₦airaland Forum

A number of deaths have been reported among Venezuelan civilians and combatants on Saturday, thrusting the nation’s long-standing crises into a new and deadlier phase.

The latest developments were triggered by a large-scale U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

On Saturday, the United States launched airstrikes across Venezuelan territory, including in the capital Caracas, to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, a mission that has polarised U.S. lawmakers with Democrats roundly condemning President Donald Trump's action.

Although official figures remain unclear, the strikes reportedly inflicted undetermined numbers of deaths and injuries among Venezuelan civilians and military personnel.

The Venezuelan government had declared a state of emergency following the bombardment.

President Maduro’s government condemned the attack as an “imperialist aggression,” while international reactions ranged from support for removing a controversial leader to denunciations of the strikes as violations of international law.

In the months preceding the January offensive, U.S. military operations targeting alleged drug trafficking involving Venezuelan-linked vessels had resulted in further deaths.

A strike in the Caribbean region reportedly killed six people, contributing to a broader campaign of attacks on maritime vessels described by the U.S. as targeting narco-trafficking syndicates.

Another separate strike was reported to have killed three individuals, according to U.S. sources.

International discussions have been intensifying around whether these strikes comply with legal standards, with some U.S. commentators questioning the legality of killing survivors at sea.

These cumulative actions reflect a pattern of lethal engagements that have put Venezuelan lives at risk beyond the country’s borders.

Independent investigations by groups like Human Rights Watch document that during protests around the 2024 presidential election, at least 25 people were killed in clashes and crackdowns.

Venezuelan security forces and pro-government armed groups were implicated in several of these incidents.

While homicide rates in Venezuela have fluctuated, the country remains one of the region’s most violent: according to national data from 2023, there were 6,973 violent deaths reported — a figure that includes homicides, deaths in police interventions, and cases pending investigation. Observatorio de Violencia

Venezuela has also experienced extrajudicial killings at the hands of security forces and armed groups. Some human rights reports indicate thousands of Venezuelans may have been killed in the past decade through unlawful actions by state agents.

Activists and rights organisations continue to warn that state security organs are responsible for a significant share of lethal force used against civilians.

richeeyo:
Bros go to US embassy and protest

Do you have idea whats been going on in that Narco State

Venezuela’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states after at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard around 2 a.m. local time Saturday in the capital, Caracas.

The Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas. Another military installation in the capital was without power.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, accusing the United States of a “very serious military aggression” after multiple explosions and aircraft-like sounds were reported across the capital Caracas

Nearly 12 years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board, the search for answers to one of aviation’s most haunting riddles resumed on Tuesday in the remote southern Indian Ocean.

Armed with cutting-edge deep-sea robots and refined data analysis, US investigators are scouring the seabed for clues that have eluded governments, experts and grieving families for more than a decade.

MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on March 8, 2014, bound for Beijing on what should have been an uneventful six-hour flight.

Less than an hour later, its transponder went dark, wiping the Boeing 777 from civilian radar. Military screens later showed the aircraft veering sharply west, crossing back over Malaysia before heading south over the vast Indian Ocean.

What followed was the most ambitious and costly search in aviation history, as multinational teams combed more than 46,000 square miles (120,000 square kilometres) of seabed off Western Australia with ships, aircraft and sonar.

They found nothing.

The hunt was called off in 2017, leaving families with heartbreak and a mystery that spawned theories ranging from hijacking to deliberate pilot action

Now, the Malaysian government has given the green light for a fresh attempt led by Texas-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity under a “no find, no fee” contract, according to a statement from Malaysia’s transport ministry.

“The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” it said.

The company will pocket $70 million only if it locates the wreck, reports said.

This new phase, expected to last up to 55 days, targets a tighter search zone of about 5,800 square miles – far smaller than earlier efforts and pinpointed using updated satellite data, drift modelling and expert analysis.

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Keeping the hunt alive

Ocean Infinity is deploying autonomous underwater vehicles that can dive nearly 19,700 feet (6,000 metres) and remain submerged for days at a time.

The drones use high-resolution side-scan sonar, ultrasound imaging and magnetometers to map the seabed in 3D, detect buried debris and pick up traces of metal. If something promising appears, remotely operated vehicles can descend for close inspection.

Ocean Infinity, which also has a control centre in Britain, led an unsuccessful hunt in 2018 before agreeing to launch a new search this year. AFP contacted the company for comment, but there was no immediate response.

Only fragments of MH370 have ever been recovered. Since 2015, fewer than 30 pieces believed to be from the aircraft – including parts of the wing, landing gear and fuselage – have washed ashore thousands of kilometres apart, from Réunion to Mozambique.

No bodies have ever been found.

Malaysia’s official probe concluded in 2018 that the plane was likely deliberately diverted from its course, but stopped short of assigning responsibility.

Relatives from China, Australia, Europe and beyond have fought for years to keep the hunt alive, arguing that closure matters not only for the dead but for global aviation safety.


Governments in Beijing and Canberra have welcomed Malaysia’s decision, pledging support for any practical effort to crack the case.

Chinese national Jiang Hui, who lost his 72-year-old mother Jiang Cuiyun in the disaster, said earlier this month that he remains determined to find answers, despite frustration with the authorities.

“Finding the plane, finding my loved one, and finding the truth – I believe this is something I must do in my life,” he said.

Carndidlaydid:
You people are so pessimistic when it comes to your own country


Y'all claim to be patriotic but just imagine what is emiting from your mind/mouth/thumbs kos you don't like a particular administration

Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza, has resumed providing essential health services through newly opened buildings, despite extensive destruction from Israeli attacks.

Nearly destroyed during assaults in November 2023 and March 2024, the hospital served for decades as the region’s primary medical hub, housing surgical units, a dialysis centre and a major emergency department. Many of its original sections remain in ruins.

Recent expansions within the hospital compound have restored critical services, including emergency care, outpatient clinics and inpatient treatment areas. The newly completed departments are intended to help manage the heavy influx of patients and maintain access to lifesaving care amid ongoing challenges.

Some unexploded aerial bombs have been discovered in an area in Offa town of Offa local government area of Kwara State following explosions that ripped apart some buildings in the wee hours of Friday.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the affected buildings were located in the Yidi area of Offa, a development that has raised fears of possible United States’ drone attack among the residents.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned United States airstrikes carried out in northwest Nigeria, describing the attacks as a violation of African sovereignty.

The party says the strikes, conducted on Christmas Day and framed by Washington as “counter-terrorism operations”, amount to what it calls “American military imperialism on the continent”.

The EFF has criticized the Nigerian government’s response, accusing it of endorsing foreign military action instead of defending national sovereignty.

It has warned that Africa risks becoming a battleground for global powers unless regional bodies intervene.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned what he described as a Christian genocide in Nigeria, calling for an immediate end to violence and displacement targeting Christians in the country.

In a Christmas video message delivered on Wednesday, Netanyahu said attacks against Christians or adherents of any religion were unacceptable and must not be tolerated.

He specifically referenced what he called militant attacks against Christians in Nigeria, urging that they come to an end without delay.

“The persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated. And the displacement and attacks against Christians in Nigeria, that too must end. And it must end now,” he said.

According to him, Israel’s Christian population continues to grow, while Christian communities in several Middle Eastern countries have declined due to discrimination and oppression. He cited Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and areas under the Palestinian Authority as examples.


He also pointed to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, noting a significant demographic shift since the city came under Palestinian Authority control.

“The birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, used to have an 80 per cent Christian population. That’s when we were there. When we left and gave it to the Palestinian Authority, it has since dwindled from 80 per cent to 20 per cent,” he said.

Netanyahu further compared the treatment of Christian symbols, stating that Jerusalem’s municipal authorities distribute Christmas trees annually, while a Christmas tree was recently burned in Jenin.

“In Jerusalem, the city municipality every year officially distributes Christmas trees every year. It’s been doing so for two decades. By contrast, a few days ago, in the Palestinian town of Jenin, Palestinians burnt a Christmas tree in the Holy Redeemer Church,” he said.

“That’s the difference. Israel stands up for Christians across the region, wherever they face widespread intimidation and persecution,” he added.

Concluding his message, Netanyahu extended seasonal greetings to Christians worldwide.

dominique:
Or maybe the plane might have developed mechanical fault and crashed as reported in the article

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Libyan military chief Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad in a plane crash in Turkey.

Turkey's interior minister said earlier that air traffic controllers lost contact with a Dassault Falcon 50-type jet carrying the Libyan military chief and others home after a visit to Turkey.

The Turkish presidency's communications directorate said the private jet had reported a technical failure, requesting an emergency landing as a result.

The plane then lost contact with air traffic control before crashing 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of Ankara.

Turkey holds close relations with the UN-backed Libyan government and provides the Tripoli-based administration with military support.

Four other members of the Libyan delegation, as well as three crew were also killed in the crash.

Libya has been ravaged by a civil war since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

PencilBox:
He so reminds me of my Dad. Cos this was exactly the same way he bowed out in hospital on 2nd December 2025, after managing his health for a very long time.

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve left this world behind. I always hoped for a Nigeria that works for everyone, but sadly, I became a victim of the same system I wanted to see change.

For years, I battled a heart condition and survived through early detection and medical care. My health began to deteriorate after my trusted cardiologist relocated abroad due to Nigeria’s failing healthcare system.

On 24 November 2025, I was admitted into the hospital that had managed my condition for years. When my case became critical, I was meant to be referred to LUTH, but the hospital was on strike.

I was instead referred to private hospitals, where multi-million-naira deposits were demanded before treatment. The hospital prioritised money over my life, billing my family until the very end. The system failed me.

Many Nigerians are dy!ng daily due to bad governance, poor healthcare, bad roads, insecurity, and the mass exit of skilled professionals. While politicians focus on elections, lives are being lost.

I hope my de@th serves as a wake-up call. Some cannot even afford the care I received. My prayer is for a Nigeria where healthcare and opportunities are accessible to all.

Please don’t wait until you are sick before going for medical checkups. Early detection helped me live longer. Eat right, exercise, and stay positive. As I bow out, please continue the fight for a better Nigeria not just for me, but for all who dream of a fair and just nation...”

- A Nigerian man who has been battling a chronic illness for years write an emotional tribute before passing away.