Biden: Netanyahu 'hurting Israel' by not preventing more civilian deaths in Gaza

President Joe Biden said Saturday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in how he is approaching its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The U.S. leader expressed support for Israel’s right to pursue Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack, but said of Netanyahu that “he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.” Biden has for months warned that Israel risks losing international support over mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, and the latest remarks in an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart pointed to the increasingly strained relationship between the two leaders.

Biden said of the death toll in Gaza, “it’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake.”

Biden said a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering, is “a red line” for him, but said he would not cut off weapons like the Iron Dome missile interceptors which protect the Israeli civilian populace from rocket attacks in the region.

“It is a red line,” he said, when asked about Rafah, “but I’m never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”

Biden said he was willing to make his case directly to the Israeli Knesset, its parliament, including by making another trip to the country. He traveled to Israel weeks after the Oct. 7. attack. He declined to elaborate on how or whether such a trip might materialize.

The U.S. leader had hoped to secure a temporary ceasefire before Ramadan begins next week, though that appears increasingly unlikely as Hamas has balked at a deal pushed by the U.S. and its allies that would have seen fighting pause for about six weeks, the release of additional hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel remains committed to continuing its invasion and annihilating Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took about 250 hostages on Oct. 7. The militant group freed dozens of hostages during a November truce, but it refuses to release more without guarantees of a complete end of hostilities.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with the majority being women and children, and hundreds of thousands going hungry.

Biden noted CIA Director Bill Burns is in the region currently trying to resurrect the deal.

Biden’s comments came after he was captured on a hot mic following Thursday night’s State of the Union address telling Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. that he and the Israeli leader will need to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”

In the exchange, Bennet congratulated Biden on his speech and urged the president to keep pressing Netanyahu on growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were also part of the brief conversation.

Biden then responds using Netanyahu’s nickname, saying, “I told him, Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.”

An aide to the president standing nearby then speaks quietly into the president’s ear, appearing to alert Biden that microphones remained on as he worked the room.

“I’m on a hot mic here,” Biden says after being alerted. “Good. That’s good.”

 

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Pope says Ukraine should have 'courage of the white flag' of negotiations

Pope Francis has said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.

Francis made his comments in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, well before Friday's latest offer by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war.

Erdogan made the fresh offer after a meeting in Istanbul with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy has said while he wants peace he will not give up any territory.

The Ukrainian leader's own peace plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine and the restoration of its state borders. The Kremlin has ruled out engaging in peace talks on terms set by Kyiv.

A spokesman for Zelenskiy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pope's remarks.

In the interview Francis was asked for his position on a debate between those who say Ukraine should give up as it has not been able to repel Russian forces, and those who say doing so would legitimise actions by the strongest party. The interviewer used the term "white flag" in the question.

"It is one interpretation, that is true," Francis said, according to an advance transcript of the interview and a partial video made available to Reuters on Saturday. It is due to be broadcast on March 20 as part of a new cultural programme.

"But I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates," Francis said, adding that talks should take place with the help of international powers.

"The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate," Francis said.

It was believed to be the first time Francis has used terms such as "white flag" or "defeated" in discussing the Ukraine war, although he has spoken in the past about the need for negotiations.

In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope had picked up on the term "white flag" spoken by the interviewer and used it "to indicate a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations".

Last year the 87-year-old pope sent a peace envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington to sound out leaders in those countries.

"One may feel shame," Francis said about negotiating, "but how many dead will it (the war) end up with? (One should) negotiate in time, find a country that can be a mediator," Francis said, mentioning Turkey among the countries that had offered.

"Do not be ashamed of negotiating, before things get worse," said Francis, who has made hundreds of appeals for what he calls "martyred Ukraine". Asked if he was willing to mediate, Francis said "I am here".

In another part of the interview, speaking of the war between Israel and Hamas, Francis said: "Negotiating is never a surrender".

Last month Zelenskiy said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killedsince the Russian invasion in February 2022 and that tens of thousands of civilians had been killed in the occupied areas of the country.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

UK pressures Germany on long-range missile for Ukraine

Western nations should enhance their military support to Ukraine and “invest” more in NATO, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published on Friday. London is ready to work with Berlin on “solving the issues” preventing Germany from providing Kiev with its long-range Taurus missiles, he added.

The potential supply of the German-made cruise missiles, which have a range of about 500 kilometers (300 miles), to Ukraine has drawn additional attention recently amid fallout from a leaked recording of top German military officials discussing the use of those weapons to destroy Russia’s Crimean Bridge. In the audio recording and a transcript of the conversation published by RT, senior German military officers, including the nation’s Air Force commander, in particular spoke about maintaining plausible deniability in case of such an attack.

The leak prompted former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to accuse Germany of preparing for a conflict with Russia, which Berlin has denied.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been skeptical of the idea of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. He argued that the use of such weapons would require tighter control from Berlin and the presence of German specialists on the ground. Scholz also maintained that he would not allow the nation’s troops to become directly involved in the Ukraine conflict.

“We are determined to work closely with our German partners on this issue as well as on all the other ones to help Ukraine,” Cameron told Sueddeutsche Zeitung when asked whether London could aid Berlin in “solving the problems preventing a Taurus delivery” to Kiev.

When further pressed on potential solution scenarios, including a supply of more British Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine in exchange for Taurus deliveries to the UK, Cameron said that “we are ready to look at all options to achieve the maximum effect for Ukraine.” He refused to provide any further details on the issue.

The foreign secretary said that London would not encourage Berlin to send its missiles to Kiev, adding that “every country has to make a sovereign decision here.” He still maintained that the UK was “happy with the arrangements” it made with Kiev, adding that the British weapons did play a role in improving Ukraine’s fighting capabilities.

Cameron also insisted that the West should still seek to achieve its goals through force rather than seek peace in Ukraine. “The best thing we can do now is to invest in NATO,” he told the German newspaper. Russia’s success in the ongoing conflict would lead to “great uncertainty” in Europe and the rest of the world as well as a crisis of trust within the US-led bloc, he argued.

“If we want to achieve a just peace, we will only achieve this through strength,” Cameron stated, adding that seeking peace is incompatible with aiding Kiev. “If we say [that] we want to support Ukraine but also a peace process, neither of the two things will succeed,” he added.

Moscow has repeatedly said that it was ready for peace talks but has seen no willingness for them either in Kiev, in Washington or among its allies. The West still seeks to inflict a battlefield defeat on Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week. Russia’s former defense minister, Sergey Ivanov, in a speech earlier this week also counted the UK among the nations that are “most hostile” to Russia.

 

Reuters/RT

We are about to witness a mud-fight between two gods of integrity. In a Nigeria where the mantra is, if you see something, say something, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, elected to say something. And he did say something last Wednesday. “We talked about inflation, where has it come from? It’s come from eight years of just printing money. And the issue is that that money was not matched by productivity…For eight years, the weak were left to their own devices. It is the privileged few that took everything” he said while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance.

Edun’s appearance in the senate was a total shellacking of the administration of Mai Gaskiya, Muhammadu Buhari. Falling short of naming that government one in same frame with Ali Baba And the Forty Thieves, Edun accused Buhari of every conceivable economic malfeasance, finally heaping the blame of Nigeria’s current economic regression at his doorsteps. He went ahead to promise that the Tinubu government would audit the N22.7 trillion ways and means advance which the Buhari regime incurred.

Bashir Ahmad, former media aide to Buhari, was however of the opinion that blame-shoveling was bad politics. Comparatively, he said, the PDP was better at dressing its stench in pleasant deodorant. Posting on X, Ahmad wrote: “I often wonder why, as a government, we concentrate more on amplifying the faults of the previous administration rather than acknowledging its numerous achievements. The PDP seems to have a more skilful approach to politics than we do in the APC…it’s rare to find instances where President Yar’adua’s (PDP) government criticized President Obasanjo’s (PDP) or where President Jonathan’s (PDP) government faulted President Yar’adua’s (PDP).”

What they cooked that burnt down the house of Nigeria is gradually exposing itself. Get your popcorn and be ready for the rumble in the jungle. When someone tries to hide behind their finger, my people compare them to the exact scenario that both Bola Tinubu and Buhari find themselves today. Their story is perfectly told in the Epa and Aja tale. The tick, which the Yoruba call Epa, is a parasitic member of the Arachnida family of insects. Arachnids are a class of joint-legged arthropods which include, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, etc. As parasites, they feed on mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. They feed on the blood of their hosts by attaching to them firmly with their proboscis. In consuming their blood, ticks satisfy their nutritional requirements. When a tick parasitizes its hosts, it acts as vector through which serious diseases that affect humans and animals are transmitted into the host. Eventually, while the tick is satisfying its survival quest, the host will suffer either diseases or anemia and eventually die. So, when Epa assumes that it is killing the host; take for instance, Aja, the dog, unbeknown to it, it is killing itself. The day the dog dies, the tick dies too. Yoruba express this as Epa npa’ra e, o l’ohun npa’ja.

Though he may right now be sunk in the pastime of feeding his cows in Daura, the truth is, Buhari’s self-imposed title of Mai Gaskiya may be on its way out of the retired General’s lapel. There is an ongoing attempt to deconstruct him as either the most naïvely inept Nigerian president to have lived or the imbecilic landlord who opened his house to burglars and watched while they looted his treasure. Buhari’s own political party, the APC-led government, is spearheading this deconstruction. So, should his successor, living through the mantra of “see something, say something” which has seized the information highway today, keep sealed lips and not disclose alleged massive theft of Nigerian patrimony that it is privy to? Should Tinubu see the wound on the sole of his foot as one that has familial imprimatur and thus walk loose with it? Should he say something about the massive theft that went on during the Buhari government which he has information about or say nothing? Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edu, chose the latter.

Either as blame-shoveling or “saying something when something is seen”, Buhari looks like he is in a very bad shape, image-wise. He has unfortunately landed in the hand of a successor government that is ready to scapegoat anything in sight to justify its inertia. Already, it is clear to everyone that if there is one thing in surplusage from this government today, it is blame-shoveling and immense capacity to reverse itself. In the last nine months, we have seen the government blame everybody, everything but itself for its inability to do the magic it advertised so ebulliently during the campaigns. Covid-19, Godwin Emefiele, PDP, Buhari and all what ought-nots have suffered this victimhood of government’s antics. Edun and this government have also blamed Emefiele’s alleged reckless spending of the overdraft that the Buhari government collected from the CBN as largely accounting for the food and security crises that Nigeria is battling. Right now, Nigeria is seeking Interpol's help to arrest three suspects alleged to have stolen $6.2m from the CBN, using Buhari’s forged signature. They are believed to have done this in cahoots with Emefiele who is on trial on 20-count charges. My haunch is that, if Emefiele has his days in court, the courtroom will explode like Hiroshima did and the matter may drift off like a fog, similar to the Sambo Dasuki security fund scandal. In the same vein, this government has reversed itself so effortlessly on policies it advertised with glee, like Jay Jay Okocha did on the field of play. The last reverse was the annual levy it imposed on expatriates which it revoked pre-beginning last week.

For an administration like the Tinubu government that is tottering in pitch darkness and fumbling for a way out, the eternal wisdom in the tale of the tick and dog seems self-explanatory and self-evident. The “Epa npa’ra e…” presents in a number of nuggets. First is that, it can come in the form of the question that has been asked repeatedly: How can the Tinubu government, and virtually all its runners, divorce themselves from the 8-year colossal wastage and failure of the Buhari government? The president, like a nursing mother, hunchbacked Buhari into power and gave him the wings with which he flew. Until a railway line halved them into their two separate ways, Tinubu defended every of the Buhari policies with the vigour of a matador. From insecurity, Fulani herders’ rapacious bloodletting, (where are the cows?) to dwindling economy and every allied matter of state policy, Tinubu was there for Buhari. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the president, has almost had the mucus dripping out of one of his nostrils flip inside the second as he struggles to claim that Tinubu never requested Buhari to enter the forest of the brave – the Igbo igbale. So, for the Tinubu government, through Edun last week, to surgically try to separate itself from the Buhari government will be akin to an Epa which is trying to kill the Aja. Edun, with froth metaphorically foaming out of his mouth, attempted to do that last week.

Unfortunately for the government, head or tail, it loses. This is even if it listens to the self-centered counsel of Ahmad and elects to make the calamity wrought by the Buhari government a family affair. Its situation would be comparable to that of a man all alone inside a bunker who decides to allow a stench-like fart escape from his buttock. He, all alone, will bear the stench. How reconcilable would it be for Tinubu to say that the Buhari he deodorized as recently as December last year, as emanating “from the rarest phylum of virtuous servant-leaders,” whose emergence could be likened to that of “leaders…(that) happens only by divine orchestration,” a man of “absolute and undiluted integrity” had now been discovered to have sat on a government that is surrounded by a mass of maggots?

We were still battling the waywardness found in the Buhari government’s Ways and Means when, as usual, Nigeria relapsed into its perennial orgy of massive kidnap of school pupils. The latest happened last Thursday at the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga, Kaduna State. About 280 pupils and teachers were said to have been abducted by bandits. This has triggered national outrage. The bandits were reported to have invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State by shooting at their victims in a Gestapo manner. As usual of Nigerian Aso Rock Villa, government is flexing its effeminate muscles and throwing threats into the sky. Sub-nationals and individuals too have tethered their usual empathy offering at the grove of this rapacious god of banditry.

The incessant incidences of kidnapping in Nigeria have grown into a hydra. They have become a source of national threat. Nigeria, according to researchers, boasts of a phenomenally large public and private schools which are nearly 97,000, the largest in Africa. Its primary education sector, according to Aly Verjee and Chris Kwaja, is roughly equivalent in size to the 98,000 public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Today, these schools are under severe threat from terrorists.

The above-named scholars collated the history of Nigeria’s bloodletting. According to them, in their research work entitled An Epidemic of Kidnapping: Interpreting School Abductions and Insecurity in Nigeria (African Studies Quarterly Volume 20, Issue 3, October 2021) beginning from 2014, “the small, non-descript town of Chibok in Borno State in northeast Nigeria” earned the notoriety worldwide with the abduction of 276 girls. Since then, Nigerian northern schools have known no peace. Though the abduction sparked global outrage, Nigerian governments have moved on nevertheless. The Chibok abduction which was the cusp upon which the APC government wove its political campaign to seize power from Jonathan in the 2015 election was hung on, contributed immensely to the defeat of Jonathan. He was accused of mishandling the kidnapping. However, some top persons in this government were alleged to have organized it to embarrass Jonathan. Buhari thereafter campaigned on a pedestal of promise to restore security to Nigerians.

The scholars’ collation of the spate of kidnappings is frightening. According to them, before Chibok, other kidnaps were carried out though they attracted less media campaign. This was because the AC, CPC alignment and realignment was afoot and the masters of media orchestration in the AC had not aligned with the Buhari CPC. In 2013, 41 students and one teacher were shot/burned alive at the Mamudo Government Secondary School in Yobe State. Same year, another 44 students and teachers were murdered in a separate incident at the College of Agriculture, Gujba, about 120km east of Mamudo, reported Verjee and Kwaja. Similarly, in February 2014, another educational institution in Yobe State, which happened to be the fourth, was attacked. After the attack, 59 students were killed at the Buni Yadi Federal Government College, 30km south of Gujba. This was followed by the Chibok abductions in April 2014. With Buhari, the man who flaunted his epaulettes as a military general in civilian attire now in office, 110 girls got abducted from the Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State in February 2018.

December of that year, said Verjee and Kwaja, saw another mass abduction in Buhari’s home state of Katsina. More than 300 boys were forcefully taken out of the Kankara Government Science Secondary School. Equally, on December 19 of that same year, 18 students of an Islamic school in Dandume, close to Kankara, were detained by a kidnapping group, while in February, 2021, 42 people, which included 27 students, were kidnapped from the Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State. On February 26, figures bandied, of between 279 and 317 students, were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State.  In March 2021, there were two further mass abductions and three attempted abductions, all in Kaduna State. On March 11, 39 students were abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Mando.  A tip-off to the Nigerian Army averted the kidnap on March 13 of pupils of the Turkish International Secondary School, Rigachikun. On April 20 of same year, 20 students and three staff of Greenfield University in Chikun, Kaduna State were abducted. Five of them got killed by their captors. Plateau State was to get its own share on April 29 when four students were abducted from the King’s School, in Gana Ropp, Barkin Ladi. Then, on May 30, 136 children and several teachers were taken from the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina, Niger State. In June, 103 students were abducted from the Federal Government Girls College in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State and on July 5, 121 children were abducted from the Bethel Baptist High School in Maramara, Kaduna State. So many more that space would not allow us reel into happened as figures provided by Verjee and Kwaja.

It will appear that, under Tinubu, Nigeria has entered its season of kidnap epidemic again. In the paper under discourse, Verjee and Kwaja made some recommendations that I found to be very profound. The first is that successive Nigerian governments have conflated the social challenge of kidnap for security challenges and as such, have solely treated school abductions as security problems which needed to be solved solely by military response. Government does this by fortifying the schools. In doing this, Nigeria is merely treating symptom rather than a national disease. Why it is impossible to get a let out of this is that, first, due to the large scale of Nigeria’s education system, deployment of soldiers and police in the protection of schools can never work.

Rather, according to Verjee and Kwaja, government must first address the trust deficit that exists between state security actors and the people. A very meager percentage of Nigerians perceive state security actors as credible. They have always had a checkered history of corruption and violence. There is a profound belief out there that Nigeria’s top security chiefs do not want insecurity to end due to the money they make from it. This perception fuels further fear of militarization and repression, leading to predatory behavior of state security actors.

Whatever it will take, Nigeria must get to solve the pandemic of school kidnappings. The audaciousness of its perpetrators and the seeming combine of many forces in carrying out the kidnappings make it very complex to get rid of. We must as well realize that this epidemic is just a tiny fraction of Nigeria’s political economy of violence. We have always had an ineffective and underperforming state, as well as sparse economic opportunities which have been fueling the school kidnappings. Already, the Kaduna government has rented private negotiators to secure the release of the kids. At the end of the day, multiple of millions of Naira would be paid to these no-gooders and like the boulder of Sisyphus, in no long a time, the terrorists will strike again. And Nigeria will begin another round of sorrow, tears and blood.

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