International

64 dead in Papua New Guinea tribal violence

Published

2 years ago

February 19, 2024

Charles Flames

289 Views

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

Five Critically Injured in Catastrophic Explosion at Upstate New York Church

Published

6 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Charles Flames

20 Views

A powerful explosion devastated the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in this rural community on Tuesday morning, February 17, 2026, leaving five people—including the church’s pastor and four firefighters—critically injured, authorities said.

The blast occurred around 10:25–10:30 a.m. at the church located on State Route 12 in the Town of Boonville, Oneida County, approximately 50 miles northeast of Syracuse. Emergency responders were initially dispatched after reports of a strong gas odor inside the building.

According to New York State Police, a preliminary investigation indicates that four individuals were in the church basement when the furnace activated, triggering the explosion.

A fifth person a firefighter was on the first floor attempting to ventilate the structure and was thrown against a wall by the force of the blast.

The injured have been identified as:

– Brandon Pitts, 43, pastor of Abundant Life Fellowship Church

– David Pritchard Jr., 60, Boonville Fire Chief

– Allan Austin, 67, Boonville Fire Department firefighter

– Nicholas Amicucci, 43, Boonville Fire Department firefighter

– Richard Czajka, 71, Boonville Fire Department firefighter

All five victims were transported to regional hospitals, including Upstate University Hospital and Wynn Hospital, where they remain in critical but stable condition.

The explosion caused catastrophic damage to the church building, which officials now consider “destroyed.”

Thick black smoke billowed from the site following the blast.

State police emphasized that there is no indication of criminal activity at this time, and the incident appears to stem from a propane or gas-related issue in the heating system.

The investigation is ongoing.Community members and first responder agencies have expressed support for the injured and their families as recovery efforts continue.

International

Russia moves to block WhatsApp in messaging app crackdown

Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor said earlier this week it was further curbing access to messaging app Telegram as well, citing a lack of security.

Published

7 days ago

February 12, 2026

OCHEFA

52 Views

Russia / Getty image

Russia has “attempted to fully block” WhatsApp in the country, the company said, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on messaging apps while the the regulator is pushing for a state-developed app as an alternative to WhatsApp.

BBC reports that Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aimed to push more than 100 million of its app users in Russia to a “state-owned surveillance app”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Meta could resume operations if it “complies with [the law] and enters into dialogue”, but stood “no chance” if it refused.

Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor said earlier this week it was further curbing access to messaging app Telegram as well, citing a lack of security.

Telegram is highly popular in Russia and widely used by its forces in Ukraine.

Pro-war bloggers have complained that the move was hampering communications on the ground.Russia has argued that both WhatsApp and Telegram have refused to store Russian users’ data in the country as required by law.

WhatsApp said it was doing everything it could to keep people connected.

“Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” it said in a statement.

International

Bangladesh votes in first election since Gen Z protests ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina

People are voting for a new government and also taking part in a referendum to change the constitution.

Published

7 days ago

February 12, 2026

OCHEFA

49 Views

Bangladesh is holding its first election since student-led protests in 2024 ended the 15-year rule of its increasingly autocratic leader, Sheikh Hasina.

BBC reports that as many as 1,400 protesters were killed during the uprising – with Hasina accused of having directly ordered the crackdown, an allegation she denies.

Her party, the Awami League, has been banned from contesting this election

The vote now pits the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) against the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, which has joined forces with a party born out of the student uprising.

People are voting for a new government and also taking part in a referendum to change the constitution.

An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Price laureate Muhammad Yunus, has led Bangladesh since Hasina fledIn November, a court in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death for crimes against humanity over her crackdown