Sporting icon Veitu Apana Diro, CBE, MBE, will take centre stage as the guest speaker at this year’s SP Sports Awards, to be held on Saturday, 14th June 2025, at the Crown Hotel. A legendary figure in Papua New Guinea’s sporting history, Diro has represented the nation with distinction across netball, basketball, and softball, securing gold at the South Pacific Games and competing in six South Pacific Games and three Pacific Mini Games throughout her career. She also played a key leadership role as part of the Commonwealth Games General Management team, further cementing her legacy both on and off…
Author: Paula DAVID
A total of 36 finalists have been officially announced for the highly anticipated 2025 SP Sports Awards (SPSA), celebrating excellence across Papua New Guinea’s sporting landscape. The announcement was made today in Port Moresby by Mr. Warwick Vele, Chairman of the SP Sports Awards Selection Panel, praising the depth of talent and commitment shown by nominees from across the country. “This year, we were pleased to see a strong level of interest and participation in the nomination process. A total of 210 nominations were received across all categories 135 submitted online and 60 submitted in hard copy, with 15 of…
In a major move to promote peace and justice, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville recently held its first-ever Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV) Forum in Arawa, Central Bougainville. Held in April, the forum brought together community leaders, law and justice agencies, churches, and civil society organizations, all dedicated to finding sustainable, locally driven solutions to combat SARV. The forum created a platform for participants to probe into the root causes of SARV, listen to stories from survivors and law enforcers, and explore ways to strengthen legislation and policies to combat this pervasive issue. Recognizing the cultural sensitivity surrounding SARV, the…
The National Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the displaced Manam Islanders in Madang province and has also clarified recent claims regarding funding delays. Minister for Provincial Government and Loca-Level Government (LLG) Affairs Soroi Eoe, recently confirmed that the government has fully complied with court orders and financial obligations to the Manam Resettlement Authority (MaRa). Minister Eoe said the K10 million commitment pledged by Prime Minister James Marape in May 2024 has been released and disbursed to Manam Resettlement Authority in full early April with the stringent financial guidelines to ensure transparent and accountable use on priority areas in…
Prime Minister James Marape has reaffirmed his government’s strong commitment to improving the lives of children and young people across the country on the eve of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary. In a recent high-level meeting in Port Moresby city with UNICEF, the United Nations, and key development partners, PM Marape emphasized the importance of delivering lasting, positive change for every child in PNG with UNICEF ready to support that mission every step of the way. The meeting brought together senior government officials, including NCD Governor Powes Parkop and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion Jason Peter, to discuss…
Arawa District Hospital, a key healthcare provider in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, has made a major stride in improving maternity care through enhanced access to clean and safe water. As part of its commitment to community well-being, the hospital has benefited from BSP Arawa’s 2024 Community Project, ensuring that patients, visitors and staff now have reliable access to clean and safe water. Additional improvements-including backfilling the surrounding area with gravel to help maintain a dry, hygienic environment. This essential upgrade strengthens healthcare standards, supporting both medical staff and the wellbeing of up to nearly 30 mothers and newborns each…
Thirty-three Data Processing Officers in Kiunga, Western Province are currently participating in a week-long training program focused on data processing. The training which commenced on Friday May 16th, 2025, aims to equip Data Processing Officers (DPO) with advance skills and knowledge to update electoral accurately. Provincial Election Manager Max Paul said data processing training is important in updating electoral roll for the benefit of all villages and the people of Western Province. He said the updating of all the data is derived from the census conducted in 2024, therefore, the updated electoral roll will be used for the upcoming LLG…
Following the spectacular float parade that ended yesterday as part of the lead-up celebrations to Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence anniversary, under the leadership of NCD Governor, the program kicked off this morning at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium with the Pacific Stories festival. This was acknowledged through a vibrant display of cultural dances like the Maori Poi dance & the famous Haka, the traditional Samoan tattoo crafting method and many more with local pacific SME stalls displaying their arts & crafts and food sales as well. Present to witness and be part of the event, Miss Papua New Guinea…
Building on the success of last weekend’s PNG NRL Bid Championship finals, the National Youth Competition (NYC) will kick off this weekend as a curtain raiser to the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup Round 6. The first match will be this Saturday in Rabaul, East New Britain Province, where the ENB Agmark Gurias will take on the Moni Plus NCDC Port Moresby Viper in the first match. Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Performance and Pathway General Manager Tony Archer said that this will be a historic weekend for PNG National Rugby League Competition (PNG NRLC) as NYC will have three…
UNICEF is stepping up support to the Government of Papua New Guinea to ensure every child is vaccinated following the detection of poliovirus. The detection has triggered the activation of a national emergency response to protect children across the country, supported by UNICEF and partners including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Australian Government. UNICEF Papua New Guinea Representative Dr Veera Mendonca said while there’s no cure for polio, the disease can easily be prevented by ensuring every child is immunised. “This is why UNICEF is working with the Government of Papua New Guinea and other partners to stop…