I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live ~ Deuteronomy 30:19.

Introduction:

Excellence in life is all about trade secrets. The more you trade with them, the more excellent you become. All who hope, therefore, to enjoy secure access to a lifeline of breakthrough and fulfillment on earth must enthusiastically search out noble Biblical secrets, and especially engage them in their day-to-day living (Deuteronomy 29:29).

God’s kingdom principles constitute the major keys in the music of our lives, even when they appear minor or old and well-worn. A very crucial one among these is the principle of man’s personal choices.

Life is full of choices, and these choices make the man. Your destiny is still very colorful, but you steer it by the choices  you make. Choices are daily options, and options are daily phenomena. To be or not to be is by choice.

The power of choice is one of the divine distinctiveness, which God bequeathed on man at creation (1 Chronicles 21:11). God Himself makes choices, and He gave man the same honor so to do (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; 31:11).

Today, man occupies a peculiar position that sets him apart from all other entities on our planet earth. He enjoys a certain amount of freedom, controls his way of living, speaks his own language, perceives and learns great amount of knowledge, manages his emotions, and deals properly with problems he faces as he chooses.

In fact, within the infinite expanse of the universe, man's conscious conducts can change the course of events. Even then, all these are subject to our choices and the mindsets we allow (Philippians 2:5). Hence, man is often referred to as a free moral agent.

This fact above can simply make you or break you, depending on the choices you make. Right choices make right men, but wrong ones can mar even great destinies. Until you choose right, you cannot act right; unless you act right, you readily lose your rights, and therein lie both the bliss and the dilemma of choices!

A long time ago, I read the story of two brothers who were twins. One grew up to become an extremely successful businessman, but the other was a chronic alcoholic. When the alcoholic was asked why he became a drunk, he replied, ‘My father was a drunk.’ And, when his twin brother was asked why he became successful, surprisingly he also said, ‘My father was a drunk.’ Same background, same upbringing, but different choices.

The brothers chose different thoughts regarding their identical experiences, and those thoughts shaped their divergent outcomes. In the same way, whatever thoughts you choose to allow in your mind can, with time, be fully and precisely reflected through your actions.

Images control feelings, feelings cause actions, and actions create results. Hence, it is commonly said that “you are what you think!”

Opportunities, Choices and Consequences

Choices come when opportunities present themselves. But, your choices, either good or evil, have consequences and they determine your future (Joshua 1:8).

Adam was carefully, fearfully and painstakingly created by God. He was blessed with a dominating influence upon the earth, but he chose to obey his wife rather than God, and he immediately fell out of the grace of God and was driven out of the Garden of Eden. Heavy consequences! But thank God for His program of redemption through Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:13-16).

Even then, the redemption program in Christ is also rested on man’s choices. Hence, God’s Word never fails to remind us that it is our responsibilities to deliberately make judicial separation between the good and bad, and to stick to the right choices (Matthew 13:47-48).

The Incredible Power of Your Choices

Choice is the strongest principle of growth, and the biggest business of life. Life is actually made of our choices. Regardless of circumstances, each man lives in a world of his own making. Decisions, choices and perseverance are the noblest qualities of man.

In every success story, you find someone who made a courageous decision. We make decisions, and then our decisions turn around to make us. Choices define human destiny, and nothing ranks a man so quickly as his skill in selecting things that are really worthwhile (Job 34:4; Isaiah 56:4).

If you would achieve your goals and be a successful, dynamic person, then your very first step must be to make up your mind to firmly choose the right courses in life, or else ceaseless drifts of events may present you with unpalatable results.

You are the one who is responsible for the decisions you make. And, you are free to make wrong decisions if you are ready for the consequences. Whichever road you choose, be sure you know that you may be in it for a very long while.

Happily, making right decisions is simple after all. Get the facts. Deeply reflect on your ways, styles and attitudes that are due for review (Psalms 90:12). Crosscheck your past notes to detect those abandoned visions and vows. Rearrange the cabinets of your mind, and get rid of the trash.

Go to the Lord to receive a right focus. Seek God until you obtain His guidance. He is the Way-Maker! Be calm in His Presence, having a clear vision for His glory all the way through.

Moreover, you must choose your friends responsibly. Certainty, there is a nexus between the quality of life we live, and the type of friends we choose (Proverbs 9:6; 12:26). Don't fool yourself, bad friends will destroy you. And, don't let anyone deceive you about it: associating with bad people will ruin your godly decency, and wicked friends will lead you to evil ends (1Corinthians 15:33). The old idiom says, "birds of a feather flock together."

Set higher goals for a new level of divine relevance. Form judgement, act on it and worry no more. Then, going forward, create room for new things bothering on supernatural expansion.

Now is the best time for you to make needful adjustments, especially in your belief system. The good old song says, “Oh happy day, that fixed my choice, On Thee, my Saviour, and my God!” The most beautiful things in life happen to you when your choices tally with the choices of God. Choose wisely. Choose to win. Choose Jesus Christ above all else in the world. He loves you most of all.

No devil can hinder or oppress you if you are on the right track with God. Joshua said, ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15). Nullify every contradiction, and make Jesus Christ your everlasting choice today. Those who stand for Him fall for nothing else. You will never fail again, your glory will burst forth and many generations shall glorify God through you. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Bishop 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

My first name means “God loves me.” When God called me to ministry in 1994, He called my name three times. Then He said to me: “I have loved you from the foundation of the world.”

The Bible says:

“The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:6).

God so loved me, He sent armed robbers to waylay me and shoot me. He told me so Himself and validated this with scripture:

“Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law.” (Isaiah 42:24).

Goodness of God

Why does a loving God do this to those He loves? He does this because He is determined to show us His glory and to reveal His glory in us.

When the armed robbers attacked me, God appeared to me for the very first time, just as He did to the three Hebrew children in the fiery burning furnace. He then gave me a lifetime message which said bad things may happen to me, but they would always amount to nothing. He would work all things together for my good. (Romans 8:28-30).

Jesus gave the same assurance to His disciples on His way to Calvary. He said:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Accordingly, I experienced the peace that surpasses all understanding during my armed robbery attack. (Philippians 4:7). I was surrounded by armed robbers, there was a bullet in my leg, and I was anxious about nothing. Given the situation, the peace I had did not make any sense.

In the middle of the attack, I heard the voice of God for the very first time. Later, He said to me: “Femi, blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16).

And then, the miracle of miracles, He healed the broken bone in my bullet-ridden leg.

“Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and glorified Himself in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:23).

Blindness Redeemed

I discovered to my surprise that I was born blind. Indeed, all men are born blind. As a result, we can only see the temporal and transient glory of men but cannot see the eternal and everlasting glory of God.

In the Scriptures, when Jesus opened the eyes of a man who was blind from birth, the unbelieving Pharisees queried him, asking:

“What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He said to them, ‘He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’” (John 9:15).

I can imagine skeptical latter-day Pharisees asking me the same question today: “Femi, how did Jesus open your eyes?” This is my answer: “He sent armed robbers to waylay me and shoot me on Airport Road. When He did this, scales fell out of my eyes and my ears popped open.”

The same phenomenon happened to Job. God afflicted him with the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health. But at the end of his ordeal, Job had this testimony. He said to God:

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5).

God made Job go through his ordeal for the same reason He sent armed robbers to me. He did this because of His amazing love. He does this to show us how much He loves us by redeeming our losses.

Accordingly, my leg was miraculously healed. As for Job, the Lord restored his losses and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10). 

That is the principle behind God’s redemption. The redeemed get double for our trouble. (Zechariah 9:12).

The big bonus, of course, is the knowledge of God that our redemption brings. Therefore, Paul says:

“What things were gain to me; these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8).

Kingdom Dynamics 

When God loves us, when He adores us, He makes something bad happen to us.

John makes sure we know that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. Nevertheless, he delayed going to see him when He heard he was sick:

“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” (John 11:5-6).

In so doing, He made sure Lazarus was not only sick but that he died. He did this because He wanted them to see the glory of God.

He reassured His disciples about Lazarus’ affliction:  

“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4).

When He finally got to Bethany four days after Lazarus’ death, He told Martha, Lazarus’ sister:

“If you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

The glory they saw was Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. That glory blew their minds. They were never the same again, and they came to much greater knowledge of Jesus, which is the gateway to eternal life.

Jesus says to God the Father:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3-4).

Look at what Mary did because of this new knowledge:

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” (John 12:1-3).

Mary, who had been upset that Jesus came late to Bethany when Lazarus was sick, was now so grateful to Jesus for coming late and allowing Lazarus to die because she saw the glory of his resurrection.

So, Christians need to understand this. Good things have been overrated and bad things have been underrated. If we want to see the good of God, we must endure the bad.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

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The ancient philosophy of Stoicism has seen a revival in recent years for its practical wisdom in addressing the challenges of modern life. Beyond its current popularity, however, lies a radical system of self-transformation for those seeking to divert from the well-trodden path of conventions. This article explores five vital Stoic principles that can empower individuals to break free from the confines of the majority mindset.

“The 1%” evokes images of the financial elite with material riches and high social status. In this article, however, the focus is on the 1% who dare to differ in thought and action from societal norms. The aim is not nonconformity for its own sake but living purposefully in alignment with deeply held values. This requires a willingness to question collectivist assumptions and develop inner resilience to external pressures.

Understanding the Majority Mindset

The first step is evaluating widespread tendencies that hinder individual growth and autonomy. Most people prefer conformity, follow reactive emotions, and rely excessively on others’ opinions to feel validated. This leads to living passively, like driftwood floating along societal currents without direction.

Such reliance on external conditions for happiness inevitably brings frustration. Attempting to control the uncontrollable through quick fixes or avoiding discomfort leads to more stress. The majority mindset hampers the conscious creation of a life driven by self-chosen values. Breaking free requires swimming against the social stream through disciplined self-leadership.

Principle 1: Focus on What You Can Control

A fundamental Stoic teaching is the dichotomy of control, distinguishing between what is within our power and what is not. Most people exhaust themselves over external things they can’t determine, like public events or other people’s judgments. This futile struggle only breeds anxiety, anger, and despair.

The Stoic focuses time and energy on what they can directly influence: their reasoning, judgments, and actions. This includes disciplining the mind against knee-jerk reactions, consciously choosing empowering perspectives, and planning behavior aligned with values. Effort spent trying to control anything else is wasted.

To break from the majority, learn to detach from uncontrollable outcomes, even societal trends. Instead of lamenting how people spend hours consumed by social media, commit to reading books. Rather than complaining about how commercialism has corrupted holiday celebrations, consciously connect meaningfully with loved ones. The only real power lies in how you respond.

Principle 2: Embrace Adversity as an Opportunity

Most people view challenges as punishing setbacks to avoid at all costs rather than opportunities for growth. The majority mindset frames adversity exclusively in negative terms of harm, loss, and victimization. This mentality severely limits development, leading to stagnation and resignation.

In contrast, the Stoic proactively engages difficulties as a training ground to build virtuous qualities like courage, justice, self-control, and resilience. Hardships are reimagined as a voluntary gymnasium for empowering the mind against destructive emotions like anxiety, greed, anger, and envy. The onset of adversity triggers a conscious choice: either play the hapless victim or rise to the occasion wiser and stronger than before.

Principle 3: Practice Mindfulness and Present Focus

A common habit among the majority is dwelling obsessively on the past or worrying excessively about the future. Too often, attention remains pinned on memories or hypothetical scenarios, missing out on the direct experience of each present moment. This tendency fills life with unnecessary regret, dread, and distraction.

Stoics practice mindfulness by consciously focusing awareness on the present. This means tuning senses to current surroundings without judgment, not clinging to thoughts about the past or future. Attention gets redirected away from the ego-mind’s imaginary projections back to reality presently occurring.

Developing mindfulness requires patience, but even basic steps can bear fruits. For example, when performing routine tasks like washing dishes or walking downstairs, shift focus solely on sensory input and body movements happening in the moment. Throughout the day, consciously return attention to immediate bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions without attachment to mental narratives. Over time, such exercises enhance concentration, presence, and direct contact with life.

Principle 4: Develop Self-Sufficiency

The majority mindset finds happiness through ceaseless consumption, stimulation, and external validation. This bottomless pit of need and dependency inevitably leads to emptiness and instability at the mercy of changing circumstances. In contrast, the Stoic gradually develops inner richness by not “going outwards” for contentment but cultivating what lies within.

Self-sufficiency starts by examining core values to determine precisely what is intrinsically satisfying versus acquired through others’ recognition. For example, creative expression may hold deep meaning by putting imagination into tangible form based on personal standards rather than meeting sales quotas. Physical vitality achieves significance by optimizing diet and exercise for daily functioning, which is not dependent on performance goals.

This inward focus fosters fulfillment free from the majority’s validation. Self-sufficiency is expressed through an intentionally crafted lifestyle aligning daily activities with self-chosen purpose. One escapes the futile race of material accumulation by defining prosperity in one’s non-conformist terms.

Principle 5: Foster a Community of Like-Minded Individuals

Seeking autonomy from the majority does not necessitate total isolation. Humans inherently need social connections not only to survive but also to thrive. The task becomes curating relationships that constructively support the self-transformative journey.

Stoicism encourages association with those demonstrating wisdom, integrity, and self-discipline to reinforce these same qualities in oneself. Seneca described such people as “life coaches” from whom one can learnthrough their lived examples. These virtuous friends offer fellowship, accountability, inspiration, and mutually beneficial growth.

Finding such associations may require letting go of limiting past relationships that no longer align with present values and direction. This pruning eventually yields fruit by clearing space for new alliances through shared interests or common goals. A social circle supportive of self-development provides energy and camaraderie, strengthening resolve against an indifferent mainstream culture. Together, members of this “1%” find empowerment to actualize their higher vision.

Case Study: From Conformist to Conscious Leader

John has always been sensitive about social approval and tries to meet everyone’s expectations, often at the sacrifice of personal needs. He repeatedly compromises core values to “fit in,” leading to accumulative frustration. Recurring stress-related illness makes him feel like a powerless victim of life circumstances outside his control. He aspires for change but feels overwhelmed trying to resolve these challenges alone.

In exploring self-help strategies, John discovers Stoicism and applies its principles to live more intentionally. He learns to differentiate between preference and truth, focusing only on present experiences he can control. Freed from constant worrying about hypothetical future scenarios or regret over past mistakes, John gains a larger perspective and feels empowered in each moment.

Implementing regular mindfulness practices, John increases resilience to distress and strengthens concentration. Letting go of conformity frees up energy previously spent on impressing others. Instead, he channels efforts into creative projects meaningful for self-expression, which boosts confidence and self-trust.

John joins a philosophy meet-up group to connect with like-minded individuals for mutual growth and support. Surrounding himself with those demonstrating integrity empowers upholding these qualities in challenging situations. Instead of Avoiding conflicts, John handles difficulties with courage and transparency.

Over time, conscious living aligned with Stoic principles transforms John into a self-directed leader. Modeling this mindful engagement inspires colleagues to better care for their well-being. John now views life’s ups and downs as opportunities to forge understanding and embody virtue. He occasionally falters under stress but has the tools to regain perspective, wisdom, and serenity quickly.

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

Breaking from conformity requires inner clarity about self-chosen purpose and the self-discipline to actualize this vision. Stoicism offers timeless principles for this lifelong journey of self-transformation. By focusing only on present experiences under personal control, skillfully engaging in life’s challenges, and selecting relationships mindfully, individuals can sustainably experience uplifted states of fulfillment and autonomy.

 

Trader U

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigeria recorded N1.41 trillion trade deficit between October and December of 2023.

On Friday, NBS made this known in its foreign trade report for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.

In the period under review, Nigeria’s exports totalled N12.69 trillion, and total imports N14.11 trillion — which gives a trade deficit of N1.41 trillion.

A trade deficit is an economic indicator of a negative trade balance in which a nation’s imports outweigh its exports.

“In the fourth quarter of 2023, Nigeria’s total trade was N26,801.95 billion. Exports were valued at N12,693.62 billion, while imports amounted to N14,108.33 billion,” NBS said.

“On an annual basis, total trade was N71,880.01 billion, of which imports amounted to N35,917.62 billion, and exports were recorded at N35,962.39 billion.”

Compared to Q3 2023, exports rose by 22.68 percent quarter-on-quarter, from N10.35 trillion to N12.69 trillion in Q4 last year.

On a year-on-year basis, there was a 99.60 percent jump in export value compared to N6.36 trillion in Q4 2022.

Similarly, total imports rose by 56.04 percent quarter-on-quarter, compared to Q3 2023 (N9.04 trillion) and surged by 163.08 percent year-on-year (YoY) compared to Q4 2022 (N5.36 trillion).

In Q3 2023, Nigeria had a trade surplus of N1.31 trillion. This means the value of Nigeria’s exports (N10.35 trillion) was higher than imports (N9.04 trillion).

However, by Q4 2023, the situation reversed, with Nigeria’s trade recording a deficit, as the value of imports exceeded exports.

THE NETHERLANDS TOPS NIGERIA’S EXPORT DESTINATIONS IN Q3

Nigeria’s exports boomed in the fourth quarter of 2023, with the Netherlands, India, and Spain emerging as the top destinations. These three countries, along with Canada and France, accounted for nearly half (45.29 percent) of Nigeria’s total exports in Q4 last year.

“Further analysis on fourth-quarter trade by partners shows that the top five export destinations in Q4, 2023 were the Netherlands with ₦1,910.47 billion or 15.05%, India with ₦1,101.47 billion or 8.68%, Spain with ₦1,030.09 billion or 8.11%, Canada with ₦907.64 billion or 7.15%, and France with ₦799.77 billion or 6.30% of total exports,” NBS said.

“Altogether, exports to the top five countries amounted to 45.29% of the total value of exports.

“The largest exported product in the fourth quarter of 2023 was ‘Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude’ valued at ₦10,310.70 billion, representing 81.23%; this was followed by ‘Natural gas,’ with ₦1,015.84 billion accounting for 8.00%, and ‘Urea, whether or not in aqueous solution’ with ₦251.90 billion, or 1.98% of total exports.”

Singapore topped the list of Nigeria’s import partners in Q4 2023, accounting for a significant 36.09% (N5.09 trillion) of the total import value.

China remained a major player, coming in second with 14.61 percent (N2,06 trillion) worth of imported goods.

Rounding out the top five were Belgium, India, and the United States, collectively contributing over half (58.82 percent) of Nigeria’s imports in Q4.

 

The Cable

Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Thursday invaded some communities in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State and killed 16 people.

This happened barely 24 hours after rival militia groups unleashed terror on the Gbagir community in Ukum LG of the state leading to the death of no fewer than 40 people.

The latest attack, according to a source, happened on Thursday as the bandits embarked on a killing spree as they ransacked about 11 communities.

Sources revealed that the state deputy governor, Sam Ode and security chiefs in the state have gone on the spot assessment of the area.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Command, Catherine Anene promised to get details of the incident as soon as the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, who had gone to the troubled area returned.

 

Punch

At least two worshippers were killed during Friday prayers at Anguwar Makera under Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The incident happened around 2 pm on Friday, according to locals in the area.

A community leader, Hudu Kwasakwasa, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits opened fire on the worshipers.

“The two worshipers killed were among other Muslims attacked at the Juma’at Mosque in Angwar Makera when the bandits opened fire on them and abducted others today (Friday). The victims have been buried at Old Kuyello cemetery,” he said.

He said the people were in the second raka’at of the salat when they were attacked, which forced the remaining people to run for their lives.

He added that a few days ago, the same bandits abducted about 9 people at a community called Angwar Kanawa under Kwasakwasa area.

He appealed for help from authorities concerned, saying the bandits were raiding the communities unchallenged.

The latest attack on the worshipers came less than 24 hours after bandits abducted over 287 students in the neighboring Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

The State Government and the Police Command are yet to react to the mosque incident as the Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, couldn’t be reached on the phone and is yet to reply to a text message sent to him seeking clarification.

 

Daily Trust

A ship with Gaza aid is preparing to inaugurate a sea route from Cyprus to the war-ravaged strip

A ship bearing humanitarian aid was making preparations to leave Cyprus and head for Gaza, the European Commission president said Friday as international donors launched a sea corridor to supply the besieged territory that is facing widespread hunger after five months of war.

The opening of the corridor, along with the recent inauguration of airdrops of aid, showed increasing frustration with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a new international willingness to work around Israeli restrictions.

The vessel belonging to Spain’s Open Arms aid group will make a pilot voyage to test the corridor in the coming days, Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Cyprus, where she’s inspecting preparations for it. The ship has been waiting at Cyprus’s port of Larnaca for permission to deliver food aid from World Central Kitchen, a U.S. charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés.

Israel said Friday it welcomed the maritime corridor, but cautioned it would also need security checks.

“The Cypriot initiative will allow the increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, after a security check according to Israeli standards,” Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry, said on X, formerly Twitter.

The European Union, together with the United States, the United Arab Emirates and other involved countries were launching the sea route in response to the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza, Von der Leyen said at a news conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with innocent Palestinian families and children desperate for basic needs,” she said.

Open Arms founder Oscar Camps told The Associated Press the ship is scheduled to depart Saturday and would take two to three days to arrive at an undisclosed location where the group World Central Kitchen is constructing a pier to receive it. The group has 60 food kitchens throughout Gaza to distribute aid, he said.

The ship will pull a barge loaded with 200 tons of rice and flour close to the Gaza shore, he said. Pontoon boats will then be used for the complicated final leg to tow the barge up to the pier.

Camps said his group has been planning the delivery for two months, long before the EU Commission chief declared the launch of the safe corridor. He said he’s not as concerned about the security of the ship as “about the security and lives of the people who are in Gaza.”

“I don’t know if nations plan to do something bigger, but we are doing everything we can” with the group’s 3 million euros budget from private donations, Camps said.

In Brussels, commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said the Open Arms ship’s direct route to Gaza raises a number of “logistical problems” which are still being worked out. He said United Nations agencies and the Red Cross will also play a role.

Efforts to set up a sea route for aid deliveries come amid mounting alarm over the spread of hunger among Gaza’s 2.3 million people. Hunger is most acute in northern Gaza, which has been isolated by Israeli forces for months and suffered long cutoffs of food supply deliveries.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a plan to build a temporary pier in Gaza to help deliver aid, underscoring how the U.S. has to go around Israel, its main Mideast ally and the top recipient of U.S. military aid, to deliver aid to Gaza, including through airdrops that started last week. Israel accuses Hamas of commandeering some aid deliveries.

Aid officials have said that deliveries by sea and by air are far more costly and inefficient than sending trucks by land in getting the massive amounts of aid needed to people.

Five people in Gaza were killed and several others were injured when airdrops malfunctioned Friday and hit people and landed on homes, Palestinian officials said.

After months of warnings over the risk of famine in Gaza under Israel’s bombardment, offensives and siege, hospital doctors have reported 20 malnutrition-related deaths at two northern Gaza hospitals.

While reiterating his support for Israel, Biden used his State of the Union speech to reiterate demands that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allow in more aid to Gaza.

“To the leadership of Israel, I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip,” Biden declared before Congress. He also repeated calls for Israel to do more to protect civilians in the fighting, and to work toward Palestinian statehood as the only long-term solution to Israeli-Palestinian violence.

United States officials said it will likely be weeks before the Gaza pier is operational.

Aid groups have said their efforts to deliver desperately needed supplies to Gaza have been hampered because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, the ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order. It is even more difficult to get aid to the isolated north.

Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told reporters late Thursday that air and sea deliveries cannot make up for a shortage of supply routes on land.

Von der Leyen said the EU would continue exploring different ways of getting aid to Gaza. She said the bloc would consider “all other options, including airdrops, if our humanitarian partners on the ground consider this effective.”

Meanwhile, efforts to reach a cease-fire before Ramadan appeared stalled. Hamas said Thursday that its delegation had left Cairo, where talks were being held, until next week.

International mediators had hoped to alleviate some of the immediate crisis with a six-week cease-fire, which would have seen Hamas release some of the Israeli hostages it is holding, Israel release some Palestinian prisoners and aid groups be given access to get a major influx of assistance into Gaza.

Palestinian militants are believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others captured during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took some 250 hostages. Several dozen hostages were freed in a weeklong November truce, and about 30 are believed to be dead.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 30,878 Palestinians have been killed. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tallies but says women and children make up two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records and its casualty figures from previous wars have largely matched those of the U.N. and independent experts.

Egyptian officials said Hamas has agreed to the main terms of such an agreement as a first stage but wants commitments that it will lead to an eventual more permanent cease-fire, while Israel wants to confine the negotiations to the more limited agreement.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with media. Both officials said mediators are still pressing the two parties to soften their positions.

 

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine to receive 6 bln euro from EU in next two months, PM says

Ukraine will receive 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) from the European Union via its four-year Ukraine facility in the next two months, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.

The government expects to receive 4.5 billion euros in March and another 1.5 billion euros in April, Shmyhal told a government meeting.

"This year, we aim to receive about 16 billion euros from the European Union. Ukraine will have the resources to fight and win. It is our key objective and we will do everything possible for it," Shmyhal said.

With the war against Russia now in its third year, Ukraine is critically dependent on economic and military support from its Western allies.

Billions in economic aid in the first two years of the war helped the government to maintain macroeconomic stability, tame inflation and ensure timely payments of pensions and public sector wages.

Ukraine channels most of its domestic budget revenues to fund its defence efforts.

Finance ministry data showed that Ukraine received about $73.6 billion in foreign financing in 2022 and 2023.

But in the first two months of this year, Kyiv received only $1.2 billion as major financing packages were delayed or blocked.

Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has said the country needs about $3 billion a month to be able to get through 2024.

The government borrowed more from the domestic debt market and asked the state companies to make some obligatory budget payments in advance to meet spending needs in the first two months of the year.

The European Union eventually approved its four-year 50 billion euro financing program for Ukraine last month, military and economic aid from the United States remains stalled.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian kamikaze drones kill two in Russia – governor

Two people have been killed and another severely wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod Region, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

The attack, which involved three kamikaze-drones, targeted the outskirts of the village of Rozhdestvenka, located near Russia’s border with Ukraine, Gladkov wrote in a post on Telegram on Friday.  

“As a result of the explosions, two people were killed and a third man was seriously injured,” he said.

An earthmover machine and some other construction equipment was damaged in the attack, according to the governor.

Earlier on Friday, Gladkov reported that a Ukrainian UAV had dropped an explosive device on a facility at an agricultural enterprise in the village of Maslova Pristan. The blast damaged the roof of the building but no human casualties resulted from this attack, he added.

At least five drones were shot down by air defenses in other parts of Belgorod Region earlier in the day, the governor said.

Throughout the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine has been targeting Russian territory with drones almost on a daily basis.

This week the attacks were most intense on Wednesday, with incursions by UAVs reported in the Ukraine-bordering regions of Voronezh, Kursk, and Belgorod. Most of the drones were destroyed. However, in Kursk Region a strike by a UAV caused a fire at an oil depot.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a total of 796 Ukrainian drones have been shot down over the past week.

 

Reuters/RT

Two-time world champion Anthony Joshua knocked out mixed martial arts star Francis Ngannou in just the second round of their heavyweight clash in the early hours of Saturday.

Joshua had his Cameroonian opponent on the canvas in the first round and twice more in the second in a brutal and brief exhibition of punching power.

Ngannou, 37, a former UFC heavyweight champion, was taking part in only his second professional boxing match, having lost a split decision to Tyson Fury in an October fight that saw him put the WBC champion on the canvas in the third round.

“I thought this fight was something for the broadcasters to get behind,” Joshua told broadcaster DAZN after his quickfire victory.

“When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury, I thought, ‘I want some of that’. He is a great champion and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities.

“I told (Ngannou) not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in and he fought the best.”

Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, went into the fight on the back of three successive wins.

Before that, however, he lost back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk, who will fight Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia in May.

The fight only got under way at 3:30 am local time (0030 GMT), but weary fans enjoyed a sensational start when Joshua quickly sent Ngannou to the canvas in the opening round with a brutal right to the chin.

It got worse for the Cameroonian when he was knocked down again in the second round, just managing to beat the count.

But his resistance lasted just a few more moments after he was sent to the canvas again for the third and final time.

He lay on his back for some time and needed medical treatment inside the ring before being helped back to his stool.

Joshua, 34, was reportedly being paid $50 million for his clash with Ngannou, whose rags-to-riches story had captivated the sport.

The MMA star grew up in abject poverty, working as a child labourer in a sand quarry for under $2 a day.

Ngannou then made his way to Europe, even sleeping rough in a car park in Paris before a local coach took him under his wing and guided him to boxing.

 

The Guardian

A Bangladeshi medical school teacher has been suspended after allegedly pulling out a firearm and shooting a student in the leg during a heated argument.

Raihan Sharif, a lecturer at a medical college in Sirajganj, north-western Bangladesh, has been suspended from his job two days after allegedly shooting and injuring a student in a classroom. Local media reported that the incident took place on Monday, while Sharif was conducting an oral exam. At some point, he got into an argument with 23-year-old student Arafat Amin Tomal, pulled out a gun, and shot the student in the right knee. Luckily for Tomal, the bullet hit the mobile phone he had in his pocket and prevented a potentially life-threatening injury, but he still wound up in the hospital and had to undergo surgery on his leg.

The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reports that there were 45 students in the classroom when the shooting occurred, many of whom rushed to help their colleague, locking Sharif in a room until police arrived. He was taken into custody and police seized the gun, as well as a second pistol, 81 bullets, four magazines, two knives, and 10 daggers which were found in the teacher’s bag.

In a police statement, it was revealed that Raihan Sharif was known for bringing firearms to school which he would often showcase to his students during classes.

News of Raihan Sharif suspension by the medical college sparked outrage in Bangladesh, with people voicing their outrage at the lecturer’s actions. Students at the college protested this week asking for a more severe punishment and his immediate dismissal.

The teacher remains in custody and police said that a special committee has been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

 

Oddity Central