We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

Introduction:

Faith is a quintessential faculty that must be allowed to fully develop in us. It’s the incontestable means by which we can offer remarkable kingdom services, develop an honorable character, and obtain a good report in God’s trustworthy assessment.

Faith is a living thing; indeed, a living power from heaven: “faith is…”(Hebrews 11:1). It’s firm trust and sound confidence in God and the integrity of His Word (Hebrews 3:14). Faith substantiates the promises of God, making them present realities to us.

The assurance of the things hoped for, whatever they are, is available to us through the assent of faith because faith infers the reality of the objects believed for (Hebrews 6:5-6). Faith is an agreement with the truth that’s credible upon the testimony of God as found in the Bible.

Faith deals with spiritual and invisible things. It proves to the mind the reality of things hoped for, and gives the believers the “convincing proof” of things not yet seen.

By faith, our souls can see the buried past, the unseen present and the unpredictable future.Faith is a firm persuasion and an unyielding expectation that God will perform all He has promised to us in Christ.

There are different levels/kinds of faith: little faith (Matthew 6:30; 14:31), mustard seed faith (Matthew 17:20), great faith (Matthew 15:28), strong faith (Romans 4:20), living faith (Galatians 2:20), steadfast faith (Colossians 2:5), and sound faith (Titus 1:3).

Every believer has faith in a measure, as a gift from God (Romans 12:3). However, our faith must grow adequately for it to produce our desired expectations (Romans 1:17). It must be bold in speaking forth God’s promises (1Timothy 3:13; Romans 1:8).

We must develop our faith, otherwise it will naturally ebb away  because of the unpalatable winds that occasionally blow around us (Matthew 7:25-27).

Faith is never static. It is either growing, diminishing or withering. Sadly, faith can wither without the owner knowing that something precious is slipping away from him. Hence, our Lord Jesus Christ warned the Laodicean church against such an ugly scenario (Revelation 3:14-22).

We cannot truly live without faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Yet, the devil incessantly hunts it in order to rubbish our Christian testimony (Hosea 7:8-10)! We must therefore never become careless with our faith; rather, we must always strive to maintain and even grow it.

In Matthew 17:14-21, a man took his son, who was tormented by the spirit of lunacy, to Jesus' disciples for healing. But they couldn't cure him. The man then went to Jesus, and He immediately cast out the devil with a mastery touch of authority.

Now, just like every serious-minded learner would make recourse to his teacher whenever the occasion demands, Jesus’ disciples privately asked Him why they weren’t able to cast out the despicable spirit from the boy.

Jesus told them that it was their unbelief that made it impossible for them to cure the boy. This is always the case with us when we refuse to grow our faith as we ought to.

Unarguably, the disciples then were on a learning curve, and hadn’t attained a spiritual level of faith required to heal the boy. Nevertheless, Jesus still reprimanded them, calling them a “faithless and perverse generation”, because He had expected they would learn fast enough to grow their faith to a degree of kingdom relevance (2Timothy 3:5-7).

Understanding The Mustard Seed Faith

Of a truth, Jesus clearly said that anyone with “faith as a grain of mustard seed” can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). But, this is one of the most commonly misunderstood passages in the entire Bible.

The “mustard seed” kind of faith is often roughly interpreted as “just a little bit of faith to do great exploits”. Some people therefore become content with their ground-level, puny faith. Undoubtedly, this wasn’t the intention here.

Jesus didn’t mean that our faith should be small, and remain so. Little faith doesn’t accomplish big things, only big faith does. Anything beyond your faith level remains undone! It certainly takes full-grown faith to move mountains (Matthew 17:16).

“Mustard seed faith” refers to the kind of faith that can grow to the extent that it can produce signs: heal the sick, cast out demons and wrought wonders. It’s that “little faith” that grows and eventually moves mountains.

Jesus explained this in Matthew 13:31-32, saying, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof”.

Our faith is expected to grow to the extent that our lives become a pleasant fragrance of God's grace, that we become solution-bringers to our world, and that we begin to touch other destinies just like birds of the air find a haven in the enormous tree that grew out of the tiny mustard seed.

Faith has always been the mark of God’s servants, from time immemorial. The disciples had faith, otherwise they wouldn’t have prayed at all. It was just not enough. We must be determined to develop our faith!

At the onset, we don't have to go in at the deep end, but we must start where we are and steadily increase in it by believing God for small things and then graduating to higher things. Thereafter, our faith can move any mountain (Mark 11:22-23).

Necessary Conditions for Faith To Grow

Faith isn’t a matter of works, soulical activities, or something that comes about as a result of our emotional rollercoaster. Developing our faith is about being increasingly focused on God's Word, relying on His grace and following Him in intentional fellowship (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A conducive atmosphere is highly essential here; otherwise, our mustard seed faith won’t grow. It may even lose its potential. The soil is certainly important. It must be fertile and very nourishing. This refers to a well-prepared and well-watered heart, always eager to hear the Word (Ephesians 5:26).

Albeit, hearing the Word is more than a mere audible perception. It entails obeying it as well (James 1:22). Disobedience hinders growth. Your faith cannot grow beyond your obedience.

There must also be good “sunlight” for our mustard seed faith to grow  (Malachi 4:2). When our lives are exposed to Jesus' light, we become energized by love, and we certainly produce bountiful yields (Galatians 5:6).

Furthermore, prayer and fasting are very essential to the administration of faith and power in the Holy Ghost. Prayer and fasting speak to death. Before our mustard seed faith will sprout, grow and produce, it must die first. The way up is the way down!

Prayer and fasting require a lot of discipline, diligence, determination and perseverance! Fasting is a valid means of dying to the flesh, and when it’s coupled with prayers, we become finely-honed to pick the signals from the invisible realm.

Friends, your faith is very precious! The glory of God shows in your life only to the extent that you have grown your faith. Guard it jealously; don't trifle with it, and don't allow anyone (or anything) to steal it!

Faith grows by speaking right words (Revelation 12:11). If your faith is not sown, it will lie dormant and useless. There’s an incredible power in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Moreover, the mouth of the righteous is a well of life (Proverbs 10:11).

Never side with Satan! Take side with God by saying what He says. Believe also what you speak. Your faith will grow big, and it shall produce bountiful harvests for you. You won’t miss it, in Jesus name. 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

Stop trying to be good because: “There is none good but One, that is God.” You are a man. You cannot be God.

I was at a midnight prayer meeting and the Lord took me briefly out of the meeting by engaging me in a conversation. He said to me:

“Femi, the first lesson I taught you is that something can be nothing. I told you on Airport Road: “Nothing will happen to you here.’ But something happened after I said that: you were shot. I insisted the something of a bullet in your leg was nothing. I then made nothing out of that “something’ by healing your leg.”

“You must understand that I make nothing out of something. I also make something out of nothing. What men call something is really nothing. Without Me, you can do nothing. People think they have done something when what they have done is nothing. A man cannot do something. I AM the only one who does something.”

Catching Something

Peter fished all night and claimed he caught nothing. He said to Jesus: “We toiled all night and caught nothing.” (Luke 5:5). 

Do you believe Peter?

I do not. You cannot toil all night on the sea and catch nothing. You will catch something but can regard what you catch as nothing.

Why was Peter’s something nothing? Because without Jesus, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). But then, Jesus, the Person who makes something out of nothing tells Peter to try again. He tells him to fish in the same place but now even at the wrong time. (It is better to fish at night).

But now there is a fundamental difference. He would fish at the word of Jesus. He must now believe he would catch fish because of the word of Jesus. That belief would not be in doing the right thing. That belief would be in Jesus Christ. That belief would be in doing what the Lord asked him to do.

When Peter did this, he caught so many fish his net broke.

Faith in Jesus

How should you express your faith in Jesus? Just do whatever He tells you to do. Do not do whatever He says you should not do. As Mary, Jesus’ mother, says: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5).

If He tells you to put water in a jar when it is wine you want. Just do it. If He tells you to fish where you know there is no fish. Just do it. Solomon counsels: “Don’t lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).

And so Peter did the wrong thing by faith. Peter fished the wrong way by faith and caught so many fish his net broke.  He caught so many fish, his boat was sinking.

God says: “I have put a Rock in the path of the Jews, and many will stumble over him (Jesus). Those who believe in him will never be disappointed.” (Romans 9:33).

Whoever believes in Jesus will not be disgraced. Whoever believes in Jesus will never have cause to be sorry. Whoever believes in Jesus will never have any regrets. The reason is quite simple, Jesus is the Truth.

If you believe in Jesus, your belief, that is your faith, will always lead you to the right way. That is what the Bible means when it says that the righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ.  (Romans 3:22). The right thing to do is always what expresses faith in Jesus Christ. 

How do I know the right thing to do in any situation? The right thing is always what expresses faith in Jesus Christ.  

Wrong Question

A man who had something but feared it amounted to nothing came to Jesus. The man had something: because he was rich. But Jesus told some rich men:

“You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” (Revelation 3:17-18).

This rich man who came to Jesus needed something. He knew his something was nothing because he did not have eternal life. So, he came to Jesus and asked: “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16).

This man had done some things in his life that made him rich. Now he wanted to know what good things he should do to have eternal life.

But there was nothing he could do. He does not seem to know that there is nothing any man can do to inherit eternal life.

This rich man was so incapable of doing anything right that he could not even ask the right question. He should have just asked: How can I inherit eternal life?

We can do nothing to inherit eternal life. We did nothing even to have temporal life.

The word of faith says we are not required to climb up to heaven to inherit eternal life. Neither are we required to dive down into the abyss to achieve it. The word is in our mouths and our hearts. (Romans 10:5-8).

Eternal life is not an Olympic Games for which we can win a medal after exerting ourselves. This rich man with nothing should have asked what or who he must believe to inherit eternal life. So, to expose his ignorance, Jesus told him to obey the commandments He knew the man could not obey because, without Jesus, we can do nothing.

This man foolishly told Jesus he had kept all the commandments without Jesus from his youth. So, Jesus instructed him to obey the first commandment (love the Lord with all your heart) and the second commandment (love your neighbour as yourself).

He said to him: “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Luke 18:22).

And this man could not do this because he had great possessions. He could not obey because he had a lot of “something” that was really nothing.

Incapable Man

The Bible says: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10). What does this mean? It means there is nothing a man can do that can be something in the eyes of God. Without Jesus, we can do nothing.

As far as God is concerned, nothing a man does is something. Everything a man does is nothing. How can that be? 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). 

Therefore, says Jesus: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 15:15).

With God, man always does the wrong things: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

When a man does something, it always turns out to be nothing in the eternal scheme. Even when a man does what he considers to be right, it always turns out to be wrong in the eyes of God.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25).

Big Mistake

Today, the Christian is seen mistakenly as someone who must not do bad things. No! No! No! We cannot stop doing bad things. Without Jesus, we can do nothing. It is not in the doing. It is in the believing.

They say in the churches: “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not steal.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not fight.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not curse.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not drink.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not smoke pot.” 

In short, a Christian is still that person imprisoned by a lot of dos and don’ts. We are back again under the Old Testament regime of “Thou shall and thou shall not.”

But Paul points out that: “Those laws are good when used as God intended. But they were not made for us, whom God has saved; they are for sinners who hate God, have rebellious hearts, curse and swear, attack their fathers and mothers, and murder. Yes, these laws are made to identify as sinners all who are immoral and impure: homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, and all others who do things that contradict the glorious Good News of our blessed God.” (1 Timothy 1:8-10).

The believer is not under the law but under grace: “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:14).

The believer sins UNINTENTIONALLY but his sins are no longer counted against him. The believer still cannot help himself. As believers. we still sin because:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10).

Imputed Righteousness 

God has ascribed to us something we do not yet have; righteousness. Righteousness has not yet been given to us, but it has been credited to us. We have not earned the money but Jesus has put it in our account.

What believers have is right standing with God despite our sins because of what Jesus has done. That is why, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David says: “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” (Psalm 32:3).

We are not righteous but God does not count our sins against us because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. CONTINUED.

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

An airline pilot has melted hearts all over the internet after a video of her most special announcement yet went viral on social media.

The heartwarming video, shared on TikTok in August by the pilot herself under the username @michelleherbie, shows the first officer standing by the speaker, right before take off, giving her passengers some delightful news.

"Today is actually a very special flight for me because both my parents will be joining me on my flight and it's the very first time," she can be heard saying as the crowd cheers ecstatically.

"I would like to thanks my parents because without them this would have never been possible, so thank you mom and dad," she continues.

A caption shared with the viral clip reads: "Flew my parents for the first time, decided to make a little PA! Had a great bunch of [enthusiastic] passengers on board."

While it's becoming a much widespread career choice among women, still only 4 to 6 percent of all airline pilots are females, according to the latest global data shared by the Centre For Aviation (CAPA).

As for the U.S., women account for around 5.2 percent of airline pilots and 10.3 percent of all pilots. However, despite the low numbers, women's interest in qualifying as cockpit crew is growing.

"The number of women holding FAA student pilot certificates increased almost five times, from 9,897 in 2003 to 49,286 in 2023. As a share of all student pilots, the figure increased from 11.3 percent in 2003 to 15.6 percent in 2023," the Centre For Aviation says.

CAPA also found that women are under-represented in the senior ranks of airline management too. The only group in aviation where women outnumber men is flight attendants, however, this role is usually at the lower end of the salary range in the industry.

Flew my parents for the first time, decided to make a little PA! Had a great bunch of enthousiastic passengers on board ???? #memories #family#aviation #proud #fyp#positivevibes #goodvibes

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 280,000 views and 8,750 likes on the platform.

One user, EGCC_Aviation, commented: "There's my favourite pilot."

User8267849990503 said: "Much respect for this woman."

BGrant added: "Bet that was a very proud moment!"

Richardlee wrote: "Checking on their investment!!"

Newsweek

On Tuesday, Aliko Dangote showed off the new colourless petrol from his refinery — a stark contrast to the colour which Nigerians are used to, which is typically yellowish or reddish-pink. This made people question the quality of petrol in Nigeria.

“You might think it looks different, but this is the real thing,” Dangote said,while pointing at the bottle.

“You will now have good petrol and your car engines will last longer. You won’t have engine problems like we used to. It won’t happen at all.

“The quality here is as good as anywhere in the world. We will make sure nobody beats us on quality.”

This statement and the colourless appearance of his product have stirred conversations and doubts about the quality of petrol in Nigeria.

Some think the yellowish or reddish-pink colour widely distributed in the country is of inferior quality because of Dangote’s comments. But does the colour really matter?

WHAT IS PETROL?

Petrol or gasoline is fuel for cars. The National Geographic Societydescribes the fuel as liquid that is clear, yellowish, and burns easily. Petrol is made from crude oil, which is usually black or dark brown. But crude oil can also be yellowish, reddish, tan, or even greenish.

WHAT IS PETROL’S TRUE COLOUR?

Car from Japan, a car marketplace in Japan, says petrol has no original colour, as it is a mix of various other gasoline and hydrocarbons. The marketplace said hydrocarbons, typically heptane and octane, also come in different types for different vehicles.

According to the platform, the colour can vary from yellow, orange, or brown depending on what is added to it.

“So, the answer is that the colour can vary! It will be no wrong if we say that gasoline has no colour or it is simply clear. Take a glass of clean water and see how it looks; this is how exactly the gasoline looks, in reality. It is only after we mix other substances into it when it becomes yellowish in colour. So, next time someone asks you what colour is gasoline, the answer would be it has no colour, it is clean,” the website stated.

IS COLOURLESS PETROL THE BEST?

Joe Nwakue, former chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, said the colour of the petrol can change during production.

“When you produce it (petrol), it’s light. It’s almost like water. If you want to distinguish between different grades, you can colour them differently. You can put a colour agent,” Nwakue told TheCable.

“If nobody does anything to alter the properties, the colour on its own does not signify the quality. But the maker can decide what grade of petrol they’re producing and colour them differently so the person either selling or buying it knows which one it is.”

HunterLab, a colour measurement spectrophotometer manufacturer in Virginia, US, said checking the colour scientifically helps ensure petrol is made to the right standards.

“When it is tested right, you can identify the genuine quality of the gasoline. After that, you can decide which one is good and which one has a bad effect on the car’s engine,” HunterLab stated.

“Colour is a key indicator of quality in petroleum-based products and developing a colour range is an important part of the refinement process.

“A colour range can often be used for monitoring contamination and quality control. Petroleum-based products make up a wide variety of manufactured goods; with consumers relying on colour for acceptability, it’s crucial to meet the quality standards of visual perception.”

Akpunonu Okey, a professor of petroleum geosciences, Nnamdi Azikwe University, told TheCable that the type of crude oil used is also a determining factor for the colour of petrol.

“What determines the colour is the type of crude oil, not the quality,” Okey said.

“What determines the colour is the presence of sulphur and then the imperial history of petrol determines the quality whether it will be light crude or heavy crude. Imperial history is determined by the temperature, they work hand in hand.”

Hence, it is safe to say that the colour of the petrol does not necessarily indicate if it is of good or bad quality.

The Cable

Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto diocese, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prevail on the federal government to reverse the recent hike in the petrol price.

Kukah spoke on Friday at the unveiling of the progressive institute (TPI), the tink tank of the APC.

On September 3, the National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited increased the pump price of petrol to N897 across its retail outlets in the country.

The price of the product was increased at petrol stations across the country, ranging from N897 per litre to over N1,000.

The development followed a protracted scarcity which has strained business activities nationwide.

“A girl was asked, which party are you? APC, LP or PDP? She said: ‘I am hungry’. So, we Nigerians are hungry. You have to find a way of reducing this price of fuel,” Kukah said.

“Unless democracy is anchored on a sound foundation, we will be building on sand. I am concerned about the quality of democracy in Nigeria. We need to fix the problem with democracy in Nigeria.”

Dignitaries who attended the event include Abdullahi Ganduje; APC national chairman; George Akume; secretary to the government of the federation; and Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo and chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio was represented by Barau Jibrin, his deputy.

Addressing members of the APC, Ganduje said the institute will ensure that the ideology of the party is entrenched.

He said TPI will also serve as the official policy think-tank of the party, providing a platform for Nigerians, academia and the media to share ideas.

Ganduje added that the institute will provide policy advice to the government elected on the platform of the party at both the national and state levels.

The Cable

The abrupt shutdown of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria's (NMCN) verification portal in February has left numerous Nigerian nurses and midwives working overseas in distress. This closure has created obstacles for these healthcare workers, as they struggle to renew licenses and comply with international regulations. The inability to verify their qualifications has placed many in violation of visa and employment regulations, leading to legal repercussions.

Reports indicate that several nurses in the UK and US have already returned to Nigeria due to the issue. One anonymous nurse, who had been employed by a UK Trust since September 2023, shared his ordeal. He completed all necessary exams and document checks, but the portal's closure left him unable to obtain his registration pin. His employer ultimately terminated his contract due to his inability to meet certification requirements, leaving him stranded back in Nigeria.

Others share similar frustrations. Ovie, a Nigerian nurse in the UK, explained that her plans to complete a nursing program and register as a nurse in the UK were derailed by the portal's closure. With her student visa expiring soon, she faces the possibility of deportation if the issue remains unresolved.

In Saudi Arabia, another nurse, Hannah, expressed her despair, as her future also hangs in the balance due to the inability to verify her credentials. The emotional toll is becoming increasingly unbearable for many affected nurses.

In response to these challenges, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the Nigerian government to reopen the portal. Michael Nnachi, the president of NANNM, acknowledged the difficulties faced by Nigerian nurses abroad and emphasized that patience is essential as they continue to engage with the government. Abubakar Shehu, the Deputy National President, also criticized the government's handling of the situation, emphasizing the need for prompt action.

Despite assurances from the NMCN that the portal would be reopened soon, as of now, the issue remains unresolved, leaving many nurses in limbo and facing uncertain futures.

With reports from Punch

The Philadelphi corridor: What it is and why it matters to Israel-Gaza ceasefire talks

The status of a narrow stretch of land known as the Philadelphi corridor on Gaza's border with Egypt has emerged as a stumbling block in efforts to secure a deal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after 11 months of war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel needs to keep forces in the corridor to prevent it from becoming a lifeline for Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza.

But Egypt says Israel must pull out, and Hamas is demanding an Israeli withdrawal from the whole of Gaza. Here are some facts about the corridor.

WHAT IS THE PHILADEPHI CORRIDOR?

The corridor is a strip about 14km (9 miles) long, running from the Mediterranean sea at its north-western end to near the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing at its south-eastern end.

Israel gave it the code name Philadelphi, while the Palestinians and Egypt commonly call it the Salah al-Din route or axis.

Securing the border has long been a concern for Israel. Before it withdrew forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005, attacks on Israeli soldiers patrolling the corridor were common.

As part of the pull-out, Israel signed an agreement with Egypt which allowed for a 750-strong Egyptian border guard that was meant to tackle smuggling and militancy on the border. Control of the Gazan side passed to the Palestinian Authority until Hamas took over Gaza in 2007.

WHO CONTROLS IT AND WHAT DOES ISRAEL WANT?

Israel seized control of the Philadelphi corridor in May as part of its advance into Rafah, in southern Gaza.

It says it needs to secure the corridor because Hamas used tunnels linking Gaza with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to smuggle weapons and banned material.

Long after Israel withdrew from Gaza, a large network of tunnels remained in use. In May, an Israeli delegate at the International Court of Justice said about 50 such tunnels had been identified in Rafah after the entry of Israeli forces.

Egypt says it destroyed the tunnel network from its side of the border as it began to push back against an Islamist insurgency in northern Sinai almost a decade ago, and that it later created a buffer zone and border fortifications that prevent smuggling.

WHY IS THE CORRIDOR IMPORTANT FOR PALESTINIANS?

Since Hamas took over Gaza, Israel along with Egypt enforced a blockade on the territory.

That included tightly controlling movement through the Rafah crossing, which is located on the Philadelphi corridor and was the only crossing on Gaza's borders not directly controlled by Israel.

Despite the restrictions, it remained a lifeline for Palestinians, allowing those with security approval to leave and re-enter the territory and serving as a gateway for trade.

After the outbreak of war on Oct. 7 last year the Rafah crossing became the main entry point for humanitarian aid and an evacuation route for those in serious need of medical treatment.

Israel's advance in May resulted in the closure of the crossing, sharply reducing aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

WHAT'S EGYPT'S POSITION?

Egypt says the corridor is guaranteed by its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, that Israel must withdraw, and that a Palestinian presence at Rafah should be restored.

The Israeli advance deprived Egypt of its role brokering access over the border, a position that had given Cairo leverage over Hamas.

Security at the border is highly sensitive for Egypt because of its history of conflict with Israel, fears that Israel's military offensive could create a breach of the border and push large numbers of Palestinians into Sinai, and the risk of militancy.

While Egypt has developed extensive contacts with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned in Egypt after then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the 2013 overthrow of its democratically elected president, Mohamed Mursi.

Early in the current conflict, Sisi raised the prospect of Sinai becoming a base for attacks against Israel if Palestinians were forced across the border en masse.

WHY IS THE CORRIDOR A FOCUS OF CEASEFIRE TALKS?

Israel's desire to keep troops deployed in the Philadelphi corridor and the Netzarim corridor, which cuts across the Gaza Strip south of Gaza City, have recently emerged as sticking points in ceasefire talks.

Over months of negotiations Hamas's core demands have been a guarantee of a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The group wants Palestinians, many of whom were displaced from northern to southern Gaza, to be able to move through Netzarim from the first phase of any ceasefire deal.

It has accused Netanyahu of raising new demands as a pretext for continuing the war.

Egypt is a mediator in ceasefire talks together with the United States and Qatar, and has reacted angrily to Israeli suggestions that its border with Gaza is not secure.

Negotiators have discussed surveillance systems that could allow Israel to pull back its troops if a ceasefire was agreed. There has also been discussion of deploying international monitors at the border.

Netanyahu has rejected a withdrawal from the corridor in the first phase of a ceasefire deal. Israel would only agree to a permanent ceasefire after that with guarantees the corridor would be secured, he said.

Reuters

Ukraine long-range strikes into Russia won't be a game changer, U.S. says

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cautioned on Friday there was "no one capability" that would turn the war in Ukraine in Kyiv's favour after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to let his forces use its long-range weapons to strike Russia.

At a regular meeting of Ukraine's allies at Ramstein U.S. Air Base in Germany, Zelenskiy repeated his plea for Western nations to supply more long-range missiles and lift restrictions on using them to hit targets such as airfields inside Russia.

Austin said Washington and its allies would continue to give strong support to Ukraine in fighting Russia's invasion, announcing another $250 million in U.S. security assistance.

But, questioned by reporters, the Pentagon chief pushed back on the idea that allowing deep strikes inside Russia with Western weapons would be a game-changer.

He said Russia had already moved aircraft that launch glide bombs into Ukraine beyond the range of U.S.-supplied ATACM missiles.

"There's no one capability that will in and of itself be decisive in this campaign," Austin told reporters at the end of the meeting.

He also said Ukraine had capabilities of its own - such as drones - to hit targets inside Russia that were beyond the reach of ATACM and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

"There are a lot of targets in Russia - big country, obviously," Austin said. "And there's a lot of capability that Ukraine has in terms of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and other things to address those targets."

Among other donations, Germany pledged to supply an additional 12 self-propelled howitzers to Kyiv, while Canada said it planned to send 80,840 surplus small unarmed air-to-surface rockets as well as 1,300 warheads in the coming months.

Zelenskiy made his first appearance at a Ramstein meeting at an important moment in the 2-1/2-year-old war.

Ukrainian forces have made a surprise offensive into Russia's Kursk region even as Russian forces focus on seizing the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, a logistics hub for Kyiv's war effort.

"We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace," Zelenskiy said, in remarks that drew support from countries including Baltic nations Lithuania and Estonia.

'RED LINES'

Zelenskiy has long pushed back against allies who have supplied long-range weapons but told Kyiv they cannot use them deep inside Russia for fear of instigating a direct conflict between the West and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

In his remarks on Friday at Ramstein, Zelenskiy said: "Russia's attempts to draw red lines simply do not work."

The talks in Germany came as Americans prepare for a November presidential election that could have major implications for Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, has promised to stand with Ukraine.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, has vowed to resolve the Ukraine war immediately on taking office with possible peace talks that might require Kyiv to cede territory. Trump and many of his supporters are skeptical of the billions of dollars in aid Biden's administration has poured into Ukraine's war effort.

At Ramstein, Austin gave statistics on the toll the war has taken on Russian forces, estimating more than 350,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded. He said Ukrainian forces have sunk, destroyed, or damaged 32 Russian Navy vessels and pushed Russia's Black Sea Fleet further east.

Zelenskiy said that about 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in Ukraine's Kursk offensive.

"Today we control an area of more than 1,300 square kilometres in the Kursk region and this includes 100 settlements," Zelenskiy said, adding that a large part of that territory was abandoned by Russian troops.

But Moscow has also been pounding cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones in some of its largest attacks since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,

"The number of air defence systems that have not yet been delivered is significant," Zelenskiy said.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 300 military personnel and 12 pieces of equipment over the day in the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

In total, the enemy has lost over 10,400 servicemen since fighting began in the region.

The Russian military repelled two attacks by enemy assault groups towards Matveyevka and Olgovka, and foiled Ukrainian attempts to attack three settlements.

TASS has gathered the key news about the unfolding situation.

Operation to neutralize Ukrainian forces

- Units of the battlegroup North, backed by army aviation and artillery fire, repelled two attacks by enemy assault groups towards the settlements of Matveyevka and Olgovka over the day.

- The Russian military also foiled Ukraine's attempts to attack Borki, Komarovka and Maryevka.

- Enemy accumulations of manpower and military hardware were struck near the settlements of Apanasovka, Borki, Vishnevka, Vnezapnoye, Gordeyevka, Kruglenkoye, Kazachya Loknya, Kositsa, Leonidovo, Martynovka, Malaya Loknya, Novoivanovka, Novaya Sorochina and Snagost in the Kursk Region.

- Russian jets struck Ukrainian reserves and armored vehicles in 15 settlements of the Sumy Region.

Ukraine's losses

- Over the day, Ukraine lost up to 300 servicemen and 12 armored vehicles, including two armored personnel carriers and 10 armored combat vehicles. Two artillery guns, a radar station and 14 vehicles were also destroyed.

- Since the beginning of hostilities, Ukraine’s losses have amounted to more than 10,400 troops, 81 tanks, 41 infantry fighting vehicles, 74 armored personnel carriers, 599 armored combat vehicles, 339 vehicles, 76 artillery pieces, 24 multiple rocket launchers, including seven M142 HIMARS and five US-made M270 MLRS, eight anti-aircraft missile launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, 19 electronic warfare stations, seven counter-battery radars, two air defense radars, eight pieces of engineering equipment, including two engineering demolition vehicles and a UR-77 demining unit.

Elections

- The Kursk Region Election Commission has decided to ban people from taking pictures or shooting video at polling stations, except for duly accredited media representatives, Chairwoman of the Regional Election Commission Tatyana Malakhova said.

- Kursk residents are coming to vote at polling stations during the regional election of the governor, despite the missile alerts heard in the city from time to time, Chairwoman of Precinct Election Commission (PEC) No. 3 Irina Altukhova told TASS.

Aid to residents

- People affected by the fighting have received payments of more than 1.3 billion rubles ($18 million), the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s press service told TASS.

Reuters/Tass

A Chinese company recently published a series of texts between its customer service and a woman who claimed her daughter had become pregnant after wearing underwear bought from the company.

The unnamed company made the allegations made by an alleged customer public as a warning that such stunts could put entrepreneurs out of business. Apparently, a woman claiming to have purchased underwear from the company on Taobao, one of China’s largest online retail platforms, contacted customer support to complain that her daughter had become pregnant after wearing a pair of brand-new underwear. Despite staff’s attempts to convince the disgruntled woman that such a thing wasn’t possible, she insisted that it was the only way her daughter could have gotten pregnant and demanded an explanation.

All attempts to convince the woman that her theory was physiologically impossible failed, so in the end customer service told her that its factory staff consisted exclusively of women and their boss had gotten a vasectomy, so the girl’s pregnancy had nothing to do with the company.

“My daughter is pregnant after wearing your underwear,” the woman wrote on a private messaging board, to which the company’s staff answered that “underwear cannot be used as a means of transmission of pregnancy”.

Fearing that the woman could go public with her own version of the story, the company decided to publish the messages between her and its customer service on social media so people could see just how nonsensical her claim was. Unsurprisingly, the post went viral, attracting lots of humorous comments and theories on how the woman’s daughter had become pregnant. Some were certain that the girl had feigned ignorance to avoid being scolded by her mother, while others came up with even wilder theories such as her getting pregnant after swimming in a public pool.

After the story went viral online, the CEO of the company posted on its official channels that he had tried contacting the woman directly to learn more about this bizarre problem, but after checking her phone number, he learned that she was an influencer who was likely hoping to draw more attention to herself by creating this strange scandal.

“I hate this kind of people,” the man wrote, accusing the woman of making up a story for attention and ignoring the risk of dealing a “devastating blow” to businesses such as his. Some people will actually believe such wild claims and the rumors they spread can actually get a factory shut down or put it out of business.

Oddity Central

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Thursday said it is not yet in its full market pricing of petrol.

The Executive Vice President, Downstream of the NNPC Ltd, Segun Adedapo, disclosed this while speaking on the ARISE TV morning show on Thursday.

“We are not at our full market pricing of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) yet, and that’s why the behaviour of PMS pricing in Nigeria cannot be compared to those markets where the prices are fully market-based,” he said.

In recent months, fuel scarcity hit major cities across Nigeria, with attendant effects on businesses and households. This has also prompted commercial bus drivers to increase their fares in major towns and cities, including the nation’s capital. As a result, black marketers have made brisk business selling to willing buyers at higher prices ranging from N1,000 to N1,200 and some, even higher.

On Tuesday, NNPC Ltd adjusted the pump price of petrol to N897 from N617 as motorists and commuters grumbled amid the uncertainty. Other independent stations have also adjusted their pump prices, in some instances above N900 per litre.

Speaking on Thursday, Adedapo said the current increase in petrol pump price does not reflect free market conditions.

“If you look in section 205 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), that’s the Act that gave birth to NNPC Limited, it tells you that petroleum prices or fuel prices were based on unrestricted free market conditions. And so, when you have a situation where fuel prices remain the same, that’s what is unusual. You won’t see that in other climes, where you have prices fixed for a long period.

“It’s actually supposed to move in consonance with changes and market conditions. During the summer months, prices are high because it’s a driving season, in the winter months, prices come down and things like that. So, that’s what the PIA provides for, prices should move with the seasons. You expect to see prices drop in those climes where petrol prices are market-based, but the opposite is our situation.

“And if you’re going to do a comparison, you want to check out the equivalent of those prices that you see in those climes and compare them to the prices here. You’ll find out that they’re still way higher than the prices we’re offering when you bring them to common currency,” he said.

He explained that the PIA provides for a free-market petrol pricing system where different players can source the product and sell at market-based prices.

“It should be a free market, unrestricted market-based conditions…what’s sustainable is the unrestricted free market pricing of PMS. That way, competition takes over, and Nigerians will get the best.

“Everyone will compete for market share, and the quality of service will improve. That feeling of entitlement by marketers or companies in the business will go away because they will compete against each other to serve consumers better,” he added.

Speaking further on what the state-owned oil company is doing to address the petrol scarcity in the country, he said the NNPC is working with all the marketers to resolve the issues.

“We are working with all of the marketers. You know we have almost a thousand stations around the country, but that’s not enough. We are working with all of the marketers, engaging with them to ensure that fuel stations open early and close late and make sure that there’s enough fuel in all of the stations.

“So, we are ensuring that deliveries are made to stations. We are doing our best to make sure that there are no diversions,” he added.

He noted that the exchange rate was impeding on the operations of the NNPC Ltd with the company experiencing challenges with foreign exchange liquidity.

“I can assure you that we have a good relationship with our suppliers, and as we speak, we don’t have a problem with the supplies coming in. Yes, we do have a challenge with payments, and that’s largely due to the fact that some FX illiquidity, it’s obvious, and that really is the challenge. As much as we are able to, we are making payments to them,” he said.

Supply

Adedapo said NNPC will supply a total of 17.6 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote Refinery between September and October.

He explained that the move is part of the federal government’s push to drive local production of petroleum products.

“We have supplied about 30 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote refinery so far, and this month alone, we will be providing 6.3 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote refinery in seven cargoes and in October.

“We will be providing another 11.3 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote refinery in 13 cargoes. So we are doing everything we can to make sure this situation abates as soon as possible,” he said.

PT