Paphael News

An explosion struck a mosque within the Gamboru Main Market area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Wednesday evening, sending shockwaves through the busy commercial district and causing panic among worshippers and residents. The blast occurred at about 6:10 p.m. while Muslim faithful were observing the Maghrib prayer. According to eyewitness accounts, the explosion originated from within the mosque premises, forcing worshippers to flee in different directions as smoke and debris filled the area. Residents described moments of confusion and fear as people struggled to understand what had happened. Security sources said the incident is suspected to have been caused by an Improvised Explosive Device planted inside the mosque. Police authorities later confirmed the explosion and disclosed that operatives were immediately deployed to the scene to secure the area and prevent further threats. According to the Borno State Police Command, explosive ordnance experts were mobilized to con...

The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed the release of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft and 11 military personnel that were earlier detained in Burkina Faso following a forced landing, marking the resolution of a tense diplomatic episode between the two West African countries. Confirmation of the development came late Wednesday, when the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed that both the aircraft and the detained personnel had been freed. According to Ebienfa, the release followed sustained diplomatic engagements between Nigerian authorities and officials of the Burkinabe government. “Yes, they have been released,” he stated, confirming the successful outcome of negotiations. The breakthrough reportedly came after a high-level meeting held earlier on Wednesday in Ouagadougou between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, and Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. According to diplomatic sources familiar ...

 The United States government has announced a significant expansion of its travel restrictions, adding Nigeria and 14 other countries to a list of nations facing tighter entry requirements, a move that has generated diplomatic reactions and concern among travelers and policy analysts. According to US administration officials, the decision follows an extensive interagency review of global travel and immigration systems, with a focus on national security, identity verification, and information sharing standards. US authorities said the newly affected countries were assessed as having gaps in documentation processes, data exchange mechanisms, or vetting procedures that could pose security risks, according to officials familiar with the review process. Nigeria’s inclusion has drawn particular attention due to its close diplomatic, economic, and educational ties with the United States. Officials clarified that the measure does not constitute a total travel ban but introduces additiona...

A light aircraft operated by Skypower Express was involved in an accident on Tuesday evening at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State, triggering a swift emergency response and renewed attention to aviation safety at regional airports. The aircraft, identified as a Cessna 172, reportedly crashed shortly after arriving at the airport under circumstances that were still being investigated as of Wednesday morning. Airport emergency responders, including fire and rescue teams, were immediately deployed to the scene to secure the area and prevent further hazards, according to airport officials familiar with the incident. Eyewitnesses at the airport described a tense scene as emergency sirens sounded and responders cordoned off part of the runway. One airport worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft appeared to experience difficulty moments before the crash, though officials cautioned that such accounts remain unverified pending a formal inves...

A deadly airstrike carried out by Myanmar’s military junta has struck a civilian hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 31 people and leaving dozens injured in one of the deadliest single attacks on medical infrastructure since the conflict escalated. According to local humanitarian workers, the strike occurred early Tuesday when the facility was treating a surge of patients fleeing intensified clashes in the region. Eyewitnesses said that the bombs hit the main ward of the hospital without warning, reducing the building to rubble and instantly killing medical staff, patients, women, and children seeking refuge. Community volunteers who arrived shortly after the attack described scenes of chaos, with survivors desperately searching for their loved ones amid debris and rising smoke. The Arakan Army, one of the ethnic armed groups fighting against the junta, condemned the attack, saying it represented a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. According to statements b...

 A new scientific report has placed humans firmly within the upper ranks of monogamous species, revealing behavioural patterns that align more closely with socially bonded mammals like meerkats and beavers than with the majority of the animal kingdom. According to research conducted by evolutionary anthropologists at the University of Cambridge, humans exhibit a significantly high rate of reproductive monogamy — a finding that challenges long-held assumptions about human mating behaviour. The study examined genetic and ethnographic data from 35 mammal species, comparing the proportion of full siblings to half-siblings to determine levels of reproductive exclusivity. According to the researchers, species with a higher percentage of full siblings tend to form long-term pair bonds or repeatedly mate with the same partner across reproductive cycles. The analysis placed humans at a 66 percent full-sibling rate , a score that experts described as “comfortably within the premier league o...

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has resurfaced publicly for the first time in nearly a year, traveling to Oslo after months of hiding inside Venezuela. Her daughter announced the development during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, where she accepted the award on Machado’s behalf. The appearance marks a significant moment in Venezuela’s tense political landscape, as Machado had been largely invisible since early January. According to accounts shared during the ceremony, Machado left her safe location in Venezuela and made her way to Norway despite longstanding restrictions placed on her by President Nicolás Maduro’s administration. For nearly a decade, the government has barred her from international travel, repeatedly insisting that she would be treated as a fugitive if she attempted to leave the country. Her reemergence, reported by political observers, demonstrates both her determination to remain a central figure in the nation’s democratic struggle and the growing ...

The leadership crisis at Coupang deepened on Wednesday as Park Dae-jun, head of the South Korean arm of the e-commerce giant, stepped down following revelations of a major data breach that compromised the personal information of nearly 34 million users. His resignation comes at a time when public anger and regulatory scrutiny are intensifying, raising questions about the company’s security standards and crisis response. According to internal company sources familiar with the matter, Park tendered his resignation during an emergency executive meeting held in Seoul, as pressure mounted from shareholders and government agencies demanding accountability for what has become one of the largest data breaches in South Korean e-commerce history. The breach, reported by South Korea’s cybersecurity authority earlier this week, exposed sensitive user data including names, contact details and purchase histories, sparking widespread concerns over digital privacy and online consumer safety. Governm...

  Frank Gehry, the Canadian-American architect celebrated for redefining modern architecture, passed away on December 5, 2025, at his home in Santa Monica, California. His death, confirmed by Meaghan Lloyd, his firm’s chief of staff, came after a brief respiratory illness. Born Frank Owen Goldberg on February 28, 1929, in Toronto, Gehry moved to Los Angeles in the late 1940s and eventually earned his degree from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture. Over the course of more than six decades, he rose from modest beginnings—working on housing projects and shopping malls—to become arguably the most influential architect of his generation. Gehry’s signature style, often described as sculptural, deconstructivist, and boldly experimental, challenged the conventions of modernist architecture. He frequently employed unconventional materials such as titanium and stainless steel, using sweeping, organic forms to create buildings that blur the line between engin...

President Donald Trump has intensified debate over the future of transatlantic relations after describing Europe as “weak” and its nations as “decaying” in a recent interview.  His remarks came just days after his administration released a strategic policy paper indicating that the United States should no longer assume the primary responsibility for guaranteeing Europe’s security. According to officials familiar with the strategy document, the paper suggests a recalibration of U.S. defence priorities to focus more heavily on domestic challenges and emerging global threats. The President’s comments, reported by aides who were present during the interview, highlighted his long-standing frustration with what he views as Europe’s insufficient investment in its own defence. Trump argued that European nations have allowed their institutions and militaries to deteriorate, stating that the continent is “not prepared for the world that is coming,” according to those briefed on his remarks...

A fresh wave of criticism has swept across France after a circulating video appeared to show First Lady Brigitte Macron making dismissive comments about feminist demonstrators during a recent public engagement. The footage, which quickly gained traction on social platforms, prompted strong reactions from activists and political observers who described her remarks as out of touch with the concerns of women’s rights groups. According to individuals who shared the video online, the First Lady was recorded responding curtly when approached by a group of protesters advocating for stronger protections for women. In the clip, she is heard making comments that several activists interpreted as belittling their cause, sparking renewed debate about the government’s approach to gender equality. Eyewitness accounts reported by French media suggest that the exchange occurred during an official visit where demonstrators sought to draw attention to rising cases of gender-based violence and ongoing d...

Fresh diplomatic tension has emerged between Nigeria and a group of Sahel states following conflicting accounts surrounding the detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft and 11 military personnel in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The incident, which unfolded on Tuesday, has sparked concerns about regional cooperation, military coordination, and the growing mistrust within West Africa’s security landscape. According to senior Nigerian defence sources, the C-130 aircraft was on an officially approved mission to deliver logistics materials to Nigerian troops participating in regional security operations. These sources indicated that the flight plan had been duly communicated to the Burkinabe aviation authorities prior to departure. They further added that the detained personnel were carrying only standard operational equipment necessary for their assignment. However, officials within Burkina Faso’s military-led government have presented a conflicting narrative. A statement from s...

A growing body of scientific research is offering fresh insight into the origins of one of the most devastating health crises in human history, the Black Death. Recent studies indicate that a major volcanic eruption around the year 1345 may have initiated a sequence of environmental disruptions that ultimately paved the way for Europe’s deadliest pandemic. According to researchers involved in this multi-disciplinary investigation, geological evidence points to a massive eruption that occurred in the mid-fourteenth century, releasing enormous quantities of ash and sulfur into the atmosphere. Scientists reported that this event likely caused dramatic shifts in global climate patterns, including cooler temperatures and widespread crop failures. These conditions, they say, created an environment in which disease vectors could thrive, setting the stage for the rapid spread of plague across continents. Experts studying ice core samples from Greenland and Antarctica observed unusual spikes ...

A former National Health Service doctor has been formally charged with sexually assaulting 38 patients across two hospitals in England, according to statements released by the Crown Prosecution Service during a briefing on the case. The CPS revealed that the allegations span several years and involve women who were receiving medical treatment from the defendant. Prosecutors explained that the incidents allegedly occurred while the doctor was performing clinical duties, a situation described by officials as an alarming breach of trust. According to the CPS, each of the alleged victims was under his professional care at the time the assaults are said to have taken place, raising significant concerns about patient safety protocols within the institutions involved. Authorities reported that the former doctor was initially arrested following complaints submitted to hospital administrators, which were later escalated to law enforcement. Investigators began an extensive review of patient re...

The Austrian government has convened a high-level commission to determine whether it has a legitimate claim to the famed Florentine Diamond and several other historical jewels that recently emerged in Canada, according to officials familiar with the inquiry. The rare gems, long believed to have been lost or stolen for more than a century, resurfaced unexpectedly in private holdings, prompting Vienna to initiate a formal review of their provenance. Government representatives said the commission was created to assess archival records, inheritance documents and historical ownership trails, citing early reports that the Florentine Diamond was once part of the Habsburg crown jewels before its disappearance in the aftermath of World War One. According to government insiders, the panel will also evaluate whether international restitution laws apply to the case, particularly those concerning cultural artefacts displaced during periods of political upheaval. Experts involved in the inquiry re...

Efforts by the United States to push Russia and Ukraine toward a negotiated settlement have hit a standstill, raising fresh questions inside the White House about whether a breakthrough is achievable in the near future. President Donald Trump had privately hoped that both Moscow and Kyiv would reach at least a preliminary understanding by Thanksgiving, according to senior officials familiar with internal discussions. However, the talks remain frozen, with neither side showing readiness to make the concessions required to move forward. According to diplomatic insiders, the administration had been increasingly confident through early autumn that quiet shuttle diplomacy could narrow the gap between the two warring nations. Sources reported by officials involved in the process said Washington believed both capitals were under growing pressure — Kyiv from the mounting economic strain of prolonged conflict, and Moscow from intensifying international isolation. Yet those expectations have n...

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has been hit with a 120-million-euro penalty after European Union regulators ruled that the company violated key online content requirements under the bloc’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA). This marks the first major sanction issued under the new legislation, a move that, according to EU officials, signals the continent’s determination to enforce tougher digital governance standards on global tech giants. According to EU regulators, the fine followed months of investigations into X’s handling of harmful content, transparency obligations, and its failure to implement effective systems to curb the spread of illegal posts. Officials reported that the platform repeatedly ignored warnings to comply with mandatory risk-mitigation measures, prompting the European Commission to initiate formal proceedings earlier in the year. The Digital Services Act, described by experts as Europe’s most powerful online safety framework to date, requires large plat...

Millions of women and girls across the world continue to face significant barriers in accessing lifesaving HPV vaccines, screening services and treatment options that could drastically reduce the risk of cervical cancer. This persistent gap in preventive healthcare has raised renewed alarm within the global health community. Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women, particularly in low and middle income nations where access to routine screening is extremely limited. Health specialists note that the disease is almost entirely preventable through timely vaccination and early detection. Yet, the majority of girls in vulnerable regions still miss out on these essential protections due to cost, inadequate health infrastructure and limited public awareness. According to UNICEF, the situation calls for urgent action, especially as new evidence supports the effectiveness of a single-dose HPV vaccine. The organisation reported that adopting this ...

A young Nigerian woman battling cancer has come under intense public scrutiny after refusing a life-saving blood transfusion despite receiving more than ₦30 million in public donations for her treatment. The controversy erupted earlier this week when the patient, a devoted member of the Jehovah’s Witness faith, reiterated her commitment to the denomination’s longstanding doctrine that forbids blood transfusions, even in critical medical emergencies. According to local reporters, the woman’s medical team had strongly recommended an urgent transfusion to stabilize her condition. They noted that without the procedure, her chances of recovery would be significantly reduced. The medical appeal prompted friends, sympathisers and online communities to rally around her, raising over ₦30 million within days to support her treatment. However, the situation took a dramatic turn when the patient reportedly declined the transfusion on religious grounds. Her decision quickly became a trending top...

Ten kidnapped women have been successfully rescued in Kaduna State after a swift and coordinated mission carried out by troops of Operation Peace Shield in the early hours of Friday. The Nigerian Army confirmed the development, saying the rescue was the result of intensified counterinsurgency efforts across the state. According to military officials, the operation was executed in the Sanga Local Government Area, a zone that has witnessed repeated incidents of abductions and criminal attacks in recent months. The Army reported that troops acted on actionable intelligence indicating the movement and location of a kidnapping syndicate holding several victims in a remote settlement. Army authorities said the team moved into the area before dawn, using a combination of ground surveillance and rapid-response manoeuvres to surprise the kidnappers. A senior security source disclosed that the abductors fled upon encountering superior firepower, leaving the women behind unharmed. According to ...