2024-01-11 04:24:49

Several people have reportedly died in serious riots in Papua New Guinea. There was chaos and looting on Wednesday, especially in the capital Port Moresby, following many security officers stopped work due to a breakdown in their salary payments, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported on Thursday, citing police headquarters in Lae. Eyewitnesses spoke of “total anarchy”.

In total there were at least 15 deaths, eight in the capital Port Moresby and seven in the northern city of Lae, it said. What began as a peaceful demonstration by police and other officials in front of the Parliament building in Port Moresby escalated dramatically a short time later. The trigger is said to have been a technical glitch in the payment of civil servants’ salaries. Many were therefore only paid around half of what they would otherwise earn. Those affected apparently thought their income had been cut short and went on strike. The local newspaper Post Courier wrote that many citizens took advantage of the situation to loot stores.

Prime Minister James Marape then called in the military for help. On Thursday, numerous soldiers patrolled the city to keep the situation under control. According to shop owners and entrepreneurs, the destruction and financial losses are enormous. Among other things, a large shopping center was set on fire. Some spoke of the “darkest day in Papua New Guinea’s history.”

Marape assured the officials that the payments were an error and that the missing money would be paid with the next salary. He acknowledged that times are extremely difficult economically, “but such lawlessness doesn’t help.”

The Commonwealth country Papua New Guinea is part of the Australian continent and has around ten million inhabitants. Many people live in great poverty in the Pacific island nation.

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#Dead #severe #unrest #Papua #Guinea

2024-01-11 03:57:00

As of: January 11, 2024, 4:57 a.m

By: Lisa Mahnke

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A single Ukrainian soldier is said to have destroyed four combat vehicles. What is behind the sergeant’s successes?

KIEV – The 79th Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted video footage on Facebook showing a single soldier destroying four armored fighting vehicles. The sub-sergeant Andrii G., known as “Sedoy”, is said to have 22 pieces of destroyed equipment on his personal balance sheet. The material is part of a large number of reports regarding heavy Russian losses in the Ukraine war.

“The other day the enemy made another attempt to break through the defensive formations of the Taurian paratroopers, using five units of armored fighting vehicles and infantry for the attack,” the accompanying message said. “We understood that the enemy would most likely attempt a breakthrough. We were prepared. I was already at the spot waiting for the enemy,” Sedoy said.

The Ukrainian’s view: “We were prepared”

Aerial reconnaissance initially discovered a tank and a BMP infantry fighting vehicle that Sedoy is said to have taken out. Then, according to the sergeant major, other vehicles followed.

“I hit two more vehicles, destroying them and stopping the offensive. It was a significant offensive because five units with equipment – Holy crap! I destroyed four of them; one remained, which was killed with other weapons,” Sedoy reported.

Soldier explains success with drones: “Aerial reconnaissance detects the enemy”

In the accompanying video you first see a close-up of a drone, then the fire on the combat vehicles and ammunition, probably a grenade attached to a drone that falls on one of the vehicles. This is followed by an explosion. The Ukrainian troops “burned the enemy’s equipment on the field; most of the enemy infantry was killed.”

While the war officially began in 2022, there had been conflict in Ukraine since 2014. © picture alliance/dpa | —

The paratrooper emphasized the role of drones: “Aerial reconnaissance detects the enemy and provides the most information regarding him, since the equipment cannot be heard from a distance of two kilometers.” And in fact, both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly used drones in the past for reconnaissance, but also as a means of combat. However, reports of high losses in the recent past were not uncommon, especially on the Russian side.

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