Archaeologist kidnapped in PNG to return to Australia

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian-based archaeologist is expected to return to Australia soon after he and two Papua New Guinean research colleagues spent a week held hostage by an armed group demanding a ransom in Papua New Guinea’s remote Highlands Region. On Monday, police and soldiers were hunting the group of around 20 gunmen who had on Sunday released New Zealand citizen Bryce Barker, a professor at Australia’s University of Southern Queensland, and Papua New Guinea nationals Jemina Haro and Teppsy Beni. The three were taken hostage Feb. 19 while conducting fieldwork at Mount Bosavi in the wilds of the South Pacific island nation. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong tweeted that the former hostages “will soon be reunited with their families.”