creating a reversal of fortunes:

According to the counsel of God, the rich are going to become poor and the poor are going to become rich. Therefore, if you are rich be considerate. Use your riches wisely for the time of poverty is coming.

If you are poor take heart, your time of enrichment is coming. Let the weak say that they are strong and let the strong realise that by strength no man can prevail. The older shall serve the younger, and the master shall become the slave.

John the Baptist prophesied that:

“Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:4-5).

Observe that the glory of the Lord cannot be revealed until every valley is exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low.

Disadvantageous Advantages

Accordingly, every advantage in the world becomes a disadvantage in the kingdom of God. Likewise, every disadvantage in the world becomes an advantage in the kingdom of God. Every mountain of beauty, wealth, position, brains, skill, background, or pedigree shall be brought low. Every valley of ugliness, poverty, lowliness, stupidity, lack of skills, lack of education, or lack of social status shall be exalted.

At the end of the age, God has promised that:

“All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.” (Ezekiel 17:24). 

It also means that everything will be renewed. God is determined to wipe the slate clean and begin all over again. Therefore, He says:

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Indeed, to enter the kingdom of God, every man has to begin all over again. Thus, Jesus tells Nicodemus:

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3).

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount turns everything on its head. It is the poor in spirit who are enriched by the inheritance of a kingdom more glorious than all the thrones on the earth. It is the meek who renounces self-aggrandisement who ends up by inheriting the earth. It is those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (and not earthly riches) who are filled.

Devil’s Kingdom

Is God just determined to be disagreeable? Not so. We must remember that His kingdom was the only kingdom. The kingdom of God preceded the kingdoms of this world. But the kingdom of God on earth was given to man to administer, and man ceded the dominion and authority to the devil because of sin.

So, it was not God who decided to be contrary. It was the devil, the ruler of the darkness of this world, who was determined that everything about this world should be the antithesis of the kingdom of God. Therefore,

“All that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16).

Look around you and you will see that the prevailing way of doing things in this world is ungodly. The policeman harasses innocent motorists to extort a bribe from them. The mechanic puts fake parts in a car. The pharmacist sells expired drugs. The armed-robber snatches cars. The civil servant demands a bribe. The lecturer demands sexual gratification from his students. Without a doubt, the world around us is under Satan’s power and control. (1 John 5:19).

Therefore, know this for certain: if it is popular in the world, then it cannot be of God. It must be devilish. If Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller” was the highest-selling album of all time, it must be because the devil approved of it. 

If Bruce Wilkinson’s book, The Prayer of Jabez, was such a runaway best-seller, it must be because its underlying principles are fundamentally ungodly. If Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, was so popular, it must be because it excites the flesh and not the spirit. That is how we get the darlings of the world, such as Jerry Springer, Eminem, and JK Rowling.

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

Recently, I was running late to meet a client at the very rural barn which serves as the HQ for my new antiques business in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds – but as the dog and I scrambled out of the cottage door to the car, the heavens opened.

Within minutes, there were streams of water running down the track to the main road, and the rain was so heavy that I slowed to 30mph.

Not wanting to let down my client, I drove on, fording a newly created brook and swerving flooded verges as hailstones battered the windscreen.

The drive was terrifying but it wasn't until after my client left that I realised what a truly stupid thing I had done.

If I'd broken down on the winding single-track lanes, or the car had got stuck in the floods, I would not have had a single friend nearby to call for help.

Sitting in the barn, I began to cry at the thought: I felt more lonely than I ever have before. But this was just the latest reminder that living on your own in the English countryside is not for the faint-hearted.

When I left London for the Cotswolds in 2020, I truly believed I knew what I was letting myself in for. I'd grown up in Kent, so the difference between slurry and silage is not a mystery to me; I can also drive a tractor.

I've always known that smiling winsomely in a hayfield in a floral maxi dress in a summer heatwave, or staring into the distance at an imaginary hot vet for Instagram purposes, is very different from getting out of a car in a farmyard in February in horizontal sleet.

But I never, ever thought that I might be lonely, or how much that would affect me.

I like peace and quiet, so choosing to live alone in a cottage on a rural working estate didn't seem a terrible idea. But that delicious solitude also means that I never see my neighbours, as they are out all day operating farm machinery or exercising horses.

There are no field footpaths for dog walking, which means no opportunity to meet the locals. As any country-dweller knows, dog walking is often the glue that holds communities together.

But my biggest error was not factoring in just how much petrol it takes to leave the cottage and run even the most basic of errands. My nearest town is only seven miles away, but I have neither the time nor the money to do that trip daily, so it's easy to go three or four days without any in-person interaction at all.

I thought that working from home as a writer wouldn't be that different from WFH in north London – and, really, how hard could it be to find a new social circle when I already knew friends of friends in the area?

Frankly, I was delusional. I could never have predicted just how isolated I would become.

In Camden, despite being a natural introvert who's lived on her own for years, I nonetheless had a thriving career network, with a strong circle of close girlfriends whom I saw frequently.

Back then, I took for granted my daily interactions with other people, whether popping out at lunch for a sandwich, chatting over the garden fence, or strolling to the park mid-afternoon. That simply does not and can not happen here.

I knew that being child-free would mean missing out on those vital school-gate connections that ease the paths of so many rural incomers, but it never occurred to me that it would be quite so hard to make like-minded close friends.

Geography alone means everyone is just a lot more spread out. In London, if you throw a biscuit, you hit a creative. Throw a biscuit here and you hit a squirrel.

It turns out that it's not just being child-free that's an issue. It soon became apparent that being a single fortysomething is a big red flag to some women. It's very hard to build any kind of meaningful friendship if you're allowed to be party to only a tiny external fraction of someone's life.

A long-running source of personal amusement since I moved here has been observing the mental and vocal gymnastics other women go through to avoid inviting me into their homes.

Casual coffees, pub lunches and dog walks are all on offer, but the women I meet would rather chop off their own hand than entertain me in the presence of their husbands. While I admire their collective belief that the men in their lives are irresistible, I am here to tell them that middle-aged and gone-to-seed husbands with a wandering eye are not my jam.

Traditional solutions to loneliness often involve sport, taking classes or, shudder, online dating. But my idea of sport is running for a bus. I have no desire to learn new skills when I don't get around to practising the ones I already have, and the suggestion of dating presumes that I am actively seeking a partner.

Having dipped a virtual toe into the microscopically small available dating pool around here, I can confirm that permanent celibacy seems a more attractive option.

There's also the added horror of bumping into a past datee at the local petrol station, pub or farm shop, when all you (or they) want to do is scrub the date from memory, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-style.

We are often told that we are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and while I have always understood that it's just as easy to be lonely in a city as it is in the countryside, it's become abundantly clear that there is something particularly bleak about rural loneliness.

Whether alone by circumstance or profession, because of health issues or caring responsibilities, it sometimes seems that the countryside is full of isolated people. You have only to listen to Radio One to hear the countless farmers who call in from their tractors as they plough fields, all of them evidently desperate for human connection.

The one thing that saved my sanity was setting up an online antiques business a year after I moved here.

Shortly afterwards, I leased that barn to store my stock and meet clients by appointment. Without this professional reason to get out and about, I really don't know that I could survive living here.

And there is a tiny ray of light: I can report that yoga in the village hall, to which, as a non-bendy person, I signed up with extreme reluctance as a way of filling the long lonely evenings in winter, has turned out to be wonderful.

So maybe there is hope yet for me to build some connections as I work on my downward dog.

Daily Mail

The Federal Government has announced plans to discontinue its Visa-on-Arrival policy, citing inefficiencies in the current system. In its place, the government will introduce landing and exit cards, which prospective visitors will be required to complete before entering the country.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Friday during the closing ceremony of a week-long capacity-building training on Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for national security and law enforcement. The event was held at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo revealed that individuals of interest have been attempting to bypass the new systems implemented at Nigeria’s five international airports. Intelligence reports indicate that some of these individuals are now traveling to neighboring countries to enter Nigeria through its extensive land borders. In response, the minister stated that the ministry will collaborate with relevant partners to deploy the API/PNR system across land borders, emphasizing that Nigeria cannot become a haven for criminals.

At the event, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (CGIS), Kemi Nandap, noted that the initiative stemmed from discussions with the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism during a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, last year. Nandap praised the NIS for its well-trained and patriotic personnel, who are committed to serving the nation.

Objective Profiling and Automation

The Interior Minister stressed that the API/PNR system is mandatory and marks a shift from subjective to objective profiling in immigration decisions. He explained that the current visa system is largely subjective, lacking the necessary rigor for effective migration management and security.

“The visa is not just an entry approval; it is a migration management and security tool,” Tunji-Ojo said. “The current system is too subjective, which is why we are automating the entire process end-to-end. We are working towards launching the e-visa solution by March 1, or at the latest, April 1. This system will integrate with Interpol and criminal records databases to ensure thorough background checks before visas are issued.”

He added that the new system will eliminate the practice of foreign attachés approving and issuing visas, ensuring that all applicants are thoroughly screened. “Nigeria cannot be a destination for wanted criminals. We are committed to making sure our country is not a safe haven for any criminal,” he stated.

Integrated Immigration Solutions

The minister also highlighted plans to integrate various immigration solutions into a centralized data center. This will enable seamless communication between different systems, ensuring that all immigration decisions are made with real-time input from Interpol, criminal records systems, and other background-checking agencies.

“We want to harmonize our databases and ensure that all solutions work together, rather than operating in silos,” Tunji-Ojo said. “For any immigration-related decision, it will be impossible to grant approvals without clearance from relevant security agencies. Security is not an area where you can afford to be 99.9% correct.”

Landing and Exit Cards

Under the new system, visitors will be required to fill out landing cards, which will be integrated with the visa and passport systems, as well as global background-checking databases. This data will be shared with other agencies worldwide to enhance security and streamline the immigration process.

Tunji-Ojo emphasized the need for accountability in immigration management. “It is unacceptable that the NIS cannot instantly provide the number of foreigners in Nigeria. It is unacceptable for someone to enter the country, disappear, and become untraceable. It is unacceptable for immigration policies to be abused, or for individuals to wait six months to regularize their residency. These practices are not tolerated anywhere in the world,” he said.

Reforms for National and International Security

The minister outlined that the reforms, set to take effect between March 1 and April 1, aim to safeguard Nigerians, uphold the country’s responsibilities in the international community, and contribute to global peace. “These reforms are necessary to protect our people, maintain our reputation among nations, and fulfill our role in promoting international security,” he concluded.

As Nigeria joins the global community in celebrating International Mother Language Day, the National Library of Nigeria has sounded the alarm over the critical endangerment of 29 indigenous languages out of the country’s 563.

At an event marking the 2025 edition of the day in Abuja, the National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer, Chinwe Anunobi, highlighted the precarious state of languages such as Njerep and Ichen, which are on the verge of extinction.

Anunobi emphasized the importance of integrating local languages into educational curricula and urged teachers to instill pride in students regarding their linguistic heritage. She also encouraged parents to speak their native languages at home to help sustain them for future generations.

The event, themed ‘Silver Jubilee Celebration of International Mother Language Day,’ featured the public presentation of A Compendium of Alphabets and Numerals of Nigerian Languages.

Anunobi stressed that preserving indigenous languages requires a collective effort, not just the work of institutions.

“Nigeria, with over 563 indigenous languages, has at least 29 that are critically endangered, including Njerep and Ichen,” she stated. “If lost, this would not only erode our cultural heritage but also deprive future generations of indigenous knowledge and traditional wisdom embedded in these languages.”

She further noted that research indicates children learn best in their mother tongue during their early years of education. Citing UNESCO, she explained that first-language instruction enhances cognitive development, boosts creativity, and improves academic performance. However, she warned that the increasing shift towards dominant languages is marginalizing indigenous tongues, thereby threatening their survival.

“The National Library of Nigeria recognizes the significance of promoting mother languages, not just for cultural preservation but also for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which advocates inclusive and equitable quality education for all,” Anunobi added.

Speaking at the event, UNESCO’s National Programme Officer, Stephen Onyekwelu, revealed that the organization is collaborating with the National Library on a pilot project to document and preserve at least three endangered languages in Taraba State. The initiative will use community engagement, language documentation, and digital archives, including live video recordings, to ensure the survival of these languages.

Onyekwelu also called for the establishment of a national committee to develop a strategic plan for preserving Nigeria’s indigenous languages. He urged parents and educators to actively promote linguistic heritage by teaching children their native languages to safeguard cultural continuity.

Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'revenge' after Hamas returns wrong remains

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed "revenge" on Hamas after it was discovered that the body in a coffin bearing Shiri Bibas’ name and photo was an unidentified woman, and not the kidnapped mother of two.

On Thursday, Hamas was supposed to deliver the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. However, during the identification process, Israel discovered that the body inside Shiri’s coffin was not hers. 

"These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys’ mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement," Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.

"And as the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me. Nothing," he added.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, citing forensic findings and intelligence, confirmed on Friday that Ariel and Kfir Bibas "were murdered by terrorists in cold blood. The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their own hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities."

Hagari said Hamas’ handing over "the body of an anonymous woman" instead of Shiri Bibas was "further evidence of Hamas’ barbaric cruelty."

In response to the findings, the Hostages and Missing Families forum issued a statement.

"We are shaken to the core by the horrifying findings confirming the cruel and brutal murder of Ariel and Kfir Bibas—just innocent infants—at the hands of Hamas. This barbaric act is yet another undeniable testament to the unfathomable brutality of those who continue to hold our loved ones captive. The very same hands that slaughtered Ariel and Kfir are the ones keeping our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters in unimaginable conditions," the statement reads.

The organization, which was founded in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks, reiterated its demand that Hamas release the remaining hostages "before it is too late."

Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden Bibas’ sister, however, struck a different chord in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we did not receive an apology from you in this painful moment. For Ariel and Kfir's sake, and for Yarden's sake, we are not seeking revenge right now. We are asking for Shiri," Levy said in the statement.

The revelation that Shiri’s body was not returned alongside her sons sparked widespread outrage. World leaders and celebrities, including Dr. Phil and Patricia Heaton, condemned Hamas’ actions and expressed their disgust with the terror group.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-Ny, who has been outspoken about his support for Israel, slammed those criticizing the Jewish state’s response to Hamas’ attacks.

"Those who insist that Israel stop defending itself in the face of genocidal terror are asking the world’s only Jewish State to sign a suicide pact that no other nation-state, including our own, would ever sign," Torres wrote on X.

U.S. Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler called Hamas’ actions "horrific" and "a clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement while speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday. Boehler warned that if Hamas does not release all the remaining hostages, it will "face total annihilation."

Netanyahu also delivered a message to the fallen Israelis whose bodies were returned by Hamas on Thursday.

"Ariel, Kfir and Oded: I am so sorry we couldn't save you from the monsters who did this. We honor your kind and loving souls, so tragically cut down by evil terror," the prime minister said.

Israel is preparing to receive six living hostages on Saturday, two of whom have been held hostage in Gaza for over a decade.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

** Hamas releases new hostage body after misidentification of Shiri Bibas

Hamas released a body on Friday it claimed to be that of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, whose misidentification in a handover this week threatened to derail the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal.

Israeli medical authorities said forensic teams were preparing to examine the body, which Hamas transferred via the Red Cross, and confirm its identity.

The Palestinian militant group had agreed to hand over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Kfir and Ariel along with the remains of a fourth hostage on Thursday under the ceasefire that has halted fighting in Gaza since last month.

Four bodies were delivered and the identities of the Bibas boys and the other hostage, Oded Lifshitz, were confirmed.

But Israeli specialists said the fourth body was that of an unidentified woman and not Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped along with her sons and her husband, Yarden, during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said "unfortunate mistakes" could occur, especially as Israeli bombing had mixed the bodies of Israeli hostages and Palestinians, thousands of whom were still buried in the rubble.

"We confirm that it is not in our values or our interest to keep any bodies or not to abide by the covenants and agreements that we sign," he said in a statement.

The failure to hand over the correct body and the staged public handover of the four coffins on Thursday caused outrage in Israel and drew a threat of retaliation from Netanyahu.

"We will act with determination to bring Shiri home along with all our hostages - both living and dead - and ensure Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement," he said in a video statement.

Hamas said in November 2023 that the children and their mother had been killed in an Israeli air strike. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, said Netanyahu "bears full responsibility for killing her and her children."

But the Israeli military said intelligence assessments and forensic analysis of the bodies of the Bibas children indicated that they were deliberately killed by their captors. Chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the boys were killed by the militants "with their bare hands", but gave no details.

The U.N. Human Rights Office said it had no information of its own on the hostage deaths and called for an effective investigation into the causes.

"The return of the remains of the deceased is a basic humanitarian goal," the office said.

The incident underscored the fragility of the ceasefire agreement reached with U.S. backing and with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators last month.

SATURDAY EXCHANGE

Six living hostages were due for release on Saturday in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, according to Hamas, and the start of negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire was expected in the coming days.

"Hamas must return the hostages as agreed in the ceasefire - the living and the deceased," Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said in a statement on social media platform X. "They have to bring Shiri back, and they have to release the 6 living hostages expected tomorrow."

Netanyahu's office confirmed it had been officially informed of the names of the six hostages to be released, which Hamas sources said was expected at around 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).

As the tension over the Gaza ceasefire rose, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to intensify operations in another Palestinian territory, the occupied West Bank, after a number of explosions blew up buses standing empty in their depots near Tel Aviv.

No casualties were reported but the explosions were a reminder of the campaign of suicide attacks on public transport that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.

'THEY MAKE A JOKE OF US'

Both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused the other of ceasefire violations, with Hamas threatening to delay the release of hostages over what it said was Israel's refusal to allow housing materials and other aid into Gaza, a charge Israel denied.

The Red Cross told Reuters it was "concerned and unsatisfied" that the handover of the bodies had not been conducted privately and in a dignified manner.

"It's like they make a joke of us," said 75-year-old Israeli Ilana Caspi. "We are so in grief and this is even more."

One of the main groups representing hostage families said it was "horrified and devastated" by the news that Shiri Bibas' body had not been returned, but called for the ceasefire to continue to bring back all 70 hostages still in Gaza.

"Save them from this nightmare," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Despite the outrage over Shiri Bibas, there was no indication that Israel would not take part in talks over a second phase of the ceasefire deal.

The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that Israeli negotiators were considering seeking an extension of the 42-day ceasefire, to delay moving to a second phase, which would involve talks over hard-to-resolve issues including an end to the war and the future of Hamas in Gaza.

Fox News/Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Oreshnik missile warheads withstand heat equal to Sun’s temperature — Putin

Warheads mounted on Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles withstand heat equal to the temperature on the Sun’s surface, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"The entire world talks about the Oreshnik. And what are the materials? The temperature on these warheads corresponds to the temperature of the Sun, the temperature on the Sun’s surface," Putin said at a plenary session of the Forum of Future Technologies.

"We understand this. We have been developing systems of the boost-glide vehicle that we called Avangard since the 1980s. It features comparable temperatures, slightly less than on the Sun’s surface," the head of state said.

Russian scientists thought about creating such systems back in the late 1980s, Putin recalled. "But they could not because there were no materials. That was the problem. It flies and melts like an ice cream. And the control signal goes through," the Russian president explained, stressing that the innovations "are the result of the work on new materials."

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian soldiers dismiss Trump-Russia peace push

Peace talks this week between Russia and the U.S. aimed at ending three years of war in Ukraine have not impressed front-line Ukrainian troops, who see no quick end to the fighting if Kyiv is left out of negotiations.

Clutching an assault rifle, an infantryman who goes by the call sign "Rugbyist" recalled Ukraine's fierce resistance in the first weeks of Russia's February 2022 invasion, before Western support poured in, and suggested his country could do it again if needed.

In any case, he had not placed high hopes in U.S. President Donald Trump standing up for Ukraine: "You can't be betrayed by a person you didn't expect anything from."

Another soldier, known as "Pruzhynka", was equally dismissive of the Russian-U.S. talks held in Saudi Arabia and said he still plans to take the fight to the enemy when he returns to the front.

"Maybe they decided something over there - but that's their opinion," the 21-year-old, whose call sign means "spring", told Reuters at a training base in southeastern Ukraine.

"Ukrainians won't believe all that."

Trump's push for a quick peace with Moscow while sidelining Ukraine has caused fear among many Ukrainians and their allies.

But front-line troops say they are determined to fight on, citing three years of bitter sacrifices and the loss of tens of thousands of comrades-in-arms.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed any deals made behind Ukraine's back and has sought strong security guarantees from Kyiv's partners before agreeing to any settlement.

Trump envoy Keith Kellogg said on Friday that he had "extensive and positive" talks with Zelenskiy during a trip to Kyiv but offered no further information.

Also on Friday, the Kremlin hinted at a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin but said the details had yet to be worked out.

On the battlefield, meanwhile, outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian troops are struggling to hold back Russian advances along much of the sprawling eastern front.

Fighting has been particularly fierce near the embattled logistics hub of Pokrovsk, defended in part by troops from Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade.

At their training ground, soldiers said they had little faith in the ongoing peace effort and saw no immediate end to the fighting.

"There are many patriots among us - we're descendants of the Cossacks," said "Alladin", who was training the troops.

"We will fight till the end."

Tass/Reuters