The redeemed is no longer under the law of sin and death but under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Let me tell you a fictitious story of a lady called Abigail. She was married to a man called Nabal and he gave her hell. He had a list of do’s and don’ts. He gave Abigail this list of things she had to do as his wife. But it was simply impossible for her to meet them all.

No matter how hard she tried she would always find that she forgot to do something, or forgot to say something, or did something in a way that was different from the exact way he wanted it done.

He wanted his rice cooked in a particular way. His meat had to be boiled in a particular way. His shirt must be ironed in one way, or you won’t hear the last of it. If Abigail failed to meet even one of his many conditions, it was like she had failed to meet every condition.

Abigail contemplated suicide, but she did not have the courage. She thought of murdering her husband. On one occasion, she seriously considered poisoning his Edikaikong soup. But she was afraid of spending the rest of her life in jail.

And then there was this issue of divorce. She had nightmares about divorce. She was afraid that she would wake up one day and discover that she was divorced. Nabal made her understand that he could divorce her any day at any time for any cause. And then where would she be? Where would she go?

So what happened?

Nabal died

One day, Nabal had a stroke and died. He just fell and died. When he died, Abigail got married to David. When she moved into the house of David, she asked David for his list of do’s and don’ts.

But he said he had none. “I just love you,” he said. “There are no laws, no rules, no regulations, and no guidelines. Just love. For love makes up for many of our faults. Love covers a multitude of sins.”

This is what happens when we are redeemed by the grace of Jesus Christ. We are dead to the law of sin and death and are now married under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 7:2-6).

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Righteousness of God

The passion of Jesus, His agony on the cross, and His death all came about because He chose to atone to God for the sins of mankind. As Isaiah prophesied:

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

God’s attitude to sin is so extreme that it cost Him the death of Jesus, His only begotten Son whom He loved before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24). He could not even make an exception for His beloved Jesus.

Jesus plea-bargained with God the Father in Gethsemane: “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” (Matthew 26:39).

In effect, God the Father said: “It is not possible.” It is impossible because God does not call back His words. God says: “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11).

God’s word that must be fulfilled in this case says: “The soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4). Therefore, to redeem the sins of mankind, Jesus had to die.

Wages of sin

Let me tell you a parable. Most people did not know the Head of State was implacably determined to stamp out corruption in the land. Since he came to power, he has made speeches upon speeches that corruption would not be tolerated. “Any official caught stealing public funds would be executed,” he maintained.

It sounded so extreme that people did not believe him. All government officials were corrupt. Corruption had permeated every facet of the society. To implement his decision, the president would have to kill everybody one by one.

After several people were caught stealing and executed, a plot was hatched and the one and only son of the Head of State was arrested on trumped-up charges and accused of corruption. False witnesses testified that he also had been stealing government funds.

Many laughed and ridiculed the Head of State. They said: “We’ll see now about all your talk about fighting corruption.” “So what is going to happen to your son?” “Will you also execute him?”

The president’s son was charged in court. Everyone predicted that the trial would be fixed. Many anticipated the judge would be bought over and given instruction from above to throw out the case.

But something seemed to go wrong. The President’s son was declared guilty as charged. What about the sentence? The judge sentenced him to death by hanging.

The people could not believe it. Surely, the President would pardon his son. Surely, he would not allow his son to be executed.

But to everyone’s surprise, the president’s son was hanged without reprieve. He died and was buried in a common grave. The president did not even attend his son’s burial.

After the burial, the president addressed the nation and repeated his earlier declaration: “Anyone caught stealing public funds would suffer the same fate that happened to my son.”

This time, everybody believed him. They said: “This man is insane. This man is serious about fighting corruption. So serious that he did not even spare his son from death.

Extremist God

God’s judgement is pure and His attitude to sin is total. So total in fact that He destroyed the whole world in the Flood because of sin, saving only eight people out of all humanity. So total that he created the lake of fire and brimstone for the fallen angels where they are to be tormented for the ages of the ages. (Revelation 20:10).

So total that He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes for the sins of the people. (2 Peter 2:6). So total that having saved His chosen people out of Egypt, He destroyed them all one by one in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb.

So total that if anyone broke just a single one of the 613 laws of Moses, he is considered guilty of all the laws. (James 2:10). So total that even Moses, God’s dear friend who spoke to Him face to face, was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of one single infraction. (Deuteronomy 3:25-26).

No wonder, the writer of Hebrews concluded: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31).

Despising grace

Nevertheless, this is God’s word of prophecy: “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns.” (Isaiah 62:1).

Jesus was so determined that this prophecy be fulfilled that He left the glory of heaven to come down to earth to redeem us from our sins. He was so determined that He who created the heavens and the earth became a baby, crawled on the ground, sucked a woman’s breast, and grew in wisdom and stature, only to die a shameful death on the cross.

Therefore: “If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26—29).

The redeemed of Christ must be determined to live sinless lives. We must reckon ourselves to be freed from sin. We must carry our crosses daily and follow Jesus: “the way the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). We must acknowledge that we were crucified with Christ so we can have the newness of life in Him.

But we cannot be freed from sin if we continue to make provision for the flesh. We cannot be freed from sin if we continue to excite the flesh. Otherwise, we would jump down from the cross.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshipping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behaviour, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:1-10). CONCLUDED.

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New research suggests that 74 is the new 71. Our perception of when “old age” begins is shifting, with most people believing this phase of life begins later than they used to, according to a new study published in the journal Psychology and Aging. While the study didn’t look at why this shift has occurred, experts say it makes sense — and is probably a good thing; humans on average are living longer than ever, and examples of people living full lives well beyond retirement age abound. Experts on aging — some of whom are in their 70s and 80s themselves — aren’t surprised, and say it’s part of a promising shift away from negative stereotypes about what getting older means.

Here’s what to know.

What does the study say?

Researchers at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, asked more than 14,000 German adults when old age begins. They posed the question eight times over the 25-year period between 1911 and 1974, quizzing participants when they were anywhere from 40 to 100 years old.

At age 65, those born in 1911 said, on average, that old age begins at age 71. But, when people born in 1956 reached the same age, they said that someone was “old” at age 74, on average.

It wasn’t just a generational difference. People also pushed back their old-age number as they themselves aged. So, at age 64, people said that old age starts at 74.4, on average. But by the time those same people reached age 74, they believed they still weren’t yet old, and said old age begins at age 76.8.

Women also tended to say that old age started later than men believed and, the older people got, the wider that gender gap grew. People who were in better health and felt younger and less lonely tended to be more optimistic, saying old age begins later in life.

However, this trend seems to be slowing in recent years, the study authors noted. “That the trend is decelerated could be due to the fact that other trends — the increase in life expectancy or medical progress — are also not necessarily strictly linear,” lead author of the study, Markus Wettstein, psychology professor at Humboldt University, tells Yahoo Life.

Why we’re thinking differently about when old age starts

While the study didn't focus on why people's definition of old age changes over time, the researchers have some theories. “We know that life expectancy has increased, so the lifespan is more extended nowadays,” Wettstein tells Yahoo Life. “We also know that at least with regard to some health domains, older adults are healthier nowadays than older people were in the past. So we wanted to know, do middle-aged and older adults today set the beginning of old age later than the generations before them? This seems to be the case.”

In the U.S., the average life expectancy is now 77.5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest data (In Germany, where the study was conducted, it’s 78.3 for men and 83.2 for women). Americans can now expect to live 5.5 years longer than they could 50 years ago, in 1974.

Wettstein adds that older adults now have a better sense of wellbeing and remain healthier for longer (though, by some measures, we’re not necessarily living healthier lives). “As long as older adults are healthy, they might have the impression that old age lies still ahead of them,” he says.

“Now, in most people’s daily lives, they know somebody who is 100,” Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University who researches mindset and aging, tells Yahoo Life. In the past, “you didn’t know anybody who lived to 100 — they were there, but few and far between — so you’d see yourself as old at, it used to be 50, then 60, then 70, then 80,” and so on, she says.

The perception that you can live a long life is magnified by the greater cultural visibility of today's older people, points out Langer. “The culture tells us, on occasion, how we’re supposed to be,” she says, including when to think of ourselves as “old.” But “there are always people who are willing to ignore that and they become role models for everyone else, like Jane Fonda: In the 1960s, she was doing all this exercise and then everybody started doing exercise, and it’s become the norm.”

Why redefining old age is a good thing

Changing perceptions of what constitutes “old age” is good news, but not surprising, experts say. “I think it’s positive,” says Katharine Esty, social psychologist and author of the book, Eightysomethings, tells Yahoo Life. She adds that how and when people think about “old age” is powerful. “People say ‘I’m older, I’m aging,’ they’ll use that phrasing, but not ‘I’m old,’” Esty says. “If you have a positive attitude toward aging, you’re going to live that 7.5 years longer,” she sas, referencing previous research that found that people who have a positive outlook toward aging live an average of 7.5 years longer than those who don’t.

It’s not clear from the new study whether the participants pushed back their definition of “old age” because they felt optimistic that they would live longer, or out of fear of becoming old themselves. But both Langer and Esty say embracing aging enthusiastically is crucial to living well for longer, no matter how many more years you get.

“Our whole American society doesn’t handle old age well — we need a redo, where we all learn what it is really like to be older,” says Esty, who is 89. “People are mistaken, they dread it and think they know for sure how it will be and spend so much energy trying not to look old.”

She compares aging to the Japanese art of kintsugi, in which broken pottery is mended with gold- or silver-dusted lacquer. The result is often regarded as more beautiful than the original, pristine piece. “We’re missing the beauty in aging,” says Esty. “In some ways, we, with our repaired hips and ankles and knees and hearing aids and our glasses, we’re more beautiful.”

Tips for aging well from aging experts

Langer’s key to aging well is not only believing that she can live a long and active life, but making a mindful effort to do so (she wrote a book on the very subject). She’s not referring to meditation and anxiety-relieving skills, but to a way of keeping your mind active. “When you think you’re everything is over, you withdraw from the world,” Langer says her 40 years of research has shown. “But if instead you try to add more life to your years and make the moments matter most mindfully, that’s going to matter; neurons are firing and that’s literally and figuratively enlivening.”

She stays mindful by continuing to teach, speak and write, and playing tennis in her free time. Esty says learning how to properly mourn losses, but not to dread them, or her own age, has helped her age well, as has writing her book, in which she interviewed more than 100 people in their 80s. “The people were so inspiring, and having the project inspired me,” she says. “I think, to age well, you need to have a purpose, that in some way you’re contributing to the world.”

Recognizing that purpose is helpful not only to older people, but to all of us, says Nilam Ram, co-author of the new study and Stanford University professor of psychology. “There is a utility for society to figure out how to leverage the expertise that our elders have,” he says. “Reducing the negative stereotypes around aging would be part of that process, to say, ‘Oh look, there’s this amazing community out there, how is it that they can keep contributing to society in ways that are fruitful for everyone?”

Yahoo Life

Prominent northern leaders have issued a stern caution against the proposed relocation of United States and French military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria. The warning is contained in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly leadership,

Those who signed the letter, as par Daily Trust, include Abubakar Siddique Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT), Zaria; Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, representing the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), Kaduna; Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, who is a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Jibrin Ibrahim from the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Abuja; Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CCISLAC) Abuja; and Y. Z. Ya’u from the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano. 

The prominent leaders highlighted concerns over potential pressure from foreign governments to sign new defence pacts allowing troop redeployment. Expressing apprehension about Nigeria's strategic vulnerability, the leaders emphasized the risks of compromising national defence and internal security. They cited the expulsion of foreign troops from neighboring countries due to perceived ineffectiveness, questioning the efficacy of hosting such bases.

Additionally, they warned against short-term alliances that could have long-term detrimental consequences for Nigeria's sovereignty and independence.

Highlighting the socio-economic and environmental implications, the leaders urged careful consideration before engaging in any agreements that could disproportionately impact the local population and environment.

As of now, there has been no public response from the presidency or the National Assembly regarding the concerns raised in the letter.

Chief Executive Officer of one of the leading cryptocurrency platforms in Nigeria, NoOnes, Ray Youssef, has revealed that peer-to-peer popularly known as P2P is about $500bn business in Nigeria alone.

Youssef said this in an interview with Techpoint Africa on the heels of an imminent ban on cryptocurrency in the country.

Speaking on the astronomical P2P transactions on Friday, the NoOnes boss asserted, “Peer-to-peer is probably like a half a trillion dollar business inside Nigeria alone. That’s the truth. Officially, cryptocurrency volume in Nigeria is at $59 billion a year, and that’s just all the official volume of everything that is happening on centralised exchanges that can be tracked on the blockchain. Yeah, let’s say $59bn to $60bn.

“That’s a joke; the real volume is ten times more than that. That’s peer-to-peer, and that’s not just volume that has happened.”

Youssef added that most of the P2P transactions do not happen on Binance or any other platform but on WhatsApp, Telegram, coffee shops and everywhere on the streets.

“Most peer-to-peer doesn’t happen on Binance P2P or NoOnes or any of these other platforms. They happen on WhatsApp, Telegram, the coffee shops, everywhere on the streets. That’s where most peer-to-peer is really happening. And in fact I would even say $60 billion going through the centralised exchanges. I think most of that is actually peer-to-peer volume they are kinda covering up too because Nigerians are very crafty and have ways to use things for things they weren’t necessarily mean’t to be used for,” he maintained.

Recall that in February 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a circular to deposit money banks (DMBs), non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), and OFIs to close accounts of persons or entities involved in cryptocurrency transactions within their systems.

But the administration of President Bola Tinubu lifted the ban directing all banks and OFIs to carry out cryptocurrency services with the provisions of the guidelines to regulate the activities of virtual assets service providers.

The aftermath of the ban was the discovery by CBN that crypto traders use peer-to-peer trading to manipulate the naira via a pump-and-dump strategy.

In February 2024, the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, claimed $26 billion in untraceable transactions were processed by Binance.

This led to a crackdown on the global exchange Binance and the freezing of over 1,000 bank accounts involved in peer-to-peer transactions.

However, Nigerians, especially the P2P traders have begun to express displeasure at the new development by the Federal Government as many believe that cryptocurrency is legal and should not be seen as a factor behind the naira weakening.

A user, Kalu Aja, wrote in a thread on his handle, @FinPlanKaluAja2, “The Nigerian economy is slowing, grinding to insignificance.

“The economy is dying. The policymakers (Central Bank of Nigeria) know and are already warning with specificity.

“The political class response is to divide and distract.

“Guys I am not being alarmist; the economy is failing, it’s not my data or analysis.”

He claimed that economic activity has been contracting for eight consecutive months, mainly due to exchange rate pressures, rising input prices, security challenges, and others.

He added that the Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index declined sharply to 39.2 index points in February 2024 from 48.5 index points in the previous month.

He continued, ‘Both food and core inflation rose in February 2024, underpinning an acceleration in headline inflation to 31.70 per cent in February 2024 from 29.90 per cent in the previous month. This continued rise in inflation was mainly due to high production costs, lingering security challenges and exchange rate pressures,

“All quotes from CBN. Is this an environment that can attract FDI? When are Nigerian companies already in Nigeria not buying or investing?

“Abuja, we have a problem.”

Another user, who tweeted with @trendwithola, said, “So the Central Bank of Nigeria still feels cryptocurrency is the cause of Naira woes?

“Naira will keep trailing 1 USD, 1 GBP, 1 CAD if the right thing is not done.

“@cenbank should stop chasing shadows. You had better get your economic policies right. Don’t just copy and paste. Get a blueprint from the man wey sabi, Peter Obi or leave office,” she added.

“Rather than battling against cryptocurrency, why isn’t the Central Bank of Nigeria focused on leveraging the system to their advantage? Why not concentrate on regulating it for beneficial use? After all, you can’t dismantle what you haven’t built,” a user with the handle @Themytea2 submitted.

Recently, at least three Nigerian fintech startups, including Moniepoint, Opay and Palmpay, have threatened to block the accounts of their customers dealing in cryptocurrency and report those transactions to law enforcement agents after the National Security Adviser classified crypto trading as a national security issue.

That designation means a new crypto regulation that will ban peer-to-peer trading of cryptocurrencies is in the works, said Tosin Eniolorunda, the CEO of Moniepoint.

There are also growing concerns that a regulation to ban p2p trading may soon be made public.

Punch

In a move set to reshape Nigeria's electricity landscape, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a directive to establish the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO) within the next 30 days, leading to the division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The order, identified as NERC/2024/45 and dated April 30, was signed by the Chairman/CEO of NERC, Sanusi Garba, and Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni. It mandates TCN to finalize the identification and mapping of assets and liabilities for the system/market operation segment of its business within 30 days and submit them to the Commission and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) no later than June 30, 2024.

Following this, the BPE, through the National Council on Privatisation, will oversee the transfer of all market and system operation assets and liabilities from TCN to NISO.

NISO, the new system operator, will assume direct responsibility for the network, particularly the troubled national grid and other relevant market contracts managed from Osogbo.

This action effectively revokes one of TCN's two operating licenses, permitting it to operate as both a Transmission Service Provider and an Independent System Operator, as previously granted by the commission in line with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act.

However, the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023, effective June 9, delineated clearer procedures for incorporating and licensing the independent system operator (ISO) and transferring TCN's ISO assets and liabilities.

In accordance with the Electricity Act (EA) 2023, NERC instructed BPE to establish, by May 31, 2024, a private company limited by shares under the Companies and Allied Matters Act to fulfill the market and system operation functions outlined in the EA and TCN's system operation license.

This new entity, to be named the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited ("NISO"), will manage all assets and liabilities related to market and system operation on behalf of market participants and consumer groups, as specified by the Commission.

NISO will assume the rights and obligations related to market and system operations currently held by TCN, including the negotiation and procurement of ancillary services with independent power producers and successor generation licensees, among other responsibilities.

Its operations will align with the Electricity Act and the terms of its license, prioritizing the interests of market participants and system users.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has leveled accusations against certain security personnel and government officials, alleging their involvement in aiding banditry, which he claims has evolved into a lucrative "business venture." Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today, Governor Radda highlighted systemic challenges hindering efforts to curb banditry, emphasizing poverty and injustice as significant catalysts. Contrary to claims linking the insecurity to politics, Radda stressed the dire economic conditions driving many northern youths into banditry, often for as little as N500. Shedding light on recent trips by northern governors to the United States, Radda clarified that the initiative was at the behest of the United States Institute of Peace, aimed at fostering solutions to the region's security challenges.

Reflecting on the symposium held in Washington D.C., Radda emphasized the collaborative efforts to explore strategies for lasting peace and security, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive international intervention.

Hamas is sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks in the latest sign of progress

Hamas said Thursday that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.

After months of stop-and-start negotiations, the cease-fire efforts appear to have reached a critical stage, with Egyptian and American mediators reporting signs of compromise in recent days. But chances for the deal remain entangled with the key question of whether Israel will accept an end to the war without reaching its stated goal of destroying Hamas.

The stakes in the cease-fire negotiations were made clear in a new U.N. report that said if the Israel-Hamas war stops today, it will still take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes that have been destroyedby nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza. It warned that the impact of the damage to the economy will set back development for generations and will only get worse with every month fighting continues.

The proposal that U.S. and Egyptian mediators have put to Hamas -– apparently with Israel’s acceptance — sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages, but also negotiations over a “permanent calm” that includes some sort of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, according to an Egyptian official. Hamas is seeking guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and complete end to the war.

Hamas officials have sent mixed signals about the proposal in recent days. But on Thursday, its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a statement that he had spoken to Egypt’s intelligence chief and “stressed the positive spirit of the movement in studying the cease-fire proposal.”

The statement said that Hamas negotiators would travel to Cairo “to complete the ongoing discussions with the aim of working forward for an agreement.” Haniyeh said he had also spoken to the prime minister of Qatar, another key mediator in the process.

The brokers are hopeful that the deal will bring an end to a conflict that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, caused widespread destruction and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. They also hope a deal will avert an Israeli attack on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have sought shelter after fleeing battle zones elsewhere in the territory.

If Israel does agree to end the war in return for a full hostage release, it would be a major turnaround. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack stunned Israel, its leaders have vowed not to stop their bombardment and ground offensives until the militant group is destroyed. They also say Israel must keep a military presence in Gaza and security control after the war to ensure Hamas doesn’t rebuild.

Publicly at least, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that is the only acceptable endgame.

He has vowed that even if a cease-fire is reached, Israel will eventually attack Rafah, which he says is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. He repeated his determination to do so in talks Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Israel on a regional tour to push the deal through.

The agreement’s immediate fate hinges on whether Hamas will accept uncertainty over the final phases to bring the initial six-week pause in fighting — and at least postpone what it is feared would be a devastating assault on Rafah.

Egypt has been privately assuring Hamas that the deal will mean a total end to the war. But the Egyptian official said Hamas says the text’s language is too vague and wants it to specify a complete Israeli pullout from all of Gaza. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about the internal deliberations.

On Wednesday evening, however, the news looked less positive as Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas official, expressed skepticism, saying the group’s initial position was “negative.” Speaking to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, he said that talks were still ongoing but would stop if Israel invades Rafah.

Blinken hiked up pressure on Hamas to accept, saying Israel had made “very important” compromises.

“There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there,” Blinken said Wednesday before leaving for the U.S.

An Israeli airstrike, meanwhile, killed at least five people, including a child, in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The bodies were seen and counted by Associated Press journalists at a hospital.

The war broke out on Oct. 7. when Hamas militants broke into southern Israel and killed over 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, taking around 250 others hostage, some released during a cease-fire on November.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israelin which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Hamas is believed to still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Since then, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has wreaked vast destruction and brought a humanitarian disaster, with several hundred thousand Palestinians in northern Gaza facing imminent famine, according to the U.N. More than 80% of the population has been driven from their homes.

The “productive basis of the economy has been destroyed” and poverty is rising sharply among Palestinians, according to the report released Thursday by the United Nations Development Program and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

It said that in 2024, the entire Palestinian economy — including both Gaza and the West Bank -– has so far contracted 25.8%. If the war continues, the loss will reach a “staggering” 29% by July, it said. The West Bank economy has been hit by Israel’s decision to cancel the work permits for tens of thousands of laborers who depended on jobs inside Israel.

“These new figures warn that the suffering in Gaza will not end when the war does,” UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said. He warned of a “serious development crisis that jeopardizes the future of generations to come.”

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia says it has driven Ukrainian army from 211 square miles of territory this year

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his troops had taken control of 547 square kilometres (211 square miles) of territory this year in what he called Russia's "new regions," a reference to four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it has annexed.

Shoigu, in remarks on Friday to senior military commanders, said Ukrainian forces were retreating all along the front line and that Russian troops were breaking what he called a network of Ukrainian strongholds.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on to individual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced to abandon their positions and retreat," said Shoigu.

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian Armed Forces have liberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said, referring to the name Russia uses for one of the four annexed regions.

Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday that Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front.

Moscow said in September 2022, seven months after sending troops into Ukraine, that it had incorporated four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia - into its own sovereign territory despite not fully controlling any of them.

Ukraine said the move was an illegal land grab and has said it plans to evict every Russian soldier from its territory, including from Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Russia controls about 18% of Ukraine - in the east and south - and has been gaining ground since Kyiv's 2023 counter-offensive failed to make any serious inroads against well dug-in Russian troops.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia reveals dramatic weapons production increase

There has been a multifold increase in the production of weapons and ammunition in Russia since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, the head of the defense conglomerate Rostec has said.

Sergey Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting on Friday that around 80% of arms used by the Russian military in the conflict are being supplied by Rostec.

The conglomerate, which was established in 2007 on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, involves more than 800 research and production organizations in Russia’s defense sector.

"Compared to 2022, the production and refurbishment of tanks at our factories increased by three-and-a-half times, and of lightly armored vehicles by three times,” the Rostec chief said.

The manufacture of self-propelled artillery pieces has increased tenfold, while 14 times more towed guns are being produced, and the production of multiple rocket launch systems (MLRS) has doubled.

The output of ammunition rounds for tanks and infantry fighting vehicles increased by 900%, artillery shells by 600%, and munitions for MLRS by 800%. Three times as many unguided rockets for heavy flamethrower systems are being produced, Chemezov said.

According to the Rostec chief, new types of equipment have also been introduced during the conflict, such as TOS-2 heavy flamethrower systems, which are capable of firing munitions with thermobaric warheads and are “widely used in the area of the military operation.” Zemledeliye remote mine-laying systems are also being produced, as well as Krasnopol guided shells, Kub loitering munitions, and guided missiles for UAVs.

Rostec is also working with JSC Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) to equip standard aviation bombs with gliding modules and guidance systems, he said.

The Washington Post reported in March that the use of glide bombs, which can travel long distances and have high precision, has “dramatically boosted” the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force. The Independent wrote last month that those munitions had been “changing the face” of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday that the country’s forces are continuing “to break up” Ukrainian defensive positions along the entire front line. Russia’s territorial gains since the start of the year have amounted to 547 square kilometers, while Ukraine has lost more than 111,000 troops and some 21,000 heavy weapons during the period, according to the minister.

Reuters/RT

Old teachers never die;/They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

Below is a slightly amended version
Of my ode to the Teacher
Two remarkable decades ago….

Old teachers never die;

They simply wax wiser with passing moons…

Old teachers never die

The wine of age is winking in your glass,

Sip it in style;

Sip it with relish.

For when you sat in the saddle*,
You never rode roughshod upon our earth.
Your voice called up our depths

Your silence gingered us into song
Our growing scrawls mellowed into hieroglyphs
On the tender papyrus that was your palm:

(Allophones we all, of your happy phoneme)
Liberal star, compassionate moon.
Scion of a stock in league with Light

Let your ebony laughter unknot our brows
As we journey all season from sky to sky
Powered by the wind of your word.

Morning by morning**
We count your blessings
And regard our days

Old teachers never die;
They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

** In the Saddle and Morning by Morning are two exceptionally crafted and evocative autobiographies of Ayo Banjo.

Niyi Osundare, one of Africa’s foremost poets and academics, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans. 

PT

I interviewed millionaire early retiree Steve Adcock recently on the subject of financial regrets.

Adcock identified one thing he wishes he knew in his 20s that would have made him wealthier faster: how much emotional intelligence matters.

“Your personality will get you 10 times richer than your intelligence,” Adcock told me. “I learned that throughout my career, slowly but surely. I worked with a lot of smart people, no doubt about it. But those smartest people in the office weren’t necessarily the ones getting the raises and promotions.”

In short, your EQ can get you more opportunities for raises and promotions than your IQ, he said.

I think that was something I generally understood to be true, but hearing it aloud got me a little nervous. I’m one of the few fully remote workers on my team. I’m doing good work, but who would you promote — the guy you chat with on Slack or the person who you take your lunch break with every day?

So I enlisted the help of Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, to find out how anyone – remote or not – can show off their EQ at work. She suggests three strategies.

1. Act the part. If you think you’re ready for a bigger job at your company, start stepping into that role. “Even if the management position doesn’t exist, act as if you are the manager and take the lead,” she says. That doesn’t mean start bossing people around. Rather, make it a point to come to meetings ready to propose new ideas and initiatives.

2. Get people on your side. If you’re looking to hone your soft skills, ask your boss or even colleagues or external clients which ones they think you should focus on in order to advance your career. “Ask them what areas you need to develop. Make them part of this journey with you,” says Salemi.

3. Find a mentor. Do you have a favorite person in the office? It could be someone whose career you aspire to have or the colleague you enjoy working with the most. Ask them to show you the ropes, either in a formal or informal mentoring relationship, Salemi says. What’s more, think about what makes them such a great colleague and emulate them.

CNBC