International

The UN estimates the number of deaths in the Papua New Guinea avalanche at 670

A United Nations agency estimated this Sunday that more than 670 people were killed in the avalanche of land that in the early hours of Friday buried a remote village north of Papua New Guinea.

The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Papua New Guinea, Serhan Aktoprak, told Australian state television, ABC, that according to the new estimates, more than 150 houses were buried by a layer of rocks and earth between six and eight meters deep and they fear that more than 670 people have lost their lives.

However, the United Nations delegation in Papua New Guinea clarified this Sunday to EFE by email that the number of deaths confirmed so far by the emergency response team is five, those whose bodies have been recovered in the village of Kaokalam, 600 kilometers from the country’s capital, Port Moresby.

“The team has informed us that it is difficult to confirm the actual number (of deaths) while search and rescue efforts continue,” said Kesang Phuntsho, head of the United Nations office in Papua New Guinea.

In addition to the five corpses recovered, the UN delegation indicated in a report this Sunday that there are an undetermined number of injured, “including 20 women and children.”

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The official UN statement is also more cautious about the number of houses buried by the analch, which at the moment is between 50 and 60, in addition to a school, a church, orchards and vehicles.

The United Nations report indicates that the disaster area remains dangerous due to the risk of new avalanches, so they are working on the evacuation of the survivors, about 1,250, according to Aktoprak.

“My colleagues had to escape from the place because of the growing danger, since rocks continue to fall non-stop and the earth continues to slide,” said the head of IOM in the country.

He has also warned that the large amount of land fallen during the avalanche is putting pressure on the houses in the area, so evacuation is necessary.

About 4,000 people officially live in the area where the avalh occurred, although the authorities estimate that the number of people affected is higher, since the town in which it occurred is a place where locals fleeing conflicts and tribal clashes in nearby villages take refuge.

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Much of the village of Kaokalam was buried by a layer of between six and eight meters of rocks and stones and the avalanche affected an area of more than 200 square kilometers, including about 150 kilometers of the main road of the province, which makes it difficult to rescue and help the survivors.

In addition, other sections of access to the village are cut off by previous landslides, so it is only possible to access by helicopter or in off-road vehicles.

Images from the site of the catastrophe shared on social networks show a vast area of rocks and land torn from a hill, as well as neighbors collecting their behods and exploring the area buried by the landslide in search of survivors.

The affected area usually suffers from heavy rains and floods, and the landslides are not unusual in the country, in which, despite the wealth in natural resources, a large part of its more than nine million inhabitants live in extreme poverty and is isolated due to a deficit in communications and infrastructure, especially in remote places such as the current catastrophe.

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International

Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case

10 reported dead after explosion in Dominican Republic

A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.

The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.

Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.

Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.

“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.

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The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.

“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.

“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.

The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.

The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.

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“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”

International

Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he was “eager” to welcome the opposition leader, who left Venezuela clandestinely with U.S. assistance, to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo.

Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump, who nevertheless showed a very cautious attitude toward including her in any potential political transition in Venezuela.

The opposition leader said on Monday, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, that “the defeat of evil is closer” in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation that overthrew and removed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country.

Trump has claimed that he is now in control of the South American nation, stating that the primary objective at this stage is to stabilize the country before considering elections.

Venezuelan oil is Washington’s main objective, Trump added after Maduro’s overthrow.

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International

Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica

A man was shot dead on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, local media reported. The victim was identified as Alain Orsoni, former president of local football club AC Ajaccio, according to sources close to the investigation cited by French news channel BFMTV.

Orsoni, 71, was killed in the town of Vero, near Ajaccio, the island’s capital, while attending his mother’s funeral.

He was also a former member of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC), a nationalist organization that has long sought independence for the island, reports said.

BFMTV reported that the gunmen fled the scene and remain at large. Local police have opened an investigation into the shooting.