Former policeman, 35-year-old Komeng Gubag, guilty of a double murder in Port Moresby, is now behind bars serving his 60 years jail term after his sentence was handed down yesterday in court. Two years ago, drunk, and off-duty, and armed with a firearm, he gunned down 50 year old Ivan Nelson and 25 year old Laki Yamo, at 6pm on 23rd of October 2021 at the Ensisi settlement. Nelson was walking down a slope when Gubag shot him in the chest while Yamo who was at the scene was shot in the head and killed. Following this tragic incident, police acting on a court order demolished the Ensisi Settlement displacing scores of illegal settlers squatting on the land. After the sentencing at the National Court in Waigani, Gubag, originally from Wakon village in Madang Province, was taken away to serve out his sentence at the Bomana Correctional Facility. According to the sentence decision, Gubag received 25 years for the murder of Nelson and 35 years for killing Yamo. The 60 years will be served concurrently at the Bomana jail, but 2 years, 5 months and 11 days has been deducted for the time spent in custody during the trial. In a statement, Commander Northern and Acting Commander of NCD Central, Assistant Commissioner Peter Guinness said the Internal Investigation Unit (IIU) based at Boroko Police Station had investigated this double murder case. ACP Guinness said the IIU effectively collaborated with the prosecution team, until the sentencing. He said this is a result of the effective networking and excellent investigative skills displayed by members of the NCD IIU who went after and arrested Gubag after the crimes were committed. "I am deeply impressed because they pursued this matter relentlessly and ensured that conviction was secured at the National Court today (Thursday 11th April)." ///ends//

Pepsi Capital Rugby Union have run a referee clinic on the 9th-10th April as a refresher for certified referees and to give an insight on what to expect should interested participants pursue this line of involvement with rugby. Capital Rugby Union General Manager, Eddie Galele Jnr said that this initiative is taken to ensure their participants and officials that will be facilitating their matches go through refreshers before starting off their 2024 season as they will be going into their second pre-season games this weekend. Following requests for match official training to be ran in January through to February that did not eventuate, Galele stated that they were fortunate to engage Callum Robertson from the Queensland Rural Referees Association. “We were fortunate enough to engage Mr. Callum Robertson from the Queensland Rural Referees Association to come in and run the clinic.” “He had just officiated in the Hong Kong 7s over the weekend and is transiting through PNG before heading back down to Australia.” Additionally, feedback from the participants have been positive with a number of experienced referees attending that were grateful for the clinic and are looking forward to growing as individuals off the field as both CRU and CRUW will be engaging the same officials throughout the year and are looking to running more clinics. Galele stated that the game of rugby is ever evolving and having someone of Callum's caliber and experience run this clinic, helped the attendees understand how rugby rules are interpreted abroad especially after Callum's experience with the Hong Kong 7s over the weekend. “We've had to select a few from the total number of interested people that applied with the main guideline being participants being attached to a local club. Sticking with the universal student/teacher ratio, we've had to cut numbers down to 20.” “This was also due to the fact we diverted facilitator's ticket from Hong Kong into Pom on the last minute.” “What is encouraging is the number of interested young individuals who have put their hands up to attend.” Meanwhile Galele said there are numerous training and facilitation portfolios that can be pursued be it coaching, officiating, or facilitating. “At CRU, our aim is to grow the product on and off the field to ensure that the saying ‘better people turn out to be better players which in turn breeds better rugby’ needs to be realized.”

The KPHL PNG Junior Tennis Team stood out throughout the island nation as they won various medals on the courts of the 2024 Western Pacific Qualifiers in Fiji. Their rise to this peak of achievement took months of dedicated determination. The group, which was made up of young players from Papua New Guinea, set out on this journey with the same goal in mind: to rule the courts and go down in tennis history. These teenage athletes had spent a whole year improving their skill under the guidance of their coaches and mentors, relentlessly training for the big competition. The KPHL PNG Junior Tennis Team amazed their opponents with their skill and perseverance as the competition progressed, displaying pure talent on the courts. Despite facing intense competition from strong opponents, these young athletes maintain their composure and determination. They demonstrated unmatched skill and persistence in the midst of matches, and every match was evidence of their undying dedication to perfection. William Aisi, the Port Moresby Racquets Club director, stood up among the joyous festivities to offer his sincere gratitude to everyone who had helped the team succeed. He praised the team for their unwavering dedication to greatness and their unbreakable spirit during the matches. "The trip to Fiji was more than simply a competition; it was a testimonial to the tenacity and passion of these young athletes," Aisi stated. Among the KPHL PNG Junior Tennis Team's outstanding accomplishments were: - Player of the Tournament Trophy awarded to Rehoni Rumbam of the 12u Girls team. - Second place finishes for both the 12u Boys and 12u Girls teams. - First place for Colita Hakena in the 14u Girls category. - First place in the 14u Girls Doubles category. - Top placements for various team members in the 14u Boys, 16u Girls, and 16u Boys categories. - A total of "8" medals secured by the KPHL PNG Junior Tennis Team.

In an effort to make awareness on the oral burdens that are faced by people in PNG and the world, health professionals in the dental profession are continuing the work of advocating for the better oral health of the people. In previous years, dentists and hygienists in PNG often did walkathons and awareness drives to advocate on World Oral Health Day which falls on 20th March annually. Dental Hygienist at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH), Dr. Henry Morgan stated that this day is observed by advocating on having good oral health and listed four of the main oral burdens that people in PNG face every day. “We stress on the burden of oral health that is faced all over the world.” “In PNG, we have four disease burdens which are: Dental Caries (Decay), Peridontal (Gum) disease, Dental trauma and Oral Cancer.” “We try to address these issues to help lessen the burden in the country and decrease the rate of people suffering from these burdens.” Dr. Morgan said PMGH attends to an estimate of 3000-4000 patients in a year suffering from dental caries as well as a change in the age group of the people who suffer from gum disease. “In the past, we only had old people come to the dentist because of periodontal or gum disease burdens but now we are treating young people as well.” He stated that a lot of people in PNG suffer from dental trauma that is usually because of social habits and are often alcohol related and stated that oral cancer is one of the largest oral burdens as well. “Cancer is one huge burden also in our country and this is causing more burdens that are placed in oral health cases that are coming in to the clinic.” Dr. Morgan further urged the public to watch their diet as one of the main factors of tooth decay is diet and recommended a moderate intake of garden food as most carbohydrates contain sugar among other things to do to maintain good oral health. “I recommend regular dentist check-ups.” “You must come for dental check-ups every year to help you improve in your oral hygiene.” “Another thing is to look after your teeth.” “Brushing your teeth and flossing regularly is recommended for stronger and healthier teeth.” Meanwhile he concluded by saying that the PMGH dental clinic is located in the 3-mile Medical Faculty Area and urged the public to visit the clinic to be examined. “We are open from 8am-4pm every Mondays to Fridays.” “After you come in and get examined, you may have to make an appointment to see a dentist. For an examination it costs K5.” “The fees charged range from K5 and above depending on the treatment that you receive recommended by your examination results.”

The PNG Rugby Union office has spoken out to clarify social media speculation that they had not done proper selections for the PNG women’s 10s team that had participated in the Hong Kong 10s tournament that was held on April 3rd-4th. In an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG, Chief Executive Officer of PNGRU Mr Sailosi Druma said it was a challenge doing selections as most of the unions had yet to commence their season this year and selected players from recent tournaments and a trial in the nation's capital. "One of the biggest challenges having that selection done was because all the unions hadn’t commenced their 2024 season, so we had to go to some tournaments that happened-like the Trans Highway 7s and we got four girls from Lae, two girls from Mt Hagen from the cassowaries squad last year." "For the NCD trials it was organized, sent out to both unions-from CRU we had girls from the Brothers RUC, Defence RUC, Nova RUC, who attended the trial with most of the girls from the NCDRU clubs." Druma stated that the selection had to be done to meet the timeline for the tournament. "So yes, it may seem like the selection didn’t involve everyone but there was enough notice to finalise this team to attend for the first time." "I know there were a lot of speculation stemming from where we had made the selections and selected this teams." Additionally, he said this was the second year that they had selected girls from outside of the Port Moresby that have in recent years dominated the national teams. "This is the first time we got girls from Hagen, girls from Lae and Port Moresby.” “In terms of the women’s selection, I believe it was fairly done but the challenge was because a lot of unions haven’t started their season." Druma also added that for the men they’ve been training for quite some time now. “The team is made up of boys from the CRU competition, Lae and NCDRU." Meanwhile he further stated that the teams were a part of a development program in the PNG Rugby's strategic plan to get the team to the play offs in 2027. "This is not the national team, its just our development program. We had to attend this tournament.” “When we met with Hong Kong rugby last year, we told them we wanted to attend their tournament." "This was made known in November last year to all the union presidents that we were going to attend this.” “This is a program to kick-start our strategic plan for get to the playoffs in 2027."

Three young athletes from Papua New Guinea made an impression at the esteemed Australian Junior Open Squash Tournament by displaying their brilliance and tenacity in a remarkable show of ability and perseverance on a global platform. On-site PNG Squash Parent Mrs Merlyn Alarcos Kriebisch shared insights on their goals and journey. “The three young athletes were Timonaliz Alarcos-Kriebisch, Ethan Kriebisch, and Gabriella Cox.” “They were all very good competitors in their respective divisions.” In the U17 Girls Division, 15-year-old Gabriella showed off her prowess, and in the U11 Boys Division, 10-year-old Ethan showed off his talent. Timonaliz, an 11-year-old competitor in the U13 Girls Division, demonstrated the kind of talent coming out of Papua New Guinea. Gabriella's training ground is the POM Racquets Club, where she has been refining her techniques since 2019 as part of the Club's Development Program. Before moving to Brisbane for school last year, Timonaliz and Ethan first trained under Head Coach Madako Suari. Under Coach Bradley Hindle's direction, they carried on their training at the Daisy Hill Squash Racquets Club, keeping a strict regimen of practice sessions and neighbourhood tournaments. “It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of their involvement in the Australian Junior Open.” “The competition experienced a sharp increase in international participation this year, offering young players a competitive stage on which to showcase their abilities against a wide range of opponents.” Mrs Kriebisch underlined the significance of these kinds of gatherings, pointing out that they raise the bar for competitors and extend the reach of prospective participants. “For young squash aficionados in Papua New Guinea, competing in events such as the Australian Junior Open is a light of hope.” “It establishes a standard for success and proves that meeting international standards is doable with the correct assistance, dedication, and support from the community.” For the junior PNG players, winning matches is the main goal in addition to gaining useful experience and seeing results from their training. “Their goal is to seek international recognition by fighting against elite opponents and working to raise their ranks.” The long-term character of this voyage was emphasized by Mrs Kriebisch, who emphasized the necessity for persistent effort and perseverance in order to move up the world rankings. “These young athletes are an inspiration to the squash world as a whole as well as their peers in Papua New Guinea, as they develop and perform well on the squash court.” “They create new standards for upcoming squash players in the area with their skill, perseverance, and unflinching dedication.” “They represent the spirit of greatness and resilience.” Timonaliz made a great effort, but she was not able to make it to the semi-finals. Now, she is trying to get the U13 girls to finish in fifth place. Players from Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Japan, and other countries have notably qualified for the finals in her division, underscoring the stiff competition PNG players must contend with. Ethan is competing for the ninth position in the meanwhile. The next competition, the Oceania Junior Championship, starts this Friday and ends on Sunday.

An attempted robbery occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the BNBM Hardware and Home Center carpark at 12pm, resulting in the victims - both husband and wife suffering close range gunfire after resisting the demands of the robbers. According to the SOS Security personnel posted in the BNBM front gate. the four (4) robbers had followed the victims traveling in a Utility Toyota Hilux government vehicle before the incident, planning to engage soon after. The victims had driven around only to park in the BNBM Hardware and Home Center, and the robbers took that time to engage the victims. They robbers swerved their vehicle facing the exit gate behind the Hilux leaving the victims blocked to exit. Two armed men stepped out surrounding the vehicle and shot one round that inflicted multiple injuries while snatching a brown bag believed to have money and escaped immediately after. The husband and wife were escorted to the hospital and in shock and bleeding. The SOS Security Guard who chose to remain unknown shared that, “the robbers had no intention of robbing BNBM Hardware and Home Center, only to extract whatever the victims had in possession. Because after the incident they bolted out the way they came in.” The case has been undertaken by the Boroko CID Armed Robbery Unit, gathering whatever clue at the crime scene to assist with their investigation including the CCTV footage from the BNBM Home Centre front gate camera. One of the CID Armed Robbery Unit members shared that the crimes in the Nation’s capital are becoming more frequent and dangerous, and the public must be aware of the dangers before travelling. He further added that an interrogation will be carried out to conduct an effective investigation in this case.

Simbu Province is currently dealing with a major disaster, as confirmed by Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Epenes Nili in an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG today. Superintendent Nili provided an update on the issue and emphasized the gravity of the situation as many parties work together to lessen its effects. "The collective effort involving the provincial government, police, Defense force, and fire service aims to reopen vital roadways amidst challenging conditions caused by landslides.” Successful negotiations led by local leaders, such as Governor Noah Kool and Simbu Provincial Administrator John Pundu, have facilitated the removal despite initial challenges, such as obstructed passages into Gumine. Superintendent Nili did draw attention to one significant issue, though, which is the delay in expected government funding, raising questions about whether there will be enough resources to handle the crisis. However, he reassured the public that despite budgetary limitations, the police will continue to safeguard people and property. "Awareness and education are crucial, particularly regarding the risks posed by the local terrain." He further reassured locals that police are actively working to manage expectations around natural catastrophe compensation and to spread information. Superintendent Nili acknowledged the relief efforts and commended the government for its efforts, especially in supplying food rations and building materials. “In order to guarantee equitable allocation to impacted areas, he emphasized the significance of both police presence and fair distribution.” “At a later time, an official report on the policing response to the disaster, considering money, movement, and allocation, will be made available.” "The police force's unwavering commitment to collaboration with disaster response teams and the community remains steadfast." Simbu Province perseveres in the face of difficulties, with officials putting forth endless effort to manage the situation and assist impacted citizens.

The Eastern Highlands Province (EHP) Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Michael Welly recently confirmed there will be no more protest by the University of Goroka as no formal proposal has been sent forth to engage. The peaceful protest by the University of Goroka (UOG) recently established a message to the province of the need to stop violence and the UOG contribution to the government, as the school hosts student across PNG to undertakes course and live within the province to fulfil the course duration. With the local opportunist preying on the hard working but defenceless people in Goroka, from students to working class and especially outside, the protest forced an education onto them of the contributing role they play in the province government. PPC Welly stated that we believe the cause had already taken place before escalating into a brawl by locals and students who were both present during the time. According to PPC Welly there was a local leader who had an influence over the local youths that encouraged this incident to escalate. “Investigations are ongoing and yet to identify and capture the locals responsible for the serious injuries caused and Police have yet to confirm the trigger of the brawl.” PPC Welly was pleased to provide solicit support to help voice the UOG student’s message to the Goroka Public and ensured a peaceful march with the assistance of police security. PPC concluded while the third Year UOG Student from SHP Taison David is currently hospitalized and is slowly recovering after suffering from a knife wound. “We are working hard to determine the cause and capture the suspects that are involved in the incident and no protest will be sanctioned if it encourages public disorder.”

Last Sunday, a spirited march filled the streets of Naweab District in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, as 5,000 devout members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church participated in a campaign aimed at raising awareness for an upcoming evangelical program to be held in the country. Pastor James Dirye, representing the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Morobe Mission, highlighted the significance of Naweab District's involvement, emphasizing that it joins 40,000 other SDA members across Morobe in launching this pivotal campaign. The campaign, meticulously organized by the church, seeks to inform and engage the wider public about an imminent international evangelical week of worship. Under the theme "PNG4Christ: Revelation of Hope," this program will witness a dedicated team of preachers from various corners of the globe descending upon Papua New Guinea to deliver a unified message across 2,000 preaching sites nationwide. Scheduled to take place from April 26th to May 11th, the SDA Church will serve as the host for this monumental event. In Morobe alone, 28 international preachers are slated to spread the message across 200 different locations within the province, fostering a sense of unity and spiritual enrichment among attendees.

Newly appointed Minister for Education, Lucas Dekena, Gumine MP thanked the Prime Minister, James Marape, MP, for appointing him as the new minister for education during a meet and greet session with the heads of the Department of Education, Office of Library and Archives and Teaching Service Commission and senior management staff. In a statement, Dekena said that the ministry is a huge organization; however, he is willing to take the challenge and provide the leadership that is needed to achieve the main objective of the National Education System. In his address to the senior officers, the minister assured the senior management and the officers down the line that the current status quo will be maintained. “There are many good things happening which I am pleased to note, therefore I will not make any major changes, but I want us to continue to improve on the way we are implementing these policies and programs and in the way we do business.” Some of the key priorities and policies that will be continued include: • Government Tuition Fee Subsidy Policy. I urge the department to continue to use the established administrative capacity and systems to deliver the grants on a timely basis. • Completion of the PNG Education Transformation Vision (PNGETV) 2075 • Continued implementation of the Standards Based Curriculum • Continue to build infrastructure such as classrooms and science laboratories to cater for the increased number of students • Continue to invest in the National Schools of Excellence • Continue to implement the locally developed STEM Curriculum • Implementation of Early Childhood Education (ECE) • Train more teachers • Improve the retention rates, especially between grades 8 to 9 and 10 to 11. We need to do more to increase girls’ participation at the secondary level. • Pursue the 1-6-6- structure under a Cluster Concept and Plan. Additionally, on the type of young people the education system should produce in the future, he said that children must be raised to become self-sufficient and useful citizens with Christian values instilled in them. In terms of unemployment, the Minister said that there are a lot of unemployed young people after leaving the school system. “We need to find ways through our system, curriculum, and policies to reduce the rate of unemployment and reduce the habit of laziness.” “Financial literacy and vocational education courses must be vigorously pursued and promoted to ensure that school leavers or unemployed youths can enrol in, get a qualification and find employment or be self-employed.” The Minister called on the staff of the Ministry to maintain respect, professionalism, and good governance in the way they do business every day. “I encourage you all to be more creative and think outside the box and come up with new policies and programs instead of waiting for the government and the development partners to tell us,” Mr. Dekena urged officers. Meanwhile Minister Dekena thanked the senior management staff and officers down the line for their warm welcome that was accorded to him and his staff upon their arrival at the Vulupindi Haus and also during the briefing session.

Papua New Guinea is looking forward to hosting a 2nd bilateral policy consultation meeting with the Philippines in 2026. This follows the successful inaugural PNG-Philippines Bilateral Policy Consultation and Meeting in Manila, Philippines on April 4 between PNG’s Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko and the Republic of Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enrique A Manalo. Minister Justin Tkatchenko said he is satisfied with current cooperation agreements negotiated with the Philippines so far and looks forward to expanding and diversifying their mutual interests. The inaugural policy consultation followed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached on the margins of the 2023 APEC Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco, California, US, and with outcomes reached amicably, it now paves the way for more such meetings in the future. Minister Tkatchenko said that both sides have abundant natural resources and can learn from each other through cooperation specifically in the fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and downstream processing. In a joint press conference in Manila on Thursday, April 4, Minister Tkatchenko said the purpose of the PNG/Philippines Policy Consultations and Meeting is to establish a mechanism to enhance communication and coordination between the two governments on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. “I am pleased that trade and economic relations between the two countries is steadily increasing and should continue to expand and diversify.” “There are vast untapped opportunities that can be further harnessed and developed by both countries through cooperation for mutual benefits.” He said formal diplomatic relations were established between the two immediately after PNG gained independence on September 16, 1975, and at the Ambassadorial level. Since then, both have maintained cordial relations. “I am grateful and satisfied on the overall discussions and assure the PNG Government’s continued support to working closely with the Philippines Government in further developing bilateral relations.” Minister Tkatchenko further said he looks forward to welcoming Foreign Secretary Manalo and his delegation for the 2nd Bilateral Policy Consultation in PNG at a mutually convenient time in 2026.