All Articles

THIS International Literacy Day on Sept 8, students at Papa Primary School in Central continue to celebrate the joy of reading, and building essential literacy skills, with support from the PNGAus Partnership. Developing a love of reading from an early age helps all boys, girls and children with a disability strengthen the skills they need to succeed at school and throughout their lives. For Grade 2 student Leilani, reading is about much more than words on a page. Her favouri

BUSINESSMAN and owner of Brave Group, Wesley Roy, is discussing and learning about advancing the private sector under an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States.During his visit, which will last until October, he will be meeting, discussing and networking with the: ■ U.S. Department of StateU.S. Trade Representative (USTR); ■ International Trade Administration (ITA); ■ U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC); ■ National Foreign Trade Council (

THE Papua New Guinea Resource Governance Coalition (PNGRGC) continues to strengthen civil society leadership in the natural resources sector, reaffirming its strategic direction at its 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM). During the meeting on June 30, 2026, coalition members unanimously voted to re-elect the incumbent PNGRGC Council for the 2026–2027 term. This ongoing work is supported by the PNG-Australia Partnership. The AGM brought together member organisations from across

WOMEN in custody at Bomana Correctional Institution will have new opportunities to develop practical skills for life beyond detention, thanks to the Australia–Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Partnership (APLJ). The vocational equipment of four sewing machines, a benchtop oven and a rice cooker, will support Papua New Guinea Correctional Service (PNGCS) rehabilitation activities by providing women in custody with opportunities to develop practical sewing and cooking skills. T

AUSTRALIA has announced funding for Artificial Intelligence toolkits for the Pacific as part of Pacific Cyber Week and the Digital Transformation Summit hosted in Port Moresby. Through the Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Program, Australia is providing almost K1.3 million (approx. AUD420,000) to Standards Australia to develop toolkits that will help Pacific island countries consider the safe and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence, in a practical way. The toolkits wi

Dr Nime Kapo, Managing Director of the Papua New Guinea Biosecurity Authority, delivering remarks on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture Hon. John Boito, during the FAO High-Level Event on the Global Partnership Programme for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPP-TAD) at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, on 24 July 2026. Photo Credit: (c) FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto. Editorial use only. Copyright (c) FAO.

THE 2026 Westpac Outstanding Women Awards (WOWA) was held in Port Moresby on July 24, recognising seven inspiring women who are making a strong difference in Papua New Guinea through their leadership, commitment and the work they do in their communities. This year, more than 200 nominations were received from across the country. The winners were recognised across seven categories: Entrepreneurship, Not-for-Profit, Private Sector, Public Sector, Sports & Arts, Sustainability a

Ambassador O’Byrne will meet women leaders, civil society organisations, frontline service providers, businesses, young people and government representatives working to improve opportunities and outcomes for women and girls across PNG. AUSTRALIA’S Ambassador for Gender Equality, Michelle O’Byrne, is visiting Papua New Guinea to strengthen partnerships, advancing women’s leadership, economic empowerment, gender equality and the prevention and response to gender-based violence.

A PAPUA New Guinean film titled, ‘Sukundimi Walks Before Me’, has been selected to make its Melbourne premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia this August. This powerful documentary won the Sustainable Future Award at this year’s Sydney Film Festival - the biggest environmental film prize in the world. The film features the mighty Sepik River, the Amazon of the Pacific, and the fight to preserve it from a colossal copper and gold mine. The screening

THE National Airports Corporation (NAC) was proud to be exhibiting at PNG Resources Week at APEC Haus, Port Moresby, from July 13-18, 2026.As Papua New Guinea's gateway to the world, NAC showcased its vision for developing modern, safe, and commercially vibrant 22 national airports that support the country's growing resources sector, tourism, trade, and economic development.Visitors were invited to the NAC booth to learn more about:• Airport infrastructure development across

PAPUA New Guinea will be hosting the Forum Pacific ICT Ministers Meeting (FIMM) and Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) from July 22 to 23 at APEC Haus, Port Moresby.The meetings will include participation from more than 18 countries, along with representatives from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFs). Senior officials will meet on July 22 to prepare policy papers and updates, whil

DHERST secretary Lonnie Baki speaking during the PNG Resource Week. LONNIE Baki, Secretary for the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST), has put workforce development centre stage during PNG Resources Week 2026 in Port Moresby this week. Speaking during the "Aligning education development with future workforce and industry needs" session, the secretary highlighted the importance of partnerships between higher and technical education and in

NPL staff at the resource week event. PNG Chamber of Resource and Energy has said that the highlight for day one of the PNG Resources Week was a powerful presentation by Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) chief technical advisor Ian Tarutia, who highlighted the SWF as a vital "superannuation fund for the nation" to secure long-term economic independence. Under the government's "Reset @50" agenda, momentum was building to operationalise this game-changing fund before the 2027 electi

Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers from the 2nd Royal Pacific Islands Regiment conduct live-fire sneaker lanes alongside Australian Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment during Exercise Wantok Warrior in Townsville, Queensland. SOLDIERS from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force's (PNGDF) Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR) have completed the Australia-based component of Exercise Wantok Warrior 2026, strengthening military skills and reinfo

Kamalita Tibou. Photo by K. Verrell Wantok Musik Foundation of Australia has been in the forefront of a unique and very important music project for Pacific women. Titled, Music for Change: Pacific Women, the project is a women-led music and storytelling project supporting women's leadership, creative expression and skills development across the Pacific, with the core programme delivery taking place in Bougainville and Tonga in 2026. Through collaborative songwriting, men

AUSTRALIA is helping grow rugby league across the Pacific, committing $250 million over 10 years to the Pacific Rugby League Partnership. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday joined Prime Minister James Marape and leaders from Samoa and Tonga in Brisbane to launch the new partnership, which aims to strengthen the link between sport and opportunities in education, leadership and employment. The leaders were joined by the Chairman of the Australian Rugby League

PRIME Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, have yesterday announced the entry into force of the Pukpuk Treaty. Australia and Papua New Guinea are now formally allies. This is Papua New Guinea’s first alliance with any country, and Australia’s first in more than 70 years. The Pukpuk Treaty is underpinned by a mutual defence commitment, recognising that an armed attack on either country is a threat to both nations, and t

Participants with Australia High Commission representatives and their facilitators. AUSTRALIA is supporting Papua New Guinea’s health workforce to strengthen its capacity to respond to malnutrition and improve community health across the country. Recently, a cohort of 28 Papua New Guinean health professionals have graduated from the Australia Awards Graduate Certificate in Nutrition, building the skills and knowledge to address one of the country’s most significant public h

Musicians and mentors travelling to the inaugural Musik Blok residency in Goroka. THE inaugural Musik Blok residency has concluded in Goroka, marking the successful completion of a ground-breaking artist-led initiative connecting emerging Papua New Guinean musicians with leading Australian artists and mentors through 10 days of song-writing, music production and cultural exchange. Founded by PNG-born, Australia-based artist Ngaiire, Musik Blok was created to strengthen contem

Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks after casting his vote during the presidential election in Bogota on May 31. PHOTO: AFP BOGOTA - Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on July 5 he plans to give a public farewell on July 20, as he called for mass protests and the continuation of social reforms. “I invite you this July 20th to accompany the public movement, and after their parade, to hear my farewell as the head of state of Colombia,” Petro said in a