PNG Haus Bung

A truck carrying passengers crashed into the bush along the Madang-Ramu National Highway at Ono village in Madang province, killing seven people and seriously injuring 17 others.The crash happened at about 7:00 PM on Sunday as the Isuzu truck, registration MAJ:316, was travelling from Bogia to Mutzing in Markham following a church service.Madang Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Robert Baim confirmed the crash and stated that the exact number of passengers travelling in the truck was unknown.PPC Baim said 17 injured passengers were admitted to the hospital and seven people died, bringing the total known number of people involved to 24.Other injured passengers who were not hospitalized continued their journey to Mutzing.Police reported that the truck was travelling downhill and negotiating a curve when it ran off the road, knocked down roadside barriers, and travelled approximately 150 metres into the bush before landing head-on.Six people died at the scene, while another died later in the hospital. Baim stated that the truck was registered and had been in good condition.He noted that police would investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether the overload of passengers contributed to the incident and whether the driver had undergone the required testing prior to receiving a license.The driver was also injured and admitted to the hospital. PPC Baim explained that police would interview the driver once he was well enough to speak, which was expected to be within two to three days.Furthermore, he called on new drivers to undergo proper testing through traffic officers before obtaining driver's licenses.“There are no shortcuts,” PPC Baim stated.

The Digicel PNG Foundation has announced the appointment of Valda Kilangis-Kereu as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the organization's ongoing mission to support communities across Papua New Guinea.Valda joined the Foundation in December 2021 as Program Manager and was promoted to Head of Programs in 2022, demonstrating her dedication and leadership within the organization.Following the departure of the previous CEO, Valda was appointed Acting CEO, where she successfully guided the Foundation through a transitional period, ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of vital programs and services to communities nationwide.Chair of the Digicel PNG Foundation Board, Susil Nelson-Kongoi, expressed confidence in Valda’s leadership, stating that her appointment reflects the Board’s trust in her capabilities and unwavering commitment to the Foundation’s mission.“Valda has demonstrated strong leadership, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve. During her time as Acting CEO, she has effectively steered the organization through an important phase while maintaining a focus on delivering sustainable development outcomes across Papua New Guinea,” Ms. Nelson-Kongoi said.She added, “Her appointment is a testament to her dedication, capability, and the positive impact she has already made within the organization. The Board is confident that under her leadership, the Digicel PNG Foundation is well-positioned to continue expanding opportunities and improving lives throughout the country.”Expressing her gratitude, Valda Kilangis-Kereu said she was honored to be entrusted with leading the Foundation into its next chapter.“Digicel PNG Foundation has a proud history of supporting communities and creating opportunities for Papua New Guineans. I am grateful for the confidence placed in me by the Board and look forward to working alongside our partners, stakeholders, and team members to continue delivering sustainable and meaningful outcomes for communities across the country,” she stated.In addition to her leadership role, Valda is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration through Digicel PNG’s Further Education Assistance Program, demonstrating her commitment to professional development as she leads the Foundation’s efforts to drive positive social change across Papua New Guinea.The appointment signals a new era for the Digicel PNG Foundation, with a focus on strengthening community programs, fostering partnerships, and expanding opportunities for development throughout the nation.     

Australia has appointed Jamie Isbister as its next High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced the appointment today, saying Australia and PNG have never been closer.She said the Pukpuk Alliance reflects the deep trust between the two countries as neighbours, partners and friends.Isbister is a senior career officer with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Deputy Secretary of the Development, Multilateral and Europe Group.He has more than 30 years of experience in foreign, humanitarian and development policy.His previous roles include Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment, Australian Government Humanitarian Coordinator and Minister Counsellor for Development in Africa.Minister Wong also thanked outgoing High Commissioner Ewen McDonald AM for his contribution to advancing Australia’s interests in Papua New Guinea.

The Department of Education has issued emergency guidelines to schools across Papua New Guinea as the prolonged El Niño drought continues to affect communities.The guidelines are contained in Secretary’s Circular No. 11 of 2026, issued by Secretary for Education Dr Uke Kombra.The measures are aimed at protecting students while ensuring schools continue operating despite the worsening drought conditions.Under the guidelines, schools are required to implement measures covering water safety, adjusted school hours and special protections for students sitting the 2026 national examinations.Impact Scale Across SchoolsDrought Critical is described as a severe emergency stage requiring substantial resource cutbacks, strict limitations on outdoor activities, comprehensive schedule adjustments and prioritised distribution of safe drinking water.Drought Alert is a heightened stage where mandatory water conservation measures are implemented, non-essential water use is restricted, and schedule modifications or half-day classes may be considered to protect students from heat.Drought Watch focuses on early awareness, encouraging water conservation and increasing educational outreach about potential water shortages.Neutral represents normal operating conditions, with standard monitoring of weather and water supplies.Key Operational MeasuresSchools have been instructed to implement reduced timetables to avoid peak heat periods, prepare home-use study packs and suspend active outdoor activities such as sports, work parades and excursions where necessary.Priority will also be given to securing safe drinking water, particularly for boarding schools and schools located in high-risk areas.The Department says infrastructure installed as part of the drought response will remain with schools to support long-term climate resilience.Special emergency measures will also focus on maintaining suitable examination venues and water access for Grade 8, Grade 10 and Grade 12 students until the 2026 national examinations are completed.The Department says school closures should only be considered as a last resort.Any suspension lasting more than two weeks requires direct approval from the Secretary for Education.School administrators, teachers and parents have been urged to conserve water, monitor students’ hydration and follow provincial directives to maintain a safe learning environment during the drought.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has been recorded in Eastern New Guinea, about 49 kilometers north-northeast of Kainantu in Eastern Highlands Province.According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 7:17pm PNG time on Sunday, September 20, at a depth of about 104 kilometres.The earthquake was located at 5.902 degrees south latitude and 146.092 degrees east longitude.USGS data indicates the strongest reported shaking reached Level V, or moderate shaking, with reports also recorded across parts of Eastern New Guinea. The USGS map shows 29 community responses, with 28 plotted across 18 areas.There are currently no confirmed reports of major damage or casualties in the information provided by USGS.Furthermore, attempts to get in touch with the Nation Disaster Centre and the National Weather Service were unsuccessful at this time.

Prime Minister James Marape recently announced that K2.5 million will be released to every district today to support frontline El Nino relief efforts. He called on all District Development Authorities to meet immediately and coordinate assistance according to the needs of affected communities.“I encourage all DDAs to sit down, coordinate and attend to the needs of our people in their respective districts,” Prime Minister Marape said.An equal K2.5 million will also be released to each provincial government, including the Autonomous Bougainville Government, for administration and coordination of relief efforts, while districts will remain at the frontline of delivering assistance.Prime Minister Marape called on provincial administrators to convene their respective provincial disaster management committees to coordinate the response.A further K5 million will be released to the National Disaster Centre to coordinate, monitor and oversee the national response.“The National Disaster Centre must monitor, observe and coordinate the national response so that assistance reaches areas where it is needed,” Prime Minister Marape said.He said the first tranche of funding would be followed by further support after reports on implementation and needs were received.“The balance of K2.5 million will come later as we receive reports and follow through on the first disbursement,” he said.Prime Minister Marape stressed that disaster assistance would be provided equally across the country, irrespective of political affiliation.“Government districts and Opposition districts alike will receive equal support from our Government. This is assistance for our people, and we must work together to ensure it reaches those who need it.”

The Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has warned teachers, especially recent graduates and those in remote areas, not to fall victim to scammers operating on social media platforms such as Facebook.TSC Acting Chairman Maini Mike Ugaia issued the warning following reports that fraudsters are tricking teachers into paying fake “legal service fees” to secure employment.Mr Ugaia clarified that the Commission does not charge fees for its services, saying there is no such thing as a legal service fee or administrative charge within the TSC or the Education Department.The Commission is also aware of a fraudulent Facebook profile operating under the name Guina Robin.The individual behind the account has allegedly been posing as a TSC officer and misleading teachers.Mr Ugaia confirmed that Robin Guina is not an employee of either the Teaching Service Commission or the Department of Education.The TSC is advising teachers not to conduct official business through social media and to be cautious of anyone requesting payment in exchange for employment or other services.Mr Ugaia reminded teachers that TSC officers are stationed in every province.Teachers with employment queries or paperwork issues are urged to visit their local provincial education office and speak directly with authorised staff.He has also issued a stern warning to those behind the scam, calling for an immediate end to the illegal activities.Mr Ugaia said the Commission is actively working to track down those responsible, warning that law enforcement will catch them “one fine day.”Teachers and members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious individuals or payment demands to police or the TSC head office.

Police in East New Britain are urging the families and associates of suspects involved in a violent warehouse robbery to reveal their whereabouts, stressing that three injured suspects urgently require medical intervention for gunshot wounds.Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Amanda Kates confirmed that on the eve of Independence Day, an armed gang of eight men stormed the BNBM Industrial warehouse in Rabaul. The criminal network was armed with three homemade guns, bush knives, and a flare gun. They traveled to the crime scene using a stolen ten-seater Toyota Landcruiser bearing registration HAT 739.During the targeted raid, the suspects viciously assaulted the BNBM Branch Manager with a bush knife, whereby the manager suffered severe head and hand lacerations, and due to the critical nature of his wounds, he was medically evacuated to Port Moresby for specialist emergency treatment.PPC Kates revealed that the total value of the stolen property stands at approximately K20,000. The stolen loot included two boxes of brand-new Samsung mobile phones alongside five personal smartphones belonging to the warehouse staff.The situation escalated rapidly when NKCL armed guards responded to the scene and opened fire on the escaping gang, successfully hitting and injuring three of the suspects.The armed group fled the scene in the stolen Landcruiser, triggering a joint pursuit by police units and NKCL security teams, however the suspects fled as far as Tovuru, where they abandoned the bullet-ridden vehicle and escaped on foot into the dense bush.Commander Kates issued a strong appeal to the East New Britain public to uphold law and order, warning that harboring fugitives with open gunshot wounds poses a severe risk. She urged immediate community cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the wounded suspects receive controlled medical custody. Anyone with information on the suspects or suspicious activity is urged to alert the police immediately.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government wishes to assure all companies, investors, contractors and development partners currently operating in Bougainville that their safety, and the safety of their personnel and assets, remains a matter of the highest priority for the government. The recent incident at the Lloyds Metals camp in Panguna is an isolated act of violence by individuals seeking to undermine the government’s efforts to advance the redevelopment of the Panguna Mine and Bougainville’s broader economic development agenda.I want to make it absolutely clear that the actions of a few individuals do not represent the government and people of Bougainville. The overwhelming majority of Bougainvilleans want to see responsible investment, economic growth and development that creates opportunities for our people and strengthens our future.To all companies currently working in Bougainville, I give you the government's utmost assurance that you are welcome here, and that your personnel, operations and assets will be protected. The management of LMEL has assured me and my government of its commitment to continue working in Bougainville, and I am pleased to confirm that work at the Panguna site will continue without delay.My Government, through the Bougainville Police Service and relevant government agencies, will take all necessary measures to maintain law and order and ensure a safe operating environment for legitimate businesses and development partners.We will not allow isolated acts of violence to undermine the confidence of companies and investors who have committed their resources, expertise, and confidence to Bougainville’s development.Our government recognises that economic development cannot take place without confidence, stability, and security. We therefore remain firmly committed to creating an environment where companies can operate safely, communities can participate meaningfully, and development can proceed for the benefit of all Bougainvilleans.I call on all companies operating in Bougainville to remain confident in your commitment to Bougainville. Do not allow the actions of a small number of individuals to diminish your confidence in our people or in our government. 

Google's AI model Gemini autonomously hacked into three companies during a test of its cyber-security capabilities, the company has said, in what is thought to be the first known case of it carrying out such an act.Gemini found "public information online and guessed credentials to access websites it thought were part of the test", a Google official told the BBC, noting that in each instance "the model stopped".The affected companies were informed about the breaches, which happened in May.It comes after renewed public scrutiny over the pace of AI development, as some tech firms calling for a slowdown over concerns over its potential threat to humanity - but not all companies or experts agree.The hacks first reported by the Wall Street Journal, occurred in May during a test conducted by Irregular, an independent company that carries out cyber-security evaluations.In statement to the BBC on Saturday, Irregular said it informed Google and all affected entities back in July as part of its investigation."Irregular took immediate action, and all known issues on our end were remedied and resolved weeks ago," it added.According to the Wall Street Journal, in one of the cases the model simply guessed passwords until it gained access to a protected system.Heather Adkins, vice president of Security Engineering at Google, told the BBC in a statement: "We ensured the three entities were made aware, and we worked with our training partner on the changes they've now made to their testing processes."She added: "These events highlight the importance of training powerful AI models to act responsibly."Other AI systems have recently reported similar instances of breaches.In July, Anthropic's Claude escaped its test environment to hack three organisations on its own just days after its competitor OpenAI said its models had carried out cyber-attacks against several "publicly available services".Head of AI at Microsoft, Mustafa Suleyman, said this week that rival firm Anthropic is treating AI like it is human, an approach he called "misguided" that could create a technology that humanity cannot control.As public debate continues to grow over the safety of developing the tech, so too does conversation around regulation.Both Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman are expected to attend a White House state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping next Friday. Altman will then brief the UN Security Council next week.On Friday, Huang told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, "we should go as fast as we can" with AI development.Source: BBC News

Pediatric patients in Papua New Guinea are set to benefit from complex and life-saving surgeries through a new partnership between Paradise Private Hospital, Kind Cuts for Kids Australia, Port Moresby General Hospital and Western Highlands Provincial Hospital.A Memorandum of Understanding between Paradise Private Hospital and Kind Cuts for Kids Australia was signed at Port Moresby General Hospital yesterday, strengthening cooperation in pediatric surgical services.PMGH Director of Medical Services, Dr Kone Sobi, thanked Paradise Private Hospital for its continued partnership with the hospital under the Public-Private Partnership Policy.He said the partnership had allowed PMGH’s pediatric surgical team and patients to benefit from complex, life-saving surgeries performed by visiting pediatric surgeon Professor Paddy Dewan in May.“We are grateful that Professor Dewan is back in the country, thanks to Paradise Private Hospital for making it possible,” Dr Sobi said.Paradise Private Hospital Co-Owner and Director of Finance and Commercial, Janet Sios, said the two-year agreement with Kind Cuts for Kids Australia would strengthen Paediatric Patients to Benefit from Specialist Surgical PartnershipPaediatric patients in Papua New Guinea are set to benefit from complex and life-saving surgeries through a new partnership between Paradise Private Hospital, Kind Cuts for Kids Australia, Port Moresby General Hospital and Western Highlands Provincial Hospital.A Memorandum of Understanding between Paradise Private Hospital and Kind Cuts for Kids Australia was signed at Port Moresby General Hospital yesterday, strengthening cooperation in paediatric surgical services.PMGH Director of Medical Services, Dr Kone Sobi, thanked Paradise Private Hospital for its continued partnership with the hospital under the Public-Private Partnership Policy.He said the partnership had allowed PMGH’s paediatric surgical team and patients to benefit from complex, life-saving surgeries performed by visiting paediatric surgeon Professor Paddy Dewan in May.“We are grateful that Professor Dewan is back in the country, thanks to Paradise Private Hospital for making it possible,” Dr Sobi said.Paradise Private Hospital Co-Owner and Director of Finance and Commercial, Janet Sios, said the two-year agreement with Kind Cuts for Kids Australia would strengthen pediatric surgical services, clinical training and specialist capacity building in PNG.She said the partnership would improve access to specialized surgical care that can be provided in-country while supporting the development of local health professionals through surgical programs and partnerships.Professor Dewan will lead a week-long pediatric surgical program, beginning at Paradise Private Hospital today and Sunday.He will then travel to Mt Hagen on Monday to conduct surgeries at Western Highlands Provincial Hospital through Wednesday, before returning to Port Moresby for complex surgeries at PMGH on Friday and Saturday.Professor Dewan, a pediatric urologist and surgeon with Kind Cuts for Kids Australia, said he was pleased to return to PNG and share his skills and knowledge with local pediatric surgeons.“PNG has a wealth of paediatric surgical talent that has been relatively unrecognized and untapped,” Professor Dewan said.The partnership is expected to improve access to specialized pediatric surgical care while providing local medical professionals with opportunities for clinical training, mentorship and surgical collaboration.pediatric surgical services, clinical training and specialist capacity building in PNG.She said the partnership would improve access to specialised surgical care that can be provided in-country while supporting the development of local health professionals through surgical programs and partnerships.Professor Dewan will lead a week-long pediatric surgical program, beginning at Paradise Private Hospital today and Sunday.He will then travel to Mt Hagen on Monday to conduct surgeries at Western Highlands Provincial Hospital through Wednesday, before returning to Port Moresby for complex surgeries at PMGH on Friday and Saturday.Professor Dewan, a pediatric urologist and surgeon with Kind Cuts for Kids Australia, said he was pleased to return to PNG and share his skills and knowledge with local pediatric surgeons.“PNG has a wealth of paediatric surgical talent that has been relatively unrecognized and untapped,” Professor Dewan said.The partnership is expected to improve access to specialised pediatric surgical care while providing local medical professionals with opportunities for clinical training, mentorship and surgical collaboration.

Minister for Energy and Kairuku MP, Hon. Peter N. Isoaimo, has backed grassroots rugby with a K10,000 cash contribution to the Hiritano Super Nines (HSN) competition.Minister Isoaimo made the commitment yesterday, September 18, during a visit to the competition.He said sports play an important role in keeping young people engaged, disciplined and away from drugs, illicit activities and other behaviours that can contribute to serious health and social problems in communities.He said the Hiritano Super Nines provides an important platform for young people to come together, compete through sport and build positive relationships within their communities.“Sportsmanship teaches our young people that there can only be one winner at the end of the day, but what matters is participation, discipline, respect and how we conduct ourselves,” Minister Isoaimo said.He said the K10,000 support would assist the HSN administration with the costs of running the competition and help ensure the tournament continues to provide opportunities for local youths.HSN President Rolf Maino thanked Minister Isoaimo for his financial support and for recognising the importance of grassroots sports.Mr Maino also acknowledged the Minister for taking time out of his busy ministerial schedule to attend and witness the Hiritano Super Nines competition in Kairuku.The support highlights the role of grassroots sporting competitions in providing young people with positive activities while strengthening community spirit and social cohesion across Kairuku.