International
64 dead in Papua New Guinea tribal violence
by Wale Ewedimi
Sixty-four bloodied bodies have been found along a stretch of road in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands, police said Monday, a gruesome escalation of long-running violence between local warring tribes.
The victims were believed to be tribal fighters who were ambushed by a rival group in the early hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred near the town of Wabag, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
The rugged and lawless area has for years been the scene of tit-for-tat mass killings between rival Sikin, Ambulin, Kaekin and other tribesmen.
Graphic police images from the scene showed stripped and bloodied bodies lying by the side of the road and piled up on the back of a flatbed truck.
Some men had limbs hacked and were left naked by the road with beer bottles or cans placed on their chests.
Police on Monday said gunfights were ongoing in nearby valleys and bodies were still being recovered from bushland near the road.
“We believe there are still some bodies… out there in the bush,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Samson Kua said.
Clans have fought each other in Papua New Guinea’s highlands for centuries, but an influx of mercenaries and automatic weapons has made clashes more deadly and escalated the cycle of violence.
Kua said the gunmen had used a veritable armoury, including SLR, AK-47, M4, AR15 and M16 rifles, as well as pump-action shotguns and home-made firearms.
– Mass killings –
The province’s acting police commander Patrick Peka said many of the dead were believed to be mercenaries — men who roam the countryside offering to help tribes settle scores with their rivals.
“The police and government cannot do much when leaders and educated elites supply arms, ammunitions and engage the services of gunmen from other parts of the province,” Peka said.
Papua New Guinea’s government has tried suppression, mediation, gun amnesties and a range of other strategies to control the violence, with little success.
The military had deployed about 100 troops to the area, but their impact has been limited and the security services remain outnumbered and outgunned.
The killings often take place in remote communities, with attackers launching raids or ambushes in revenge for previous attacks.
– ‘Very disturbing’ –
Civilians, including pregnant women and children, have been targeted in the past.
The murders are often extremely violent, with victims hacked with machetes, burned, mutilated or tortured.
Police privately complain that they do not have the resources to do the job, with officers so badly paid that some of the weapons that end up in the hands of the attackers have come from the police force.
Opponents of Prime Minister James Marape’s government on Monday called for more police to be deployed and for the force’s commissioner to resign.
Papua New Guinea’s population has more than doubled since 1980, placing increasing strain on land and resources and deepening tribal rivalries.
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of neighbouring Australia, on Monday described the incident as “very disturbing”.
“We are providing considerable support, particularly for training police officers and for security in Papua New Guinea,” he told public broadcaster ABC.
“We remain available to provide whatever support we can.”
International
Doumboya wins Guinea presidential election
Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over the weekend.
•Guinea President Mamady Doumbouya (C) greets supporters during his final campaign rally ahead of the country’s presidential election in Conakry on December 25, 2025. (Photo by PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP)
Guinea’s junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after he seized power four years ago, has been elected president.
Doumboya secured a sweeping majority of the vote – 86.72 percent of the first-round vote, according to the General Directorate of Elections, well over the threshold that would trigger a runoff vote.
Voter turnout stood at 80.95 percent, according to Djenabou Toure, head of the General Directorate of Elections, on Tuesday
Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over the weekend.
Doumbouya had placed well ahead in districts of the capital Conakry, often winning more than 80 percent, according to official partial results read out by Toure earlier on RTG public television.
He had a similar lead in several other areas, including Coyah, a town near Conakry, and in other parts of the country, such as Boffa and Fria in the west, Gaoual in the northwest, northern Koundara and Labe, and Nzerekore
International
China to launch digital yuan” or “e-CNY” Jan 1
People’s Bank of China (PBoC) Deputy Governor Lu Lei, said “The future digital yuan will be a modern digital payment and circulation means issued and circulated within the financial system.”
Image: China digital currency
China will on January 1 launch an “action plan” for boosting management and operations of its digital currency, a deputy governor of the country’s central bank said Monday.
AFP reports that monetary authorities around the world have in recent years been exploring ways to digitalise currencies, propelled by a boom in online payments during the pandemic and the increased popularity of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
People’s Bank of China (PBoC) Deputy Governor Lu Lei, said “The future digital yuan will be a modern digital payment and circulation means issued and circulated within the financial system.”
In the next step towards that goal, a “new generation” arrangement for digital yuan will be launched on January 1, Lu said, encompassing a “measurement framework, management system, operating mechanism and ecosystem”.
The “action plan” will see banks pay interest on balances held by clients in digital yuan — a move to incentivise broader adoption of the currency.
The plan also includes a proposal to establish an international digital yuan operations centre in the eastern financial hub of Shanghai, the report said.
Obinwanne Okeke, the Nigerian businessman popularly known as Invictus Obi, has been released from United States federal prison after serving approximately six years for his involvement in an $11 million internet fraud scheme, multiple reports confirmed on Thursday.
Records from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator indicate that Okeke is listed as “Not in BOP Custody as of: 12/23/2025,” signaling his exit from federal incarceration ahead of his original projected release date of September 3, 2028.
Okeke, 38, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in February 2021 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charges stemmed from a sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) scheme between 2015 and 2019, where he and associates used phishing tactics to divert funds, including a major interception targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, a UK-based exporter linked to Caterpillar Inc.
Prosecutors described the operation as causing “staggering losses of about $11 million” to victims through impersonation and computer hacking.
His early release is widely attributed to good conduct credits and provisions under the First Step Act, a U.S. criminal justice reform law that allows sentence reductions for certain non-violent offenders.
Reports from outlets including Linda Ikeji’s Blog, Peoples Gazette, and BusinessDay indicate that deportation proceedings to Nigeria are underway, consistent with his non-U.S. citizen status and the terms of his plea agreement. As his crimes were federal, a transfer to state custody is considered unlikely.
Once hailed as a rising star in African entrepreneurship, Okeke founded the Invictus Group, claiming investments in construction, agriculture, oil and gas, telecommunications, and real estate across Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
In 2016, he was featured on Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list, celebrated for his purported success story from humble beginnings.
His 2019 arrest by the FBI at Dulles International Airport as he attempted to leave the U.S. marked a dramatic fall, sparking widespread discussions on cybercrime, the allure of quick wealth, and scrutiny of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.
With his release, questions now focus on Okeke’s future: potential supervised release conditions in the U.S., his return to Nigeria, and any ongoing restrictions.
No official statement has been issued by U.S. authorities or Okeke’s representatives regarding the exact terms of his release.
The case continues to highlight global efforts to combat BEC scams, which remain a significant threat to businesses worldwide.
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