The 30th PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum held at APEC Haus in Port Moresby yesterday (Wednesday, June 19th) has underscored the deepening ties and multifaceted cooperation between Papua New Guinea and Australia. Co-chaired by PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong, the forum brought together senior ministers from both nations, including their Deputy Prime Ministers. The discussions focused on fortifying the comprehensive strategic and economic partnership, aiming to enhance cooperation across various sectors. Minister Tkatchenko expressed gratitude to the Australian delegation, highlighting the importance of their collaborative efforts. “Our meeting today (Wednesday) focused on pillars of…
Author: Joshua ARLO
The 30th PNG-AUSTRALIA Ministerial Forum today will have dialogues on the two nation’s bilateral security agreements, including visa issues. Forum co-chairs, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong highlighted this when giving their introductory greetings before the actual bilateral meeting this afternoon. Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, and Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Pila Niningi. In his remarks, Minister Tkatchenko said: “We will look at and assess the bilateral security agreement and how that’s progressing for the benefit of our bi-lateral partners as well.” In response, Minister…
Opposition Leader, Douglas Tomuriesa is confident that the high court will rule in his favor, allowing his Supreme Court case to proceed to substantive issues. Tumuriesa stated this at the courthouse in Waigani on Tuesday, June 18, after his case was further adjourned to Thursday, June 27th. Outside the courtroom, Tomuriesa, accompanied by Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, Menyamya MP Solan Loifa, Ijivitari MP David Arore, North Fly MP James Donald, and Middle Fly MP Maso Hewabi, expressed their commitment to the legal battle. He was referring to whether the Supreme Court will find he has legal standing to bring…
A significant controversy has erupted over the government’s decision to implement dual voting methods for the upcoming Local Level Government (LLG) President elections. The debate, sparked by North Fly MP James Donald’s vocal opposition, has drawn sharp contrasts between government officials and critics. Mr. Donald, leader of the People’s Reform Party, today (Tuesday, June 18) lambasted the government’s approach, calling it “indecisive and a clear demonstration of poor leadership.” His criticism is focused on the decision to allow the Highlands region and Morobe province to elect their LLG presidents through ward councilors, while other provinces will have direct elections by…
Amid political tensions between the Marape-Rosso government and the Alternative Government, and the country kick-starting the 2024 National Census roll-out program, today’s public holiday, officially gazetted, is to commemorate King Charles III’s official birthday. King Charles has carried on the tradition of Trooping the Colour, which dates back to 1748. As a result, he does indeed mark two birthdays – the official one, which traditionally takes place on June 16th, and his actual date of birth, on November 14. On June 9th, 2023, Chief Secretary to Government, Ivan Pomaleu, had announced the clarification of dates, advising that the National Executive…
A man has been arrested and charged with incest under Section 223 of the Criminal Code Act, (amended Act 27 of 2002), according to Central Provincial Police Commander, Senior Inspector Joseph Salle. The Central Police apprehended the suspect following a formal report lodged by the victim’s mother. The incident occurred on April 2nd and May 18th, 2024, between 10pm and 11pm at Amau village in the Abau District, Central Province. The 13-year-old victim revealed to her mother that she was allegedly sexually assaulted and penetrated by her uncle, her mother’s brother, on ten separate occasions across Amau and Sapoa villages.…
Finschhafen MP Rainbo Paita, a nominee for Alternative Prime Minister, has openly challenged Prime Minister, and PANGU leader, James Marape’s claims of unanimous support within PANGU Pati. Referring to Marape’s statement issued on June 9th, 2024, Paita criticized Marape’s assertions that all PANGU MPs supported his leadership, noting that he and 11 other MPs who opposed Marape were not given the opportunity to vote during the critical caucus meeting. Paita emphasized that, contrary to Marape’s statements, their dissent and right to vote were unjustly ignored, thereby misrepresenting the true level of support Marape has within the party. “Mr Marape proudly…
West New Britain Governor, Sasindran Muthuvel, has made a strong push for the expansion of National Identification (NID) registration in the province, announcing a substantial allocation of K1 million to support the rollout. The initiative underscores the critical importance of biometric identification for all citizens, with K600, 000 earmarked specifically for acquiring advanced NID registration kits from the USA. “It’s very critical to have NID for all our citizens,” stated Muthuvel. “The K600,000 is mainly to get the NID registration kit, which registers not just names but also fingerprints and eye scans, ensuring we have complete biometric information.” Currently, West…
The Prime Minister, James Marape, has said he is looking forward to working with the newly elected Maprik MP, Libert Kapris to develop the electorate, especially in the agriculture space. The new MP came out victoriously on Friday, June 7th, in the by-election after the seat had been left vacant by the late Gabriel Kapris, who passed away in 2023 due to a heart attack at the Port Moresby General Hospital on August 13th last year. Mr Libert Kapris ran under the People’s First Party, which is led by Yangoru-Sausia MP, and International Trade and Investment Minister, Richard Maru, a…
New Ireland Governor and veteran politician, affectionately known as ‘the last man standing’, Sir Julius Chan has criticized fake news announcing he had passed away. The alternate government’s spokesman, West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel dismissed it as another hoax. “I firstly want to thank Governor Sassi Mutuvel of Western Britain for the encouragement and I think together we confirm that I’m still alive, but more than that I just simply want to thank you for your care and I want to let you know that you’re not the only one,” said Sir Julius Chan today. “All my families all…