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The Papua New Guinea national disaster centre has said that Friday’s landslide in a remote village in the northern part of the country buried more than 2,000 people, and has formally asked for international help.
Unstable terrain, remote locations and damaged roads have been hampering relief efforts in the aftermath of the landslide, the United Nations said on Monday.
“The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction to buildings, food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country,” an official from the national disaster centre said in a letter to the UN, seen by Reuters and Associated Press.
The figure is a sharp rise from earlier estimates, which put the number believed to have been killed in the massive landslide at 670 people.
Top news
IDF airstrike kills 35 in Rafah | At least 35 people have been killed after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah hit tents housing displaced people, Palestinian medics have said, hours after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. The Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound, killing two senior officials, and that the strike was carried out with “precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence”.
ANU students resist order to pack up pro-Palestine camp | The students had begun to pack up their camp on the ANU’s Kambri lawns, complying with directives, but held a rally around the camp and are now refusing to move out. They have been given until noon on Tuesday to relocate the camp or risk “further action from ACT police”.
Domestic violence experts criticise Victorian GP | Dr Julian Fidge, who queried whether fathers commit acts of domestic violence because they are dangerously goaded by “terrible decisions by the family court”, has drawn fierce criticism from medical colleagues and domestic violence campaigners. Fidge wrote on X/Twitter: “What sort of treatment of this father caused him to commit these awful acts?” Fidge said those who commit murder are responsible for it, adding that he had been wondering about the motivation of the perpetrators.
Lisa Wilkinson seeks $1.8m in costs | The former Project presenter is asking for more than $1.8m in indemnity costs from Network Ten after successfully defending the Bruce Lehrmann defamation claim. At a costs management hearing on Monday, Justice Michael Lee ordered the parties to return to court in three weeks.
General Hospital actor shot dead in suspected robbery | Johnny Wactor, the actor best known for his role on long-running soap opera General Hospital, has died after confronting three men who were allegedly attempting to steal the catalytic converter from a vehicle.
Lithuania’s president wins re-election | Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has won re-election, official results show, in a vote marked by defence concerns over neighbouring Russia. There are fears the capital, Vilnius, could be next in the crosshairs if Moscow were to win its war against Ukraine.
Failed pub robber wearing underpants on head on the run | A man’s alleged attempt to rob a Port Melbourne hotel while armed and wearing underwear on his head has hit the skids. CCTV shows the man wearing dark material draped around him like a cape and dark-coloured underpants on his head. He tripped and fell while allegedly fleeing the scene.
State of Origin: Tedesco out for NSW, Hopgood in for Qld | Michael Maguire has begun his NSW coaching tenure with a boom-or-bust call, axing captain James Tedesco and picking Dylan Edwards for State of Origin I, while Queensland will debut Parramatta forward J’maine Hopgood. Maguire confirmed the shock call on Sunday night, dropping the incumbent Australian Test captain from his team and naming Jake Trbojevic as Blues skipper.
In pictures
Air at Sydney Opera House review – space-age pop as exquisite as its venue
The French duo celebrated the 25th anniversary of their masterful debut by playing it in full. It was majestic.
What they said …
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“Now more than ever, it’s time to make progress towards reconciliation” – Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney
In her speech to mark the beginning of Reconciliation week, Burney, spoke to the need to continue “the fight for justice and the rights” following a “difficult 2023 for many First Nations people”.
In numbers
New figures reported by CoreLogic show that regional dwelling values and rent prices hit record marks in the first quarter of 2024 – rising at a faster rate than those in capital cities.
Before bed read
Much ado about nothing: world’s most relaxed people gather in Seoul for ‘space-out’ competition
The rules are simple: do absolutely nothing. Falling asleep, however, leads to disqualification. Organisers monitor the participants’ heart rates; the contestant with the most stable heart rate wins.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: HAST. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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