Author: Jordan VELA

The Marianville Alumnae Group (MAG) has officially launched its 60th Diamond Jubilee Celebration Plan, marking the beginning of a 12-month journey toward commemorating six decades of academic and spiritual excellence at Marianville Secondary School just outside Port Moresby city. The launch took place on Friday, May 30th, 2025, coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, a significant date in the Marianville calendar. The event marked 59 years since the school’s establishment in 1966. MAG Vice President Leila Kedea, speaking on behalf of President Karen Fabila, unveiled the year-long celebration plan, which includes a leadership retreat, public…

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Wests Tigers have fallen to a 32-28 defeat to the Cowboys in Townsville. In a match where they trailed 32-6, an epic fightback fell just short, despite some outstanding individual performances from the likes of Starford To’a and Jahream Bula After Jarome Luai was sin-binned for repeated infringements early on, tries to John Bateman and Jaxon Purdue meant things looked ominous for the Tigers. However, a great team move where Wests Tigers shifted the ball to either end of the field culminated in Starford To’a breaking numerous tackles to score. Another sinbin though, this time to Adam Doueihi for taking…

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Papua New Guinea’s cultural craftsmanship made a powerful statement at Fiji Fashion Week 2025, where Florence Jaukea Kamel, widely known as the Bilum Meri, unveiled a contemporary collection centered on the traditional bilum. Her work, rooted in heritage yet boldly modern, received regional acclaim and reaffirmed the global potential of indigenous design. Kamel’s participation in the event was supported by Air Niugini, underscoring the airline’s continued investment in showcasing Papua New Guinean culture internationally. The moment also marked a milestone for PNG Fashion Week, an organization committed to elevating the profiles of local designers and artisans on regional and global…

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The Cowboys are reportedly interested in recruiting Broncos hooker Cory Paix as the Red Hill club continue to struggle with their salary cap headache. Brisbane reportedly have 14 players worth a collective $4 million coming off contract, with club powerbrokers busily trying to piece together the puzzle. Their cap pressures were also furthered after veteran playmaker Adam Reynolds declared he would continue playing in 2026, with many expecting him to retire this season. Reynolds, Kotoni Staggs, Selwyn Cobbo, Blake Mozer, Corey Jensen, Kobe Hetherington and Fletcher Baker are without contracts for 2026 and Paix could be one player to depart.…

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The United States Embassy in Port Moresby city, in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League (PNG NRL), has launched a week-long sports diplomacy initiative to foster youth development through rugby union clinics across schools in the National Capital District (NCD). As part of the program, the U.S. Embassy brought two Olympic-level rugby athletes—Cheta Emba and Andrew Durutalo for a series of workshops, school visits, and on-field clinics from May 24th to 30th. The visit is part of the U.S. State Department’s Sports Envoy Program, aimed at using sports as a bridge for cultural exchange, skill-building, and youth…

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Over 840 Western Province students graduated from the Kokoda Track Foundation Flexible Open Distance Education (KTF FODE) making it the largest graduating cohorts in the Fly River area. This was through the landmark partnership of SDP and KTF working alongside the Western Province Division of Education to extend education pathways to some of the province’s most remote communities, offering students a second chance at education like Marilyn Duwaba. Marilyn, a busy single mother of three boys and a local primary school teacher in Kiunga, recently celebrated her graduation, successfully upgrading her Grade 12 results through FODE. When she first completed Grade…

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United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, has called for stronger cross-sectoral collaboration and investment in child protection services during her official visit the country on 25th Sunday of May at Port Moresby’s City Hall. Speaking at a high-level meeting hosted by National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop and key partners, Dr. Najat stressed the urgent need to translate national policies and strategies into tangible services accessible to all children and their caregivers. “You know, we can have wonderful policies and strategies, but what truly matters is how we translate these…

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Acclaimed Papua New Guinean designer and cultural advocate Florence Jaukae Kamel, widely known as the Bilum Meri, has been announced as the headline designer for PNG Fashion Week 2025 and will also represent Papua New Guinea at Fiji Fashion Week, stepping in for fellow designer William Maba Bray under the PNG Fashion Week banner. A passionate voice for cultural preservation and women’s empowerment, Florence has consistently elevated traditional bilum weaving in the contemporary fashion world. Her feature runway show in Port Moresby will unveil a new couture collection that combines ancestral techniques with modern design and is expected to be…

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With 205 NRL games to his name, Canterbury lock Kurt Mann knows what it takes to win on the football field. Since moving to the Bulldogs in 2024, his game has gone from strength-to-strength and his grit and determination has seen him picked as 18th man for Billy Slater’s Queensland Maroons. The country kid from Winton – “a town where footy is religion” – was first called into a Maroons camp during the COVID bubble for Game III of 2021 by Paul Green, and he has been itching to be back since. Hopeful of being in the frame and spurred…

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The race to the finals is intensifying as the 2025 Port Moresby Corporate Volleyball Competition (POMCVC) enters Round 10 this weekend, with corporate pride and playoff dreams on the line. What began as a friendly battle between Port Moresby’s workplaces has evolved into a competitive showcase of athleticism, strategy, and unity. With just a few rounds remaining before the finals, every match now carries critical weight, particularly those teetering on the edge of the Top 8 in their respective divisions. In the Premier Men’s Division, a clash of the titans headlines the weekend as undefeated Westpac meets reigning four-time champions…

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