Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great ~ Genesis 26:12-13.

Introduction

Life becomes exciting when it’s dotted with supernatural breakthroughs. Contrariwise, failure, poverty and stagnation can actually breed stubborn and complicated troubles for anyone here on earth.

Success is sweet; failure can be bitter and very brutal! Poverty kills ingenuity, engenders inferiority complex,  destroys influence, demeans testimonies and curtails progress. Most despicably, stagnation inherently frustrates even starry potentials.

Largely today, the economy is in bad shape in many quarters. The sociopolitical life is generally looking down, and many people find themselves in terrible situations on many fronts. Suffering and struggling to barely survive, they have resigned to eating their bread without butter!

Nevertheless, I dare to say that there is a better way to live: on a thriving mode, whereby we can make progress in life despite all the circumstances.

On a thriving mode, you don’t struggle to survive because the abundant life of God in Christ works in you, for you and through you (John 10:10). You thrive by grace without rigour, and soar to greater heights without flapping.

Yes indeed, there’s a room on earth, large enough, for all men to flourish and be fruitful. Not all men have located the path that leads there, though. There’s also a River, which carries believers on the course of progress and gladness (Psalm 46:4)! You won’t miss it, in Jesus name!

Remarkable Milestones In the Life of Isaac

In Genesis 26:1-33, I observed three remarkable milestones in Isaac’s journey of destiny: the survival mode, the ample supply mode, and the Rehoboth prosperity mode. Let’s study these modes in closer details.

Isaac had just replaced Abraham as the heir of God’s covenant upon the earth when famine “rushed” to welcome him. He was in a survival mode then, just barely keeping his head above the waters of adversity!

Yes, famine and drought are not new phenomena upon the earth (Genesis 12:1-2). To experience a problem is not the real problem; knowing how to truly overcome it is the principal matter.

Isaac made personal moves to help himself out of the circumstance; he went unto Gerar. But, things went very awry. He was laden with trials, and he became confused and frightened to the point that he started denying his wife.

However, God still showed him mercy by visiting him with comfort and direction, and moving him forward to the ample supply stage of his life. He reaped a hundred-fold return, waxed great, and grew till he became very great. His flock increased, and he also had many servants.

Mark it please, this is the stage of life we, oftentimes, erroneously refer to as prosperity. Yes, it’s a product of the Lord’s blessing, but, it’s just a preliminary stage towards real prosperity.

There are perils and pitfalls aplenty at this stage: envy, jealousy, severe criticism, injury, contention, hatred, strife, hostility and ostracization. Certainly, it will require the greater mercy of God for any man to have plenty of water in the midst of drought without strife.

The next remarkable level in Isaac’s journey of destiny was accessed in Rehoboth, where a thousand-times fold blessing and more were made available for him (Deuteronomy 1:11).

Here, Isaac just truly located the real place where God had earmarked for him, and he dwelt there in peace. He went up and was growing incredibly to the point that even his enemies, the Phillistines, recognized the strong hands of the Lord upon his life and sought him out for his favour.

See, as a child of God, re-created in Christ, He designated you for a wholesome satisfaction. He gave you a covenant authority to resist any yoke of stagnation, and to make progress, prosper and fulfill your destiny on earth (Luke 10:19). You won’t die a disappointment, in Jesus Name.

Annotating The Invisible Turning Points For Isaac!

In order to access a “Rehoboth prosperity”, one must get God first (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 6:33). This was the major starter for Issac! Never despise your present estate, whatever it may be (Job 8:7). Rather, allow the Lord to always guide your everyday life and strengthen your vision for a comprehensive breakthrough.

Long ago, King David indicated that God is not just “a” factor for any human success; He is “the” factor for our success and breakthrough (Psalm 127:1).If you love gold more than God, you cannot go far in life.

Secondly, Isaac was very receptive to God’s Word. God told him: “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of”. This connotes a sense of systematic guidance, which taught Isaac that “going to Egypt” was akin to “going down”.

When we’re wise enough to embrace God’s instruction, direction, guidance, edification, encouragement and comfort, we can’t but enjoy His wonderful breakthrough.

Thirdly, Isaac showed obedience: he dwelt in the land as God instructed. Little can become much when God’s pleasure is attracted to it (Ezekiel 36:35). Let’s be royal and regal, but also disciplined, principled and obedient to God in all things.

A man is rich in proportion to the degree of his obedience to God’s instructions. To demonstrate your obedience, you must be liberal also, sowing into the covenant land and laying down readily anything at anytime for the work of God.

A stingy person cannot prosper in life no matter how anointed he looks. When you are rich towards God, you will always attract His covenant blessings: “A man's gift maketh room for him ….” (Proverbs 18:16).

For the avoidance of speculations, the “gift” here refers to your talents, treasures, influences, time, glory, social positions and peculiar endowments. When you cheerfully lay them down on God’s Altar to advance the course of His kingdom, you can be very sure that He won’t owe you.

Furthermore, you must connect to your heavenly appointed “prophet” to make a satisfactory progress on earth (2 Chronicles 20:20b). Isaac stood on the shoulder of his father Abraham, and was blessed for Abraham’s sake.

Stop the temptation of thinking you are too self-sufficient to follow this spiritual protocol. Cultivate a teachable spirit, and be humble so that you will not stumble.

Again, Isaac was strong, rugged and courageous. You must be so to thrive on earth. Life is not a “fun-fare”, it’s a “warfare”. You must be bold and daring, developing a lion’s heart, and insisting on the victory of the Cross, to enjoy your lion’s share.

Additionally, always please keep in mind that sin is a deflator of the tyres of progress. Be holy and focused. Don’t be busy here and there. Stay on your heavenly vision, fan it to flame and don’t let sin or distractions put off the flame.

Always remember also that Isaac persisted on his journey to Rehoboth. He dug up the wells again and again. There is a great “mine” in the land of the covenant. Be excited, be cheerful, and be joyful to constantly refresh your lots there.

Friends and brethren, your story is still being written, don’t write off yourself. Never mind whatever any devil may ever  do against you, dig again. Even if the circumstances of life threaten to stop your well, rejoice in the Lord and dig it again.

As I see it, sooner than later, you will strike through to your “Rehoboth prosperity”, by the power of He who is “More Than Enough”, and Who also owns all things (Psalms 24:1)! You won’t miss this, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Happy Sunday!

** Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

This means God always acts in ways, not only different from ours, but antithetical to ours. He contradicts our customs, values, and norms. Jesus presents this most emphatically: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).

The practical implication of this is dumbfounding. It means gain in this world becomes loss in God’s kingdom. Success in the world becomes failure in the kingdom. Jesus says in the kingdom of God: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30).

Grace at work

Consider this, if man thinks something is white, God will declare it to be white. If man thinks something is good, God will declare it to be awful. If man has an Olympic Games participation, where medals are given to those who come first, in God’s kingdom games, the medals will be given to those who come last.

Everything is entirely at God’s discretion: “For God said to Moses, ‘I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.’ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” (Romans 9:15-16).

In effect, God never gives us what we think we deserve. Jesus said to me: “Femi, I don’t give people what they deserve. Therefore, only give people what they don’t deserve.” That is the grace of God.

Jesus says to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Accordingly, Paul says: “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10).

Kingdom dynamics

In the kingdom of God, the way up is down. To enter, we must be born a second time. (John 3:3-5). To see, we must become blind. (John 9:39). To be full, we must hunger. (Luke 6:21). To gain, we must lose. (Matthew 13:44-46). To be rich, we must become poor. (1 Samuel 2:7). To be strong, we must be weak. (Judges 7:2-7). To be masters, we must be slaves. (Matthew 20:25-28). To laugh, we must weep. (Luke 6:21). To receive glory, we must endure suffering. (Luke 24:25-26). To be healed, we must be sick. (Luke 5:31). To live, we must die. (John 12:24). To save our life, we must lose it. (Matthew 16:25). To be first, we must be last. (Matthew 19:30). 

Everything in the kingdom of God is worked out in contradiction to what obtains in this world. Every advantage in the world translates to a disadvantage in the kingdom of God. Every disadvantage is an advantage: “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low.” (Isaiah 40:4).

Therefore, God is against everyone and everything that is said to be first in this world: “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up – and it shall be brought low.” (Isaiah 2:12).

Jesus says: “The last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16).

God is jealous of anything said to be first, for only God can rightfully be first in everything. God says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 1:11). For this reason, He is ruthlessly against every firstborn child. According to God’s providence, the firstborn must suffer rejection, and the second or the last must replace him.

So, by God’s providence, the first man, Adam, sinned inevitably and suffered rejection. He was replaced by the last man, Jesus. Adam is the first Adam, and Jesus is the last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45). The first Adam failed woefully by God’s determinate counsel. But the last Adam, Jesus, succeeded gloriously by appointment: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Adam brought the curse which God pronounced on mankind, as judgment for his sin of disobedience:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19).

Eve also earned a curse for the same disobedience. God told her: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children.” (Genesis 3:19).

But the last Adam redeemed us from all curses and brought us the blessings of the Lord:

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14).

Thanks to Jesus, God has now blessed us with: “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (Ephesians 1:3).

This is how Paul presents this kingdom dynamic:

“‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:45-47).

Firstborn rejection

In this world, old age has supremacy over youth. The firstborn is preferred above and beyond his younger siblings. He is given authority over them. He automatically becomes the head of the family on the death of the father. He inherits a double portion of the family estate. In a royal family, the firstborn is the heir to the throne.

But God deliberately violates and contradicts this convention. He refuses to recognise the firstborn. Indeed, He opposes and rejects every firstborn.

Cain was the firstborn son of Adam. But God preferred his younger brother, Abel:

“Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” (Genesis 4:3-5).

God preferred Abraham over his older brothers, Haran and Nahor. He gave Abraham the covenant of being “the father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:4). Isaac was the younger son of Abraham. But God preferred him to his older brother, Ishmael. He said to Abraham:

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac.” (Genesis 17:20-21). CONTINUED.

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At a time when society is increasingly turning against Christians for their beliefs, they will find little sanctuary in the Church of England.

“Pride is not a virtue but a sin” tweeted King Lawal, a Tory councillor who has just been suspended from the Party and is under investigation by Conservative headquarters. King Lawal defended his position, explaining: “what I said was biblically sound and a protected expression of the Christian faith”. 

“Pride” to the traditional Christian mind, is one of the seven deadly sins; but to society’s ears, the word has become wrapped up, first with LGBT rights, and now with broader social justice activism.

Lawal joins the ranks of an increasing number of Christians who will feel that modern-day Britain can no longer be a natural home for those who hold certain beliefs: Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a charity worker, was arrested twice and charged on four counts for silent prayer “thought crime” near an abortion facility. Dr David MacKereth, a Christian doctor, was sacked after misgendering trans patients because it violated his conscience. He later lost a discrimination claim against the Government, with the tribunal concluding that beliefs which restrict the fundamental rights of others are not protected under the Equality Act.

What is equally troubling is how traditional Christian beliefs, grounded in the Gospel, are coming into conflict with the New Religion, not just within society at large – but within the church itself.

The Church of England is becoming consumed by ideas that are not only extraneous to traditional Christian teachings, but in some cases, are opposed to it. Those who hold to these teachings are being squeezed out. In some instances the leadership, eager to swallow every so-called “progressive” pill, now seem to view Christ Himself as a problem.

How else can we interpret Stephen Cottrell’s complaints that the Lord’s Prayer is problematic? “This, then, is how you should pray” says Christ himself, in Matthew 6:9. Yet the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell thinks its language is too patriarchal. While parishes are turning into dust, churches left to “lie fallow”, bishops’ attention is taken up by follies like a commission into gendered language.

It was reported last week that York Minster has allegedly prevented a pro-life group, who are critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury, from attending public worship within the cathedral, while allowing climate activists to enter placards in hand. It has since denied the claims. 

Bristol Cathedral recently hosted an event with Bristol Climate Choir and Extinction Rebellion, processing with banners, through the church in a spectacle that resembled something of a medieval or pagan ritual. The Bishop of Bristol has, in the past, been explicit in her support of XR activist clergy. Commenting on the acquittal of Rev Sue Parfitt after she engaged in peaceful protest outside a Ministry of Defence site, Rev Vivienne Faull said: “I share with her the conviction that the world is facing a climate and ecological crisis and that we are not yet moving fast enough to tackle it”.

Such is the fixation with Net Zero that the Church of England is said to be considering “human composting” as an alternative to burial or cremation. Bishops may establish a consultation group to assess “theological considerations”. 

Teaching guidance issued by the Diocese of Edmundsbury and Ipswich states that pupils should learn about white privilege using the “white supremacy pyramid”. No surprise, perhaps, given that the Bishop of St Edmundsbury criticised the Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report after it found that factors such as family structure, class and socio-economic background had a greater impact on life chances than race. The Bishop maintained “there is no shortage of evidence of systemic racism, even if the [report] sought to argue against that”.

The Church’s Chief Education Officer, the Revd Canon Nigel Genders defended the guidance, arguing that teaching racial justice has “never been more important”. He backed CofE schools teaching “the enduring impact of slavery and the reality of institutional and systemic racism” and held that this work was “fundamental to what we believe as Christians”.

In the Diocese of Bristol sits the twelfth century Malmesbury Abbey, where Æthelstan – the first Rex Anglorum, “King of England” – is buried. I was last there for a funeral and remembered it having an atmosphere heavy with ancient sanctity. Paying another visit recently, what did I find? A coffee shop, sofas, television screens advertising a skate park in the Abbey, and a sprawling gift shop within the Abbey church. It seemed as though the place had been desecrated, and it was impossible not to leave feeling sad, robbed and resigned.

Has the Bishop of Bristol forgotten Christ’s words in the Temple: “my house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves”? I am certain they can’t see why any of this is offensive and disrespectful, but that is indicative of the problem.  

When it is not selling playing cards alongside the hallowed funerary monument to England’s first king, the Church of England is becoming so animated by controversial political ideas and syncretising these beliefs into a new theology that it looks as if they are dispensing of Christianity itself.

The Telegraph

Britain will seek to confiscate 101.5 million pounds ($130 million) from James Ibori, a former Nigerian state governor who abused his office to get rich and laundered millions in Britain and elsewhere, under a court order issued in London on Friday.

Ibori, who is in Nigeria, said he would appeal against the confiscation order, one of the largest imposed on an individual in recent British legal history.

"The next steps will be to take my fight for justice to the highest courts in the UK," he said in a statement.

Ibori was governor of oil-producing Delta State from 1999 to 2007 and was extradited from Dubai to Britain in 2011. He pleaded guilty in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering and received a 13-year jail sentence of which he served half, as is standard.

The case was hailed as a landmark in the fight against corruption in Britain, a global money-laundering hub, and in Nigeria, where self-enrichment by the ruling elite has been one of the main factors holding back development for decades.

David Tomlinson, delivering the confiscation order at Southwark Crown Court, said Ibori should pay the sum immediately or face an eight-year jail sentence.

Spokespersons for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the Nigerian government would cooperate with the British authorities in enforcing the confiscation order.

Ibori remains well-connected in Nigeria. Tinubu, who took office in May, has hosted him twice at the presidential villa, along with other former governors. Ibori frequently mingles with the ruling elite, and has influence on Delta State politics.

The confiscation process took over a decade after Ibori's conviction because of lengthy court delays and legal wrangling in London.

"The long and tortuous road to reach this point shows just how tough it is to recover the proceeds of corruption in the UK," said Helen Taylor, Senior Legal Researcher at campaign group Spotlight on Corruption.

"To ensure justice delayed doesn’t mean justice denied for the Nigerian people, it’s essential that the UK now makes every effort to ensure the speedy return of this stolen loot to benefit the victims of Ibori’s corruption in Delta State," she said.

Britain has pledged to return any funds recovered from Ibori to Nigeria. In 2021, it returned 4.2 million pounds that had been confiscated from Ibori's ex-wife and his sister, who also served jail time for helping him.

($1 = 0.7788 pounds)

Reuters

Britain will seek to confiscate 101.5 million pounds ($130 million) from James Ibori, a former state governor in Nigeria who abused his office to get rich and laundered millions in Britain and elsewhere, under a court orderissued in London on Friday.

Here is a timeline of Ibori's complicated legal and political history:

EARLY CONVICTIONS IN BRITAIN

In the early 1990s, Ibori was living in London with his wife Theresa Ibori and for a time he worked as a shop assistant at a Wickes home improvements chainstore. The couple were arrested, convicted of theft and fined for trying to steal goods from the store.

Ibori was also convicted of possessing stolen goods after being caught with another man's American Express card at London's Euston train station.

POLITICAL RISE IN NIGERIA

In Lagos later in the 1990s, Ibori became close friends with Major Hamza al-Mustapha, who was Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha, the then military dictator of Nigeria. The connection helped him to get involved in politics and business.

In 1999, as Nigeria transitioned to democracy after Abacha's death, Ibori was elected governor of Delta State, one of Nigeria's top three oil-producing states. He served two consecutive four-year terms, stepping down in May 2007.

CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

From 2005, Ibori was the subject of a joint investigation by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and London's Metropolitan Police.

Investigators found properties he secretly owned in Britain, South Africa and the United States and evidence of his lavish lifestyle, including American Express credit card bills showing he routinely spent tens of thousands of dollars per month on luxury hotels, shopping, restaurants and night clubs.

$15 MILLION BRIBE

Then EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu alleged that Ibori had offered him $15 million in cash in April 2007 to drop the investigation. Ribadu said he pretended to accept but instead deposited the cash at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ibori has denied this in statements to Nigerian media but has refused to be cross-examined in court in Britain. Ribadu testified about it under oath in a London court and British judges accepted his evidence as true.

EXTRADITION, JAIL AND HOMECOMING

In 2010, Ibori left Nigeria for Dubai. Britain requested his extradition and in 2011 he was flown to London and imprisoned.

In 2012, he pleaded guilty at London's Southwark Crown Court to 10 charges of fraud and money-laundering and was sentenced to 13 years in jail. Britain hailed the case as a landmark in the fight against corruption.

Ibori was released in December 2016, having served half of his sentence before and after conviction, and returned to Nigeria in early 2017. He was filmed being welcomed by cheering supporters in Delta State.

CONFISCATION DELAYS

British prosecutors began trying to confiscate Ibori's assets in 2013 but the process was repeatedly derailed by parallel, related legal action and by lengthy court delays.

Ibori and several co-defendants who had served jail time for assisting in his money-laundering launched appeals against their convictions, alleging that the investigation was tainted because of corruption in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police.

Court of Appeal judges rejected the claims and upheld the convictions in 2018.

Reuters

The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education has increased the school fees of new students into Federal Government Colleges otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges to ₦100,000.

This was contained in a directive from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education, reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated 25th May, 2023, and addressed to all Principals of Federal Unity Colleges.

According to the circular entitled, “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students“, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous N45,000 (an increase of 122 percent).

“The latest fees/charge increment will affect virtually all aspects and activities of the school, including tuition and boarding fees, uniform, text books, deposit, exercise books, prospectus, caution fee, ID card, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson, insurance, et al.

“Please be informed that the ministry has approved only the underlisted fees and charges for all Unity Colleges,” the memo read.

Punch

The management of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State has reportedly increased fees for undergraduate students in the institution.

This was contained in a statement dated July 20, 2023, by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch following a meeting with the top management staff.

The union, in the statement, said the VC  stated that fees would be increased for UNILAG undergraduate students.

Recall that the students of the institution previously paid N19,000 but the management has fixed new fees at N190,250 (more than 900 percent increase) for students studying medicine while for courses that require laboratory and studio, students are to pay N140,250.

According to SSANU, the VC, Folasade Ogunsola met with representatives of the three non-academic staff unions on Thursday, July 20th to discuss issues concerning members’ welfare.

“During the meeting, the proposed fees for undergraduate students of UNILAG were disclosed.

“Students without lab and studio use will pay N100,750, those with lab use will pay N140,250 and the college of medicine would pay N190,250,” the statement said.

A SSANU representative at the meeting, Rasaki Yusuf asked for a rebate for staff members with children in the university but the VC insisted that the new charges were set nationally and could not be modified for specific categories of students.

Ogunsola, however, gave the option of staff paying in instalments but with a condition to pay up one month before final exams.

Efforts to reach the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Alagba Ibraheem, for a comment proved abortive as calls put through her were not answered and text messages were also not replied to.

Punch

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine losing ‘significant’ forces – White House

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has claimed that it was too early to make a call on the results of Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations, insisting that despite losing a “significant” amount of forces, Kiev still has “substantial” reserves to throw into battle.

When asked whether “the real counteroffensive is yet to come” at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington, DC on Friday, Sullivan insisted that the counteroffensive began “the day the first Ukrainian put their life on the line.”

“There have already been significant amounts of casualties and deaths of Ukrainian fighters in this counteroffensive, so it is well underway. And it is hard going. And we said it would be hard going,” the White House adviser told the forum’s moderator Edward Luce.

However, Ukraine has a “substantial amount of combat power that it has not yet committed to the fight,” and according to Sullivan, is now trying to choose the right moment “when it will have the maximum impact on the battlefield.”

“It is at that moment when they make that commitment that we will really see what the likely results of that counteroffensive will be,” Sullivan stated, noting that Washington is in “close consultation with the Ukrainians on the conditions for that.”

The West is evidently disappointed that despite “colossal amounts of resources” it sent to Kiev, its much-lauded counteroffensive has failed to produce any results and has led to high levels of Ukrainian casualties, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Top Pentagon officials insisted earlier this week that it was too early to call the counteroffensive a “failure,” saying Washington had expected all along that the operation would be bloody and protracted. The New York Times reported last week that after losing up to 20% of the weaponry deployed in the counteroffensive in just two weeks, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had paused the operation to shore up ammunition.

** Putin points to Kiev’s huge losses, depleted Western arsenals in failed counteroffensive

Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to the Ukrainian army’s huge losses, depleted Western arsenals and a change in public mood in Ukraine and Europe as the consequences of Kiev’s much-trumpeted counteroffensive that yielded no results.

"It is obvious today that the Kiev regime’s Western handlers are clearly disappointed over the results of the so-called counteroffensive loudly trumpeted by the current Ukrainian authorities in the previous months," Putin told a meeting with permanent members of the country’s Security Council.

"There are no results [of Ukraine’s counteroffensive], at least for the time being. Neither huge resources pumped into the Kiev regime nor the deliveries of Western weapons - tanks, artillery, armor and missiles - nor thousands of foreign mercenaries sent there and most actively used in attempts to break through our army’s front are of any help," the Russian leader said.

The Russian supreme commander-in-chief highly praised the military command in the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine.

"The military command of the special military operation acts professionally. Our soldiers and officers, units and formations fulfil their duty to their Motherland courageously, perseveringly and heroically," the Russian leader stressed.

Depleted Western arms inventories

"Meanwhile, the entire world sees that the much-touted Western and allegedly invulnerable equipment is torched and is frequently inferior even to some Soviet-made armaments by its operational characteristics," the head of state said.

"Yes, of course, Western armaments can still be additionally supplied and thrown into battle. This, of course, causes certain damage to us and prolongs the conflict," the head of state said.

"However, firstly, NATO arsenals and old Soviet weaponry inventories in some states have already been considerably depleted. Secondly, the available production capacities in the West do not allow for quickly replenishing stocks of expended hardware and ammunition," Putin stressed.

As the Russian leader pointed out, "additional and, moreover, large resources and time are needed" to replenish the Western arms inventories.

Ukrainian army’s irreparable losses

The Ukrainian military lost tens of thousands of troops in its counteroffensive, the Russian president said.

"The main thing is that Ukrainian armed formations suffered huge losses as a result of suicidal attacks. They run into tens of thousands, exactly tens of thousands of people," Putin said.

As the Russian leader pointed out, "despite constant raids, incessant waves of total mobilization across cities and villages in Ukraine, it is increasingly difficult for the current regime to send new reinforcements to the front. The country's mobilization resource is running out."

Change in public sentiment

The Russian leader also pointed to a change in public mood in Ukraine and Europe.

"People in Ukraine increasingly often pose this question, a legitimate question: for the sake of what, for the sake of whose mercenary interests their relatives and friends are being killed. They are sobering up, even if gradually and slowly," the head of state said.

"We see that public opinion in Europe is also changing. Both Europeans and representatives of the European elites see that this so-called support of Ukraine is essentially a deadlock, a futile and endless waste of money and effort and in actual fact the servicing of someone else’s, far from European interests: the interests of the global hegemon from across the ocean that benefits from a weaker Europe," the Russian leader said.

Advantageous flames of war

As Putin pointed out, "the endless prolongation of the Ukraine conflict is also advantageous" for the United States.

"Judging from what is happening in real life, the current US ruling elites are doing precisely this. In any case, they are acting following this logic," the Russian leader said.

"Whether this policy corresponds to the true and vital interests of the American people is a big question and certainly a rhetorical question and let them deal with it themselves," the head of state said.

"However, the flames of war are being intensely fueled at present," Putin said. The Russian leader pointed out that the United States "exploits for this purpose the ambitions of leaders of some Eastern European states who have long turned their hatred of Russia and Russophobia into their chief export commodity and an instrument of their internal policy and now want to benefit from the Ukrainian tragedy."

** Zelensky threatens to ‘neutralize’ Europe's longest bridge

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that the bridge to Crimea is not civilian infrastructure, but a key logistical route for Russia’s “militarizing” of the peninsula, insisting Kiev was within its rights to target it using any means necessary.

The Crimean Bridge – the longest in Europe, which links the peninsula to mainland Russia over the Kerch Strait – was damaged in an explosion on Monday. The drone strike, which Moscow called a Ukrainian terrorist attack, killed a couple and seriously injured their 14-year-old daughter, who was traveling in the same car.

Neglecting to even mention civilian casualties, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria asked Zelensky at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington, DC on Friday whether destroying the bridge “completely” was Kiev’s “short-term objective.”

“For us this is understandably an enemy facility built outside the law, built outside international laws, and all applicable norms, so understandably this is our objective. And any target that is bringing war, not peace, has to be neutralized,” the Ukrainian leader stated.

Zelensky went on to say that Kiev’s objective was to “reclaim all of Crimea because it is our sovereign territory,” avoiding the host’s question whether such a grand goal could be reached through an ongoing counteroffensive that has so far shown underwhelming results.

Government sources cited by Ukrainian media outlets confirmed the strike had been launched by Kiev. The SBU, the security service that allegedly co-organized the operation with the Ukrainian military, reacted by promising to release details about the incident after the conflict with Russia is over.

Crimea broke away from Ukraine shortly after the Western-backed 2014 Maidan coup, which deposed the democratically-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. Afterwards, the peninsula joined Russia, with its population overwhelmingly backing reunification in a referendum. Since then, seizing Crimea from Russia has become a top talking point for Ukrainian officials.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia pounds Ukraine's grain, UN warns of hunger from price rises

Russia pounded Ukrainian food export facilities for a fourth day in a row on Friday and practised seizing ships in the Black Sea in an escalation of what Western leaders say is an attempt to wriggle out of sanctions by threatening a global food crisis.

The attacks on Ukraine's grain, a major part of the global food chain, followed a vow by Kyiv to defy Russia's naval blockade on its export ports after Moscow's withdrawal this week from a UN-brokered safe sea corridor agreement.

The UN warned that millions of people in poor countries around the world were at greater risk of hunger and starvation from the knock-on effect for food prices.

"Some will go hungry, some will starve, many may die as a result of these decisions," UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council.

In Ukraine, local governor Oleh Kiper said the grain terminals of an agricultural enterprise in Odesa region were hit by air, with 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley destroyed.

Photographs released by the emergencies ministry showed a fire burning among crumpled metal buildings that appeared to be storehouses. Two people were injured, Kiper said, while officials reported seven dead in Russian air strikes elsewhere in Ukraine.

Moscow has described the attacks as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a Russian-built bridge to Crimea - the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014. It accuses Ukraine of using the sea corridor to launch "terrorist attacks."

Russia said its Black Sea fleet had practised firing rockets at "floating targets" and it would deem all ships heading for Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying arms. Kyiv responded with a similar warning about ships headed to Russia.

The attacks on grain export infrastructure and anxiety over shipping drove prices of benchmark Chicago wheat futures towards their biggest weekly gain since the February 2022 invasion.

The UN says the deal had helped the poorest by lowering food prices more than 23% globally since March last year.

Russia says not enough Ukrainian grain had reached poor countries and that it is now negotiating directly with those most in need. It says it will not re-enter the deal without better terms for its own food and fertiliser sales.

Western leaders accuse Moscow of seeking to loosen sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, which already exempt exports of Russian food. Russian grain has moved freely through the Black Sea to market throughout the conflict.

WAGNER NEAR POLAND BORDER

A Polish broadcaster reported on Friday that a military reconnaissance drone of unspecified origin had crashed near a base in southwestern Poland this week.

NATO military alliance member Poland has been reinforcing its border with Belarus, where Russia's Wagner mercenary force has taken up residency after a failed mutiny last month.

Belarus has said Wagner fighters are training its troops near the Polish border. Residents in Poland close to the frontier report having heard shooting and helicopters.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said it was Poland that had territorial ambitions in the region, telling Russia's Security Council that Moscow would react to any aggression against Belarus "with all the means at our disposal."

Investigators in Russia detained prominent nationalist Igor Girkin, a former commander of Russia's proxy forces in Ukraine, who had publicly accused Putin and army chiefs of not prosecuting the war in Ukraine harshly or effectively enough.

"This is a direct outcome of Prigozhin's mutiny: the army's command now wields greater political leverage to quash its opponents in the public sphere," said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik analysis firm.

Inside Ukraine, four people were killed in 80 Russian attacks on settlements in the southern Zaporizhzhia region over the past 24 hours, regional governor Yuriy Malashko said.

A married couple in their 50s were killed in Russian shelling of the city of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk, the general prosecutor's office said.

And in the northern region of Chernihiv, a woman's body was pulled from rubble after a missile strike, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, noted that Odesa port, its grain facilities and its surrounding region, had once again been a target of Russian attacks with more than 20 people injured this week alone.

"If someone in Russia hopes that they can somehow turn the Black Sea into an area of arbitrary action and terrorism, this will not work for them," he said.

"We know how to defend ourselves and we see around the world a readiness to work together further and more actively in order to guarantee calm for our region."

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine last year and claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of its territory. Moscow says it is responding to threats posed by its neighbour, while Kyiv and the West call it an unprovoked war of conquest.

For some people, a moment without your phone in your hand can seem like a lifetime.

Now, a study has warned how our obsession with our phones could be taking a toll on our relationships.

Scientists from Nigde Omer Halisdemir University set out to investigate the effects of 'phubbing' - snubbing others for your phone - in married couples. 

Worryingly, they found that couples who regularly phub each other have lower marriage satisfaction. 

'When individuals perceive that their romantic partners phubbing more frequently, they feel more conflict and less intimacy in the relationship,' the team explained in their study.

What is phubbing?

Phubbing is a term created by combining the words 'phone' and 'snubbing'. 

It refers to a person interacting with their phone rather than interacting with a human being - whether it is your partner or in other social situations. 

Two people may also phub at the same time, known as double phubbing. 

Phubbing a friend is known as friend phubbing or Fphubbing.   

Phubbing is a process where a person is distracted by their phone during a conversation with others. 

'Phubbing behavior, which we can be subjected to (phubbee) or the doer of (phubber), manifests itself as a behavior that is widely observed everywhere in today's technologically advanced societies,' the team wrote in their study, published in Elsevier journal Computers in Human Behavior.

In their study, the researchers set out to study the effect of this behaviour on married couples. 

They enlisted 712 married people from Turkey (347 females and 365 males), with an average age of 37. 

These participants were surveyed on their marriage satisfaction, phubbing tendencies, and communication skills. 

The results will come as bad news for those who can't put their phone down - phubbing significantly prediced martial dissatisfaction.     

Izzet Parmaksız, lead author of the study, said: 'Our research demonstrates the power of effective communication, especially among romantic couples. 

'Marital conflict mainly occurs when people are ignored by those they value, and this ignorance leads to lower relationship satisfaction and may impact personal well-being. 

'People should be mindful about being present with their loved ones to show they care, and put their phone away.'

The study comes shortly after a study revealed that phubbers are more likely to have certain mental health issues. 

Researchers from the University of University of Oklahoma found depressed people 'phub' their friends more frequently – either in a social situation such as in a pub or a cafe – than those without depression. 

Socially anxious people who might prefer online social interactions to face-to-face communication, also exhibit more phubbing behaviours, the authors say.   

Daily Mail

The Putrajaya Roundabout in the administrative capital of Malaysia holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest roundabout. It measures 3.4km in circumference and features 15 entry/exit points.

Located in the heart of Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia, the Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Roundabout, aka Putrajaya Roundabout, is one of the most unusual attractions in the Southeast Asian country. It was designed by renowned Malaysian architect Hijjas Kasturi and inaugurated in 2003. A feat of modern infrastructure engineering, the world’s largest roundabout is built around Istana Melawati, the second-largest palace of Malaysia’s Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Putra Perdana Landmark, and a luxurious five-star hotel. It is also the main access point to Putrajaya’s major attractions, including the prime minister’s green-domed office complex and the city’s enormous mosque.

Measuring over 2 miles (3.4km) in circumference, the Putrajaya Roundabout is humongous by roundabout standards, but because of its elliptical shape and the fact that traffic only flows in one direction, it is a functional roundabout. The same cannot be said about its main rival, a slightly larger roundabout in Trinidad and Tobago’s Port-of-Spain.

Measuring around 2.3 miles (3.7km) in circumference, Queen’s Park Savannah is technically the largest roundabout in the world, but it is yet to be officially recognized as such because of its peculiar shape. This giant roundabout is anything but round. In fact, in order to traverse it, one has to turn no fewer than five 90-degree corners, so even though the traffic has been flowing in one direction since the late 1970s, Queen’s Park Savannah has not been officially recognized as a roundabout.

Oddity Central