The recent rise in alcohol fueled incidents in the city of Port Moresby is prompting police to seek public support to curb it.The National Capital District (NCD) Metropolitan Superintendent (Met. Supt.), Warrick Simatab, told PNG HAUSBUNG that public support is needed to assist police officers in their duty to keep the peace and protect the people, which are the residents of Port Moresby city. He said this following the recent fighting incident that occurred this week at Konedobu where a couple of people were seriously injured and had to be admitted to the hospital for medical attention. The fight started from a drunken brawl. “You know a lot of these things arise from alcohol consumption and alcohol sale,” stated the Met. Supt. He said police will crackdown on illegal sales and the consumption of alcohol in public places. Public can support by identifying and reporting alcohol sales in places not permitted to sell them. Also, public can support by being responsible consumers of alcohol by staying out of trouble. “Police will soon be starting operations; we’re focusing on cracking down of alcohol and I want everybody to support police to stop the illegal sale of alcohol. This is only what I want, the support of the public to uphold the law.”

The National Capital District (NCD) Metropolitan Superintendent, Warrick Simatab, has confirmed that police have taken control of the fighting incident at Konedobu and that no deaths were reported from the incident. Speaking to PNG HAUSBUNG, the NCD police boss condemned the misleading information on the incident circulating on social stating that people were killed. He clarified that the incident started from a drunken brawl which went out of control, resulting in a huge fight and people receiving serious injuries to their bodies. “What has been circulated on the social media is false, there are no deaths,” stressed Met. Supt. Simatab. “Police have taken control of the situation; they have attended to it in the night and this morning. There is now a mediation between the people involved in the fight. Our policemen at Town Police Station and our taskforce are intermediating, trying to bring peace within the community.” “As far as I know, people are seeking treatment at the hospital in regard to that fight. There have been no deaths and police have taken control of the situation,” said the Met. Supt. He said there are a lot of speculations on social media which are not true about the incident. Meanwhile, a person of interest is now in custody after being detained by police at the scene of the incident. Simatab is calling on the others involved in the fight to come forward and surrender to police. Eyewitnesses have been urged to assist police with investigations.

Prime Minister James Marape before kickoff of the Prime Ministers XIII match this afternoon at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby city, announced the official name of the PNG NRL team that will enter the Australian NRL in 2028.Prime Minister Marape announced that the team will officially be known as the “PNG Chiefs”, a powerful reflection of the country’s deep cultural roots, ancient governance systems, and enduring unity. “We are a nation of a thousand tribes,” Prime Minister Marape stated. “Before there was a modern state called Papua New Guinea in 1975, our people lived for thousands of years under tribal structures led by chiefs — both men and women — who governed, protected, and held our communities together.” Marape said the name Chiefs depicts Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) authentic cultural history. “It tells the story of how our ancient tribal systems — diverse and sovereign in their own right — fused into one sovereignty in 1975. That fusion was an amazing miracle, forming one democracy, one people, one nation — and now, one team.” PNG is the only country in the world where rugby league is the national sport— a game that unites the nation across more than 800 languages and 1,000 tribes. The establishment of a PNG-based NRL franchise marks a historic milestone in the country’s sporting and national journey. The PNG NRL team, expected to enter the competition in 2028, will be based in Port Moresby but carry a truly national identity, drawing players from all provinces.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia will now start working on a recruitment pathway to allow Papua New Guineans join the Australian military as the recently signed “Pukpuk Treaty” is about to go through parliament for ratification.This was announced by the Minister for Defence Dr. Billy Joseph in a press statement on Friday 10th October, where he stated that both countries will establish a recruitment task force that will be led by himself and the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Miles. The recruitment taskforce will also comprise of officials from both countries with the first meeting to occur before the end of 2025. Among its key focus points, the taskforce will establish a methodical and considered process to identify eligible Papua New Guinean citizens to join the ADF. The taskforce will also focus on providing opportunities to PNG’s youth, while maintaining the integrity of ADF recruitment standards and continuing to help support growth of the PNGDF as an independent sovereign force. PNG and Australia will work in partnership to develop a sustainable pathway for PNG citizens to enlist in the ADF. This initiative will take time to develop and refine; however, both PNG and Australia are committed to its success. This builds on the announcement that eligible permanent residents living in Australia who are also Papua New Guinea citizens can apply to join the ADF from 1 January 2026. Minister Joseph said developing a recruitment pathway from Papua New Guinea into the Australian Defence Force is a historic step, reflecting the shared history and commitment to enhance integration between the two countries. “Since beginning this process in January, we have now seen a transformation in our defence relationship through the signing of the Pukpuk Treaty, which is reflected in what we are doing in terms of recruitment, our joint exercises and our operations and I am looking forward to working with my good friend and counterpart, Minister Marles, to develop a taskforce that will see this recruitment and integration come to fruition,” Dr. Billy said.

The recently signed Mutual Defence Treaty, the "Pukpuk Treaty”, will now go through the finals step of the process, which is to progress to the National Parliament for ratification, so to come into effect. Prime Minister James Marape said this is the process as per the laws of Papua New Guinea (PNG). “Subject to Section 117 of our Constitution, our parliament will have a handle of this Treaty, and parliament will then ratify and upon ratification, it becomes a Treaty Document in which our two defence forces coexist going forward into the future,” said Prime Minister Marape. The prime minister also made it very clear that the treaty is subject to a review of its status, to determine its continuity. “Our defence ministers will meet at the defence ministers’ biannual meetings to ensure that the operationalization of this treaty is not out of sync.” “The work of this Treaty will be and must be consistently consistent with each nation’s Constitutional requirements and of course, our obligations to the United Nation’s charter for first response to peace and the upkeep of peace.” The Pukpuk Treaty was signed by Prime Minister Marape and his Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Monday 6th October 2025.

The Mutual Defence Treaty between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia is not only going to strengthen security, bilateral relations and create employment opportunities, it is something Prime Minister James Marape will use to build the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) to the highest level than what it is today.The prime minister revealed this to the media in a press conference after his return to Port Moresby city from Canberra, Australia on Monday 6th October, where he outlined his plans to build the PNGDF on the back of the “Pukpuk Treaty”. He bluntly said PNG at this stage after 50 years of independence, is not in the best form to protect its own land and sea borders. But, through this Defence Treaty, PNG stands to benefit from the technology and equipment available to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for surveillance, and also to build PNG’s defence capabilities. “In the start of the next 50 years, what is a country without its own ability to defend the sovereignty we have?” Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed that national security continues to be priority. It has been so for previous governments and for his government, as the current prime minister, he is adamant in ensuring that the PNGDF is built up to the highest level in terms of manpower and resources to provide that security guarantee, and this Treaty opens the door for that to happen. “Our defence force, we will work to build 7, 000 strong unit by 2035, also a 3, 000 reserve force so we have a force strong of 10, 000. That is what we envisage, and we will work on that space.” Marape also clarified that the planned PNGDF build up is not for domestic deployment or mobilization. “This is part of our work to protect our sovereignty, our external borders from the abuse of resources. We want our country to be secured in as borders are concerned by a well-resourced defence force and partnering with Australia in my considered view, gives us an opportunity to ramp up this space,” said the prime minister. The aim is to resuscitate, rebuild and strengthen the PNGDF at the earliest, which PM Marape said is something Australia clearly understands regarding the strategic interest to build PNG defence force. “This means if PNG is exposed in some place, then Australia’s capacity is there for us to lean on.” This will be done through a request from PNG to Australia to assist, subject to their own constitutional process.

Fuel consumers will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to purchase fuel because the price for fuel has increased for the month right across the country, starting today Wednesday 8th October 2025.According to the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC), for this month, the Indicative Retail Prices (IRP) for petrol, diesel and kerosene has increased on average across Papua New Guinea (PNG). “The price increase was due mainly to increases in the prices of crude oil and refined petroleum products due to supply restrictions caused by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” stated the ICCC. The domestic retail fuel for this month is inclusive of the Import Parity Price (IPP) or the imported costs for each petroleum product, domestic sea and road freight rates for the fourth quarter of 2025, the approval annual wholesale and retail margins for 2025 and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), including the applicable excise duties, among other parameters. Meanwhile, as part of the ICCC’s enforcement and compliance of fuel prices, the ICCC Officers will conduct inspections to all service stations across the country to ensure prices of fuel products are consistent with the allowable maximum prices.

In a milestone achievement for landowner companies in Ok Tedi, Western province, three new Dash 8 Aircrafts were just recently bought to serve as charter aircrafts for Ok Tedi Mining Limited (Ok Tedi).The Ok Tedi Landowners Royalty Investment Trust (OTLRIT) and the Milum Group of Companies were congratulated by Ok Tedi on the launch of Milum Aviation Limited and thesuccessful acquisition of three Dash 8 aircrafts that currently operate Ok Tedi’s charter service. Ok Tedi Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Kedi Ilimbit, said: “This is a proud moment for our landowners.” “The acquisition marks a significant milestone in our journey to empower landowner companies to become profitable and sustainable enterprises.” “This investment is part of our broader vision to support landowner companies in securing Tier 1 contracts,” Mr. Ilimbit added.“We want to see our landowners involved in major business areas such as mining fleet leasing, warehousing, aircraft charter, drilling, and even contract mining in the future.” The Dash 8 aircrafts will continue to be leased to Ok Tedi to support its fly in fly out charter service, which transports workers to and from operational sites.To commemorate this achievement, the three Dash 8 aircrafts will also be renamed in honour of prominent people who played a vital role in realizing the creation of Milum Aviation. • Ilimbit Dream – named after Kedi Ilimbit, Ok Tedi Managing Director and CEO • Asekim Pride – named after Henry Asekim, Chairman OTLRIT • DeSouza Spirit – named after Aubrey DeSouza, CEO Milum Group of Companies The OTLRIT, which represents the 12 Mine Villages, acquired the aircrafts at a cost of approximately $10.1 million from a Singapore-based company who had owned the aircrafts for the last 35 years. They are now 100% owned by OTLRIT and will operate under the banner Milum Aviation. In addition to the Dash 8 aircrafts, OTLRIT and Milum have also acquired two Q400 Series Dash 8 aircrafts from Qantas, Australia. These will be added to their fleet this month. One aircraft will service domestic routes, while the other will operate international flights to Cairns and Brisbane. Aircraft management, servicing, and maintenance will continue to be handled by Pacific Direct Limited.The three aircrafts, affectionately known as the pride of Tabubil over the last three decades, will soon be rebranded under Milum Aviation.

It seems Papua New Guineans will have to wait just a little bit more to hear the official name of their PNG NRL team as the PNG NRL Board deliberates on the right time to announce it to the people.Upon his arrival back in country from his recent work trip to Australia, Prime Minister (PM) James Marape confirmed that a short list of chosen names, has been submitted already to the Australian NRL to go through the process of cross- checking to see if the name is copyrighted elsewhere.Once that process is complete, the PNG NRL Board will then have the last say in revealing the official PNG NRL Franchise name to the country.Prime Minister Marape said this is expected to take place this Saturday and should the PNG NRL Board agree, the name will the announced-onSunday 12th October, on the day of the Prime Ministers XIII clash between PNG and Australia at the Santos National Football Stadium (NFS), Port Moresby. “I can’t preempt the board’s process,” said PM Marape.“The board is completely independent from myself and so it is subject to the process that is running.”He said once the PNG NRL Board does announce the team's name, this will then allow for the other processes to commence like the logo design, uniform colours and the design.“As soon as name is given, the construct from everything else will flow on from there on. So, we should get the name out of the way at the earliest if everything goes to plan.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Marape said the survey poll for the name for the PNG NRL franchise was the highest ever public engagement recorded.

The Mutual Defence Treaty, the “Pukpuk Treaty”, has been finally signed after the Treaty was given the clearance by Cabinet last week despite some opposition from concerned Papua New Guineans of its implications on the country’s Constitution and sovereignty. Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister (PM) James Marape and his Australian counterpart, PM Anthony Albanese signed the Pukpuk Treaty at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia this morning. The leaders were meant to sign the treaty during PM Albanese’s visit to PNG a few weeks ago, but it was delayed by PNG's 50th anniversary celebrations. PM Marape earlier said the signing marks a new chapter in the bilateral relationship. “This agreement opens many doors for us and fine-tunes our relationship with Australia going forward into the next 50 years,” he said. The Treaty, described by both governments as a “landmark agreement,” aims to strengthen defence cooperation while expanding collaboration across multiple sectors as well. The treaty will now need to be ratified by parliaments in both countries for it to come into force.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru, is in Sri Lanka to gain insight on the downstream processing of coconut products and also what a Sri Lankan company plans to do in Papua New Guinea (PNG). He will be visiting the world-class operations of a Sri Lankan large-scale coconut-based food and beverages manufacturer/exporter, Jaindi Exports Pvt Limited. Jaindi Exports had recently expressed their keen interest in setting up a coconut processing plant in Madang Province under a joint venture arrangement with the local investors. Minister Maru said: “Our Government, together with the Madang Provincial Government are very keen to work in partnership with Jaindi Exports and KIK to develop the proposed processing plant in Madang that would have the capacity to process up to 100,000 coconuts per day to produce high-end coconut products. “This is a long overdue initiative, and I am so delighted that they are keen to start this project. I am so excited that after 50 years of independence, we will finally go into downstream processing of our coconuts to produce high-end products for the global market.” “The coconut industry is one of the industries in our country that has been around for a long time, but we have been semi-processing. We now want to process our coconuts into final products to maximize our value, create more jobs, and encourage the industry to grow if our people can see a better value.” Minister Maru said an independent financial evaluation of the investment proposal for a ten-year period will be conducted within two weeks after the visit to prove the viability of the project before a submission is made to the National Executive Council (NEC) for the approval of this project to be located within the Madang Integrated Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Meanwhile, Minister Maru is working very closely with Madang Provincial Government to secure 10 hectares of land in Madang for this very important investment that will transform the coconut industry in PNG. Governor Pariwa said he was very keen and excited to see this project get off the ground as soon as practical. The minister is accompanied by the Governor for Madang, Ramsey Pariwa, Secretary for Department of International Trade and Investment, Mrs. Jacinta Warakai-Manua, and Managing Director for Kokonas Koporesen Indastri, Mr. Alan Aku, on this trip.

The most talked about Defence Treaty between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia, will enforce the country’s security for the next fifty (50) years to come; hence, signing it is in the best interest of the National Government. That’s the message from Prime Minister (PM) James Marape when announcing that the cabinet has finally, formally approved the landmark Mutual Defence Treaty, taking it one step closer to it being signed, and with it, elevate the two countries’ defence and security partnership to its highest level in history. Prime Minister Marape also made it clear that the treaty is not about geopolitics but is focused on strengthening the shared region and PNG domestic security. “Papua New Guinea is a big country with over 10 million people and security fragility is evident and it is PNG’s interest to develop our security forces to best standards and with this synergy, I am certain we will reach this goal,” PM Marape said. “This treaty allows PNG’s defence capacity to be elevated by leveraging Australian defence capabilities. This partnership strengthens our ability to respond to our country’s key security priorities.” Prime Minister Marape also assured the nation that PNG’s sovereignty remains intact. “Our Defence Force will always report to the Commander of the PNG Defence Force. Australians, including Papua New Guineans enlisted into the Australian Defence Force, will report to the Australian commander. “Both forces will train and operate side by side, but sovereignty is never compromised. We also respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our neighbours.” The treaty also recognizes that both PNG and Australia maintain defence relationships with other nations. “Provisions are in place to respect third-party relationships,” Prime Minister Marape said. “Our sovereignty is defined by our national security. This treaty strengthens PNG’s security and defence capacities as we embark on the next 50 years. It is about ensuring Papua New Guinea is safe, secure, and prepared to protect its people and borders,” the prime minister stressed.