Confirmation has been received of the official passing of the Last Man Standing, Sir Julius Chan. The PM James Marape is expected to make official announcement of the details of this later this afternoon. We will bring you more updates on this story. More on the 5&6pm news on this station and keep following PNG HAUSBUNG for more updates.

PNG FM Limited, parent company of NAU FM, YUMI FM, LEGEND FM, PNG HAUSBUNG, Total Event Company & Magic Factory, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Esther Vele as Deputy General Manager. She will join General Manager Ms. Rosemarie Botong with a focus on driving operational excellence to ensure continued growth for the organization and championing innovation in the business. Ms. Vele brings over 15 years of experience in project management, having previously served as Project Manager at FM Haus Ples, where she delivered PNG FM’s new office complex on time and under budget. Her expertise in project management will play a vital role in enhancing PNG FM’s position in the competitive media landscape. “We are excited to welcome Esther Vele to the leadership team,” said Rosemarie Botong, General Manager. “She brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective, which will be instrumental as we continue to expand our operations and more efficiently serve our various stakeholders.” In response to the appointment, Ms. Vele said, “I am honoured to join PNG FM at such an exciting time. I look forward to working closely with the team to build on the station’s legacy and drive new opportunities for growth.”

The Board and management of PNGFM Ltd the holding company of NAU FM, YUMI FM, LEGEND FM, Total Events Company, PNG HAUSBUNG and Magic Factory remains resolutely committed to supporting the PNG music industry and in supporting the development of our local artists. In response to the allegations levelled against a former staff member, the company takes such claims very seriously. General Manager Ms Rosemarie Botong has reiterated the person is no longer an employee of PNGFM and as such any dealings with the person is done so at their own volition. “PNGFM is the only radio station in Papua New Guinea affiliated to the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA), meaning that artists with songs playing on any of our three radio stations (NAU FM/ YUMI FM and LEGEND FM) receive royalties every time their songs play which is paid directly to the artist.” “Each radio station has a strict set of processes and procedures which is oversighted by a music committee, a system that has protected the integrity of our music selection over the 30 years we have operated.” “We remain very much open to feedback from artists and our listeners and encourage you to reach out directly to our General Manager Rosemarie Botong on her email shaz@pngfm.com.pg should you have any concerns.”

The Mama Care ministry was initiated by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) missionaries, Michelle and Brad Venter 3 years ago when they adopted their fourth child at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Goroka Provincial Hospital. Michelle recalls that she felt the Lord spoke to her to minister to the mothers at the NICU Ward. It wasn’t until the end of 2022 that the ministry came about due to COVID. The ministry officially began early January 2023 and has ever since become the Mama Care Ministry. Every Thursday morning Michelle along with other MAF ladies would visit the special care mothers ward at the local hospital with a thermos filled with hot milo and baked goodies to share with the mothers there. But it’s far more than just sharing food and a hot drink with the mothers. Michelle said that their overall goal is to spend quality time with these precious ladies and share the word of God with them. Michelle along with the MAF ladies introduce various activities from colouring picture with inspiring scriptures to hang on the wall and provide wools for the mothers to make their traditional string bags (bilums) or do fun games to keep the mothers busy and entertained during their time at the hospital. One of the mothers made a remark that, “they (the Mama Care Ministry) bring so much life and give us something to do during our wait and stay at the Mama’s Ward and most importantly we get to know more about God through their ministry and time spent with us”. An Audio Bible from MAF Technologies was also donated to the mother’s ward so that the mothers would be able to hear the word of God and with the support from their Church in South Africa Michelle was also able to donate Tok Pisin and English Printed Bibles to the mothers. A mother who received the printed Tok Pisin Bible said that the Mama Care Ministry reminds them of how important it is to raise their children right in the Gods eyes and draws their relationship closer to God.

Captain Olga Carmona scored the winner in the first half as Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time by beating England 1-0 in the final in front of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia on Sunday. La Roja, robbed of some of their best talent by a mutiny against coach Jorge Vilda only a few months ago and thrashed 4-0 by Japan in the group stage, outplayed England to deservedly claim their first major title in only their third World Cup. Look back at how the final unfolded here Aitana Bonmati and Teresa Abelleira ran the game from the Spanish midfield and the margin of victory would have been greater had England goalkeeper Mary Earps not saved a second-half penalty. England's second defeat in 39 matches since Sarina Wiegman took over as coach denied them the chance to add a maiden world title to the European Championship crown they won last year. The first Women's World Cup final not to feature either the United States or Germany started at quite a pace with England just about enjoying the upper hand in the battle of two first-time finalists. Forward Lauren Hemp continued where she left off in the semi-final against Australia and screwed the ball towards goal in the fifth minute before clipping a shot off the bar 12 minutes later. Spain responded immediately, with Carmona overlapping down the left flank and driving the ball across the goal but teenager Salma Paralluelo was unable to make contact and Alba Redondo's shot from the far post was well saved by Earps. La Roja took the lead just before the half-hour mark after England were dispossessed in midfield and Abelleira curled a sublime cross-field pass to Mariona Caldentey, who slid the ball forward to Carmona. The left back drove into the area and let fly with an angled shot which flew past the fingertips of Earps and into the far corner of the net. The goal appeared to knock the stuffing out of England and Spain had the better of the rest of the half with Paralluelo pinging a shot off the post just before the break. England have shown their adaptability throughout the tournament and Wiegman switched from three to four at the back after the break, while bringing Lauren James on for Alessia Russo up front. Spain's game, by contrast, has been unchanging and they continued to drive forward with Caldentey bringing a fine save out of Earps with a shot from the edge of the box in the 50th minute. Bonmati hit the bar with a long-range effort just after the hour mark and the Spanish appealed vociferously for a handball against Keira Walsh during their next visit to the England box. The award of a penalty looked a formality from the moment referee Tori Penso was instructed by VAR to review the footage but Earps dived low to her left to stop Jennifer Hermoso's spot kick. James had a shot tipped over the bar by Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll in the 75th minute but Spain were not content to sit on their lead and Earps had to be at her best to deny Ona Batlle as the clock hit the 90th minute mark. England threw all 11 players forward for a corner deep into stoppage time but Coll, playing only her fourth international, came out confidently to gather the ball. Source:rnz.com

A 30-metre sideline penalty goal from Api Koroisau that hit the cross bar and went over has helped Wests Tigers snap a 10-game losing streak to beat the Dolphins 24-23 on Saturday. In a see-sawing contest that built up to an even scoreline in the final stages, a Jamayne Isaako field goal with four minutes remaining appeared to give the Dolphins victory before Koroisau provided a short kick-off to get the ball back. When Isaako and Tesi Niu were penalised for taking Junior Tupou into touch it was Koroisau who put his hand up to take the unlikeliest of penalty goals from out wide - a 40-metre effort from the 30-metre line on the left sideline. His strike curved in before hitting the crossbar and bouncing over in a result that summed up the captain's performance after he switched to the halves following the withdrawal of Luke Brooks due to a calf injury. Koroisau's switch to the halves paid early dividends with the skipper placing a pinpoint kick in the air for Jack Bostock to spill and allow Stefano Utoikamanu and Fonua Pole to combine and score early. The Dolphins struck back shortly after with Isaako finishing off a bullet pass from Kodi Nikorima to go over on the right edge for his 21st try of the season. Jahream Bula's rookie of the year credentials were on full display in the 23rd minute when he slid through a hole to send Asu Kepaoa over with an inside ball close to the line. Dolphins halfback Sean O'Sullivan sold some candy to help the visitors to their second of the afternoon as the back-and-forth tries continued with a dummy to split past John Bateman and find Euan Aitken for a 12-10 scoreline. The Dolphins broke the pattern four minutes after half-time to go in again when O'Sullivan provided the cross-field kick for Jack Bostock to pluck out of the air for his first NRL try. That lead though evaporated quickly as the home side crossed twice in four minutes to stretch out to an eight-point advantage through tries to Alex Seyfarth and Jake Simpkin. The Dolphins needed a spark with the injection of Trai Fuller providing it immediately with the NRL debutant weaving his way over the line on the right edge for a four-pointer that even got a smile out of coach Wayne Bennett. A blunder at the scrum while in possession proved costly for Wests Tigers as the Dolphins opted for a penalty goal to level the scores and bring the match to a grandstand finish. Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma went close to scoring a try late but was denied in a tackle by Tesi Niu deemed high but only sufficient of a penalty - the home side unable to capitalise in the following play. An effort from Fuller to get the ball out of his own in-goal continued an impressive debut for the Dolphins rookie but the final stages went the way of Benji Marshall in his first game officially in charge of the club. Source: NRL. com  

Students from Morobe Province participated in the first of its kind, student parliament. 42 high school and tertiary school students took part in this 3-day event that commenced on the 16th of August through to the 18th of August engaging the students in meaningful youth engagement, building skills in leadership, public speaking and increasing awareness on issues affecting Papua New Guinea. Facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund through the Spotlight Initiative, the Morobe Student Parliament aimed to see how student leaders understood the essence of what it means to be a leader in parliament, the election process involved, and simply how the PNG parliament works. Sessions on leadership led by PNG Tribal Foundation, with sessions on the election process led by Electoral Commission Office Morobe. UNDP's anticorruption team led a virtual session on corruption. Final sessions included haus man and haus meri dialogues with a General Assembly convening to model how decisions are debated and passed on the floor of parliament. UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Dr. Rena Dona during the opening of the student parliament reminded the 42 participants that leadership is not about having a title. “Young people make up 60% of the country’s population which means that you are a powerful force and must be front and center when it comes to decision-making." "That is why we have innovative events like this Student Parliament to build up your skills and to hear what you have to say." “You must also remember that you are here to inspire other young people just like you.” UNFPA also acknowledged the support on the ground, especially from the Evangelical Lutheran Church PNG in Morobe, who facilitated the conversations with the various schools to bring in the selected students to take part in this event. “We are thankful for the support on the ground from the Lutheran Church, also, the Provinces Education Department and not forgetting our key implementing partner, the National Youth Development Authority. Thank you.” Ms. Abegail Dewa, one of the two students from Wasu secondary school in Tawae-Siassi District said that they had to travel 21 hours by ship from their school to reach Lae so they can participate in this program. “We boarded the ship from our district at 6am and arrived at the Lae Wharf by 3am the next day.” “I am the head girl of my school, and I am thrilled to be part of this event." "Now I understand what it takes to be a leader in parliament, what the process is like, and how decisions are made and passed down in Parliament.” “This event is very informative for me and the other students that are here.” “It was worth the journey for me and my school.” UNFPA's National Youth Parliament will be held later this year. Applications will open soon and be announced on UNFPA Papua New Guinea's website and Facebook Page.

Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister James Marape has issued a call to action for the Education Department to expedite the use of 2,000 scholarships offered by Indonesian colleges and universities. This is one of the ways that will strengthen the educational ties between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. This initiative is a direct result of the successful visit by Indonesia President H.E. Joko Widodo last month, during which both nations pledged to enhance bilateral educational cooperation. Prime Minister Marape has taken a proactive approach to capitalize on this opportunity, directing the Department of Education to ensure that the scholarships are leveraged effectively. During a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Papua New Guinea H.E. Andriana Supandy, Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed the significance of the scholarships and stressed the importance of timely action. He said that this initiative would not only enrich the educational experiences of Papua New Guinea students but also foster reciprocal benefits. Prime Minister Marape urged that the education department immediate utilize the 2,000 education scholarships generously extended by Indonesian colleges and universities. He highlighted that for every student sponsored by Indonesia, Papua New Guinea would reciprocate by sponsoring another Papua New Guinea student, marking a novel approach to fostering educational growth. "This opportunity presented by Indonesia is invaluable, and we must seize it with urgency." “By providing our youth access to international education, we are equipping them to make meaningful contributions to our nation's progress.” “This endeavor aligns seamlessly with our commitment to providing quality education, exemplified by our STEM students pursuing studies in the USA, with funding from the Papua New Guinea Government." These scholarships signify a landmark step towards elevating the educational landscape of both nations, fostering knowledge exchange, and fostering enduring cultural connections. Prime Minister Marape's resolute stance underscores the unwavering commitment to education's transformative power in steering the nations' shared future.

The Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro announced today that the National Executive Council has approved and endorsed the PNG Education Transformation Vision 2025 (PNGETV 2075) by the Education Department. The PNGETV 2075 is a 50-year education strategic plan that will span over 5 decades of continuous planning, management, implementation, and evaluation through short term plans such as MTDP IV, sector and agency plans, provincial plans, district plans, Local Level Government plans and ward plans. Education Minister, Mr Jimmy Uguro said that the government is now looking at overhauling the entire education system to see where we have gone wrong, where we are now and what we need to do in the next 50 years. “We are looking at that during the overhaul, maintaining the ones that we are doing well in and overhauling and reconstructing the ones that need to be upgraded so by 2075 we achieve the best for our education.” “Our Late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare talked about educating qualified Papua New Guineans and we have already achieved that.” “Our Marape-Rosso government has seen that something is missing and that is the mindset of our people that are not educated.” “We want to see that the education department through our education system, our curriculum, our teaching and learning, how we can improve and insert the best mindset for our citizens, and we reduce law and order that is happening around us.” He said that police, pastors, and churches as well as parents are trying their best to educate our people and change their mindset so we can avoid social issues. Minister Uguro further said that one of the main things they will be focussing on is teacher education, training, and development. “One of the challenges is lack of specialised teacher training institution that offer degree programs, especially in Primary school teaching.” “The school system structure 1-6-6 should be converted to 2-1-6-6 to include a 2year component for early childhood learning.” “This must be included as part of the mainstream education system because the first 5 years of a child’s life is important for their cognitive/intellectual development.” Minister Uguro added that teachers will need to upgrade so teachers who teach elementary schools must have diplomas, teachers for primary schools must hold degrees and teachers for Secondary schools must hold master’s degrees. “The government has a plan in place to provide funding for teachers to upskill themselves so they can provide quality education for their students.”

Coca-Cola has launched its the nationwide campaign that gives consumers a chance to win a share of the K250,000 prizes that are up for grabs. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ Head of Brand and Channel, Gabriel Manoi said the ‘Take a Break, Refresh and Win’ promotion is to reward consumers as they gear up towards celebrating PNG’s 48th Independence plus at the same time be in the chance to win a return-trip package to witness the 60th Morobe Show in Lae, Morobe Province that will fall on the 04th–05thof November 2023. “Coca-Cola wants to provide consumers with an extra reason to celebrate with your family this Independence and what better way to do that then with the Coca-Cola brand for your chance to win.” All you need to do is purchase any three cans or more of any Coca-Cola 330ml products to get a coupon(from participating stores), fill in your details and drop it in any of the entry bins at the participating shop near you for your chance to win.” “Prizes up for grabs includes ten grand prize winners to attend the Morobe show in November.” “Included in the prize pool, twenty lucky winners will walk away with an Independence Party Pack valued over K3000, and three hundred weekly prize winners of shopping vouchers to the value of K150that will be drawn weekly for the period of the promotion.” The promotion starts this week, on August 14th and ends on October 13th with the first grand draw scheduled to announce on September 8th twenty lucky winners of the Independence Party Pack. The grand prize draw will be on October 14th to announce the ten grand prize winners who will join the Coca-Cola team in Lae for the 60thMorobe Show. The winners will have a chance to bring a guest and will have 3 nights’ accommodation, meals and spending money. So do not miss out, buy any three cans or more of 330ml either of Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Pineapple, Fanta Orange or Solo for your name to go into a draw to have the chance to win.

The National Book Week took place from August 8-10 and was celebrated under the theme, “Click on a Book, Pick up a Book, Read.” Students from Kopkop College took part in learning the importance of books and how technology can be used to access books. Throughout the week the primary and secondary schools participated in a variety of activities to celebrate the importance of reading and its lifelong benefits. Speaking at the opening of the Book Week on Tuesday August 8th, Kopkop College Primary School Principal Mr. Satchell Ben encouraged students to take reading seriously. He pointed out that over the recent years there has been a decline in children picking up a book outside of school and reading. “Some parents fear the increased technology has gotten in the way of children’s traditional love for reading. “However, we can actually use this technology to capture the interest that you children have in a tablet or a mobile phone to access literature.” “Starting from this week and onwards take advantage of the technology that you have and click on a book, pick up a book and read, do that and make it a lifelong habit.” 2023 Book Week Committee and Primary school teacher Ms. Pauline Kankonaru said that students from the junior school did book reviews and created posters based on their books, middle school have various activities from role play to creating booklets and the senior school did book reviews on fiction books. Ms. Kankonaru described the atmosphere at the school as “lots of fun and excitement. “I’ve been teaching in Kopkop College for almost three years now and as an English teacher I would say that reading is taken seriously in Kopkop College.” “One way of encouraging students in reading is having a mini-library in the classroom. You will find in every primary classroom there is a mini-library with shelves full of reading books.” She feels Book Week is too short and should instead be extended to two weeks. “PNG needs to be open-minded about the importance of books and reading. We need to educate the younger generations to love books and enjoy reading more.” She feels the theme speaks to the younger generation whose lives are being taken over by technology. “Anyone can get access to hundreds of books through their smart phones, especially young generations, so instead of TikTok, click on a book, pick up a book and read.”

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power has announced that USAID will provide $1.2million (K4.4million) to establish a solar mini-grid system in Papua New Guinea’s Central province. This is in partnership with clean energy company WEnergy Global. The mini-grid will connect at least 800 households and 30 businesses to electricity improving energy access for at least 4,800 people. Administrator Power made this announcement following her visit to the Morata Settlement area where she spoke with the community members about the impact of improved energy access. Papua New Guinea has one of the Asia Pacific region's lowest electrification rates, where only an estimated 13 percent of the population was connected to the national power grid in 2020. The United States partnered with the Governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan to form the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership (PEP) initiative, which supports PNG’s goal of connecting 70 percent of the population to electricity by 2030. This new funding will support USAID’s contribution, the USAID-PEP activity, which aims to deliver 350,000 new household connections by 2025. USAID is working to catalyze investments with private sector stakeholders to advance Administrator Power’s vision to ensure that our programs sustain progress beyond their life cycles. The $1.2 million (K4.45 million) award is part of USAID’s EDGE Fund, a seed fund designed to leverage the private sector’s expertise in confronting some of the world’s most significant challenges of our time, such as climate change, democratic backsliding and anti-corruption, food insecurity, and the need for inclusive economic growth. In Papua New Guinea, USAID will utilize the EDGE fund to support and catalyze the private sector to jumpstart investments in off-grid areas and support the Government of Papua New Guinea’s goal of connecting 70 percent of the population to electricity by 2030, and to advance climate change objectives in the Pacific Islands.