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PORT MORESBY, Feb 19, 2024 (AFP) – Fifty-three people have been killed in tribal violence in Papua New Guinea’s highlands, police said, the latest in a string of mass deaths linked to long-running feuds in the region. Police Commissioner David Manning said on Sunday that officers and soldiers had retrieved the bodies of 53 men. They are believed to have been killed near the town of Wabag, 600 kilometres northwest of the capital Port Moresby. […]
PORT MORESBY, Feb 15, 2024 (AFP) – Papua New Guinea’s James Marape faced down attempts to oust him as prime minister Thursday, surprising rivals by calling, and winning, a snap vote of confidence amid raucous scenes in parliament. Lawmakers shouted, screamed and shook their fists as Marape pre-empted a vote of no confidence, scheduled for next week, with a vote of his own which he won 84-0 amid an opposition walkout. Marape’s tenure has been […]
SYDNEY, Feb 15, 2024 (AFP) – Australia on Thursday warned that China’s handing of a suspended death sentence to writer Yang Jun will hinder ties that had been on the mend and fuel public mistrust of Beijing. “Decisions of this nature will have an impact on the relationship,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told lawmakers, addressing the sentence imposed on Chinese-Australian dissident Yang for alleged espionage. “This decision will inevitably reverberate for Australians who feel deeply […]
MELBOURNE, Feb 14, 2024 (AFP) – Storms packing powerful winds toppled trees, killed one person and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in eastern Australia, officials said Wednesday. The wild weather hit large swathes of Victoria on Tuesday, dumping torrents of rain and unleashing some gusts of more than 150 kilometres per hour (90 miles per hour), officials said. A 50-year-old dairy farmer was killed in the storm, apparently struck […]
LOS ANGELES, Feb 9, 2024 (AFP) – A strong earthquake hit Hawaii on Friday, US seismologists said, but there was no danger of a tsunami. The 5.7-magnitude quake struck near Pahala on the main island of Hawaii, with its epicenter located around 37 kilometers (23 miles) below the Earth’s surface, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was felt all over the main island, according to a website on which people tell the USGS what […]
SYDNEY, Feb 1, 2024 (AFP) – An Australian toddler who clambered into a “Hello Kitty” arcade claw machine and “was in no hurry to get out” has been saved in a smash-and-grab rescue, police said Thursday. Queensland police said that during a shopping trip three-year-old Ethan climbed into the machine — which was filled with stuffed toys — via the prize dispenser chute. Police video shows four officers sizing up the problem before shooing the […]
PORT MORESBY, Feb 1, 2024 (AFP) – Australia will plough millions more dollars into Papua New Guinea’s police force under a four-year deal designed to underscore a “traditional” security partnership in the face of growing Chinese influence. Canberra will spend about US$25 million on renovating and expanding police barracks and housing, according to the deal revealed late Wednesday. The investment represents a bid to help the beleaguered police force, while cementing long-standing security ties that […]
SYDNEY, Jan 26, 2024 (AFP) A powerful category three cyclone crashed into northeastern Australia late on Thursday, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power. Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily packed winds of more than 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour as it hit Townsville, home to 180,000 people, before rapidly weakening. Emergency services said that despite high winds, the storm caused no fatalities and minimal damage. But about 64,000 homes were said to be without […]
UNITED NATIONS, United States, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – The island nation of Palau made history this week when it became the first country to ratify last year’s historic United Nations treaty for the protection of the Earth’s oceans. The so-called High Seas Treaty was adopted by UN member states in June, after more than 15 years of discussions. It can go into effect 120 days after being ratified by 60 countries — a goal […]
SYDNEY, Jan 23, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwanese diplomats on Tuesday said they were confident of retaining “a strong bond” with key partner Tuvalu as speculation mounted that the Pacific micronation could soon switch its allegiance to Beijing. The dwindling list of countries that officially recognize Taiwan shrunk earlier this month when Nauru abruptly severed diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing. With Tuvalu heading to the polls on Friday, some Pacific watchers have questioned whether Beijing […]
SYDNEY, Jan 10, 2024 (AFP) – Elon Musk’s X has shed more than 1,000 staff globally from teams responsible for stopping abusive content online, according to new figures released Thursday by Australia’s online watchdog. Australia’s eSafety Commission said these “deep cuts” and the reinstatement of thousands of banned accounts had created a “perfect storm” for the spread of harmful content. The regulator has in recent months zeroed in on X — formerly known as Twitter […]
PORT MORESBY, Jan 11, 2024 (AFP) – Papua New Guinea’s prime minister pledged to crack down on “lawlessness” Thursday, following riots in which 15 people were killed as angry crowds torched buildings and ransacked shops. Violence erupted in the capital Port Moresby on Wednesday evening after a group of soldiers, police officers and prison guards launched protests against the government. Within hours riots had also taken root in the city of Lae, some 300 kilometres […]
