Lieutenant Colonel Velmoore Kagena, Commanding Officer (CO) of the Engineer Battalion, has rejoined his troops on the National Unity Walk from Madang to Lae and will resume the walk starting on Day 6 of the journey. Major Alex Hengene, the Operations Officer, has been walking with the team from the beginning and is expected to complete the full distance. Their presence has boosted morale among the group. One of the toughest stretches so far was the 28-kilometre climb from Tapo Mountain to Usino Junction. The team completed the challenging route in just seven hours, with many saying prayer and teamwork helped them through. A female soldier is also walking with the team, serving as both participant and medic. She has been providing first aid using limited supplies. As they pass through communities, the soldiers are speaking to locals and visiting schools to spread messages about national unity ahead of Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Anniversary. They’re also encouraging young people to focus on education and respect their families and teachers. Today, the group is expected to arrive at Waterise. From there, they will walk the remaining 150 kilometres along the Highlands Highway back to Lae.

The Morobe Provincial Election Office has confirmed that the tally board for the Kabwum Open by-election is being set up at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae. Election Manager Simon Soheke said polling is progressing well across the electorate with no major issues reported so far. He said polling teams in Kabwum are continuing their work, and two Mobile Squad units have been deployed to Indagen in Komba LLG to support security. Mr Soheke said, “Polling is running smoothly. There have been no disturbances and everything is on track.” Extraction of polling teams is expected to start on Wednesday, 23 July, with some teams continuing polling into Tuesday and Wednesday due to minor schedule changes. Polling teams from the YUS LLG are expected to be extracted on Thursday, 24 July. Soheke assured the public that the election team is doing its best to ensure a fair and peaceful by-election and that all ballot boxes will be returned to Lae safely. Vote counting will take place at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium once all ballot boxes arrive from Kabwum. Authorities are continuing to monitor the process closely to ensure transparency and fairness throughout. Counting for the Kabwum by-election is set to begin early next week in Lae, according to Morobe Election Manager Simon Soheke. He said polling is complete, ballot boxes are secured, and the team is ready to begin once the boxing tournament at the stadium ends. “All four LLGs have finished polling and we’re planning to start counting on Monday or Tuesday,” he said. Mr Soheke said 32 presiding officers from Kabwum have joined the counting team, and they aim to finish by August 7. He also confirmed that police will remain in Kabwum after the count as a safety measure, although no major issues have been reported so far.

As Papua New Guinea come together today to honour its fallen heroes on National Remembrance Day, Madang Provincial Police Commander Acting Superintendent Robert Baim delivered a deeply personal message about sacrifice, service, and unity. Baim, whose late father fought during World War II, said the day serves as a powerful reminder of the price paid for the freedom Papua New Guineans enjoy today. “I reflected on how far our nation has come,” he said. “My father once shared stories about standing alongside Allied forces on the shores of Morobe and Madang, they fought so we could live in peace.” The commander also shared memories from his own years of service, particularly during the Bougainville crisis. “I took part in efforts to bring peace back to our land, we lost many along the way, but it was for the good of the nation.” “I didn’t do it for personal gain — it was out of love for this country and its people.” Baim said his experiences have strengthened his commitment to serve without fear or favour. “I believe in one people, one nation. That’s what drives me.” He closed his statement by honouring all fallen heroes and his late father, stating: "You shall not grow old, till we meet again on that golden morning when the trumpet sounds." “Today, we remember and salute all who sacrificed for our country.”

A fire has destroyed the Madang Teachers College printing office, leaving the school with a heavy loss estimated at around K1 million. It is believed that the fire broke out on the night of July 11, sometime between 9 and 10 pm has now left the school in dismay. A student who saw the incident, Pavel Joshua, said the fire began from an air conditioner unit and quickly spread to nearby papers and the walls. The printing office was a permanent building made from wood and cement, with iron roofing and full electrical wiring. It took almost two hours for the fire to burn the entire structure and everything inside. “This building was very important for our work, it’s a huge loss for the school,” said Deputy Principal Mr. Jacob Akiring. Madang Provincial Police Commander, Acting Superintendent Robert Baim, said: “We’ve already visited the site and taken witness statements but the case is on pause now while we wait for a full report from the fire department to confirm the exact cause.” No suspects have been identified, and police are asking for the public’s help with any information that could assist the investigation.

Good news for students at Divine Word University—there won’t be any more deregistrations this year. DWU President Fr. Philip Gibbs said the university has now received the Semester One TESAS payments from the government. The HELP loan funds are also on the way, with about K3.06 million still expected. Back in June, around 800 students were mistakenly deregistered due to unpaid fees. But Fr. Gibbs said the issue was picked up quickly. “The deregistration of 800 students at the end of June was not supposed to happen. As soon as it was detected, most were re-registered the next day,” he explained. Now, only about 30 students are still deregistered because their fees haven’t been sorted yet. DWU had earlier asked all students to pay 90% of their fees before continuing with classes, which affected many scholarship students while the government funds were delayed. With the TESAS payments now received and the HELP funds on the way, DWU says they’re working closely with the government to avoid any more issues like this. The update brings relief to students and families who had been worried about being cut off from their studies this semester.

Voting in the Usino-Bundi Gama by-election is moving forward, with polling teams reaching remote areas by helicopter and dinghy. Despite a few small issues, the Electoral Commission and police are working together to keep the process peaceful and fair. One argument between candidates was quickly handled by police. In places like Danagar and Banu, people have already voted. Their ballot boxes are now locked inside the Walium police station, as no proper storage containers were available. Police are still doing their job even though they haven’t received their allowances yet. Extra security teams from Lae are on the ground to help. Madang Police Commander, Acting Superintendent Robert Baim, warned everyone to respect the process. “Anyone who tries to cause trouble or scare voters will be arrested,” he said. “Let the people vote freely and without fear.”

Tensions flared at Walium Station over the weekend as Peter Yama, former Madang Governor and candidate for the Usino Bundi Gama seat, questioned why a suspended election officer was helping with the by-election. Yama and other candidates met with election officials to find out how someone facing serious allegations was allowed near the process. “This isn’t okay,” Yama said. “People want a fair vote, not more doubts. Trust in the system is already fragile.” The meeting wasn’t heated, but it was clear candidates wanted answers — and fast. Madang Election Manager Sponsa Navi responded, saying the officer had been told to step aside. “I’ll deal with it personally. They won’t be involved from here on,” Navi promised. The Usino Bundi Gama by-election has already faced delays, and many locals say they just want things done properly. With security in place and eyes on the process, candidates hope the Electoral Commission takes their concerns seriously — and makes sure the vote is free from any funny business.

People in Wards 1 to 5 of Usino Bundi Gama in Madang province who turned up to vote today had to return home without casting their ballots, as polling has been pushed to tomorrow. Provincial Election Manager Mr. Sponsa Navi explained that polling teams arrived too late to move out to their locations in time. “Polling was meant to begin today, but the Returning Officer decided to shift it to the 22nd because of delays,” he said. The helicopter that was supposed to fly officials into the hard-to-reach places like Bundi and Gama was also delayed due to payment issues. Even with these challenges, there have been no security concerns. A total of 118 police officers are now in the district, including members of Mobile Squad 13, Lae’s response unit, Madang police, and local units. Ramu Police Station Commander, Inspector Edward Alphonse, said things have been quiet. “It’s peaceful. No problems reported so far,” he said. Polling teams are now expected to head out tomorrow. Officials are confident the rest of the by-election process will go ahead without further delays and are calling on people to remain calm and patient.

Polling in Indum 1, within Kabwum’s Selepet Local Level Government (LLG) area, is progressing peacefully with no reports of disturbances. For over three hours, voting has been calm and orderly. A team of five election officials is on-site assisting voters, while police are maintaining a steady presence to ensure public safety. An update shared in the by-election coordination group confirmed that operations are running smoothly and that voters have been turning up in an orderly manner. “There’s no trouble here. People are lining up and voting,” read one message from the team on the ground. Selepet is one of four LLGs participating in the Kabwum by-election. Despite earlier concerns about delays or disruptions, the polling process in this area has started without issue. Election officials say they will continue monitoring polling stations throughout the day. Security teams remain stationed across the district to respond quickly if needed. This by-election holds significance for Kabwum, and community leaders have urged all citizens to support a fair and peaceful process. Further updates will be shared as polling continues.

Funding issues have posed early challenges for the Kabwum by-election, but support from key government bodies has helped keep things on track. Electoral officials say they initially received only K200,000 out of a planned K4.1 million budget. This raised concerns over whether polling and counting could go ahead smoothly. Morobe Election Manager, Mr. Simon Soheke said the Morobe Provincial Government stepped in with K500,000, while the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister added another K1.5 million. The Electoral Commission also released K1 million. "That brings the total to K2 million to complete the election and cover police and logistics costs." Some funds will also go toward keeping police in Kabwum after polling to maintain peace.

Polling in Kabwum District in Morobe province is moving ahead peacefully, with all ballot papers now delivered to the four Local Level Governments (LLG). Morobe Rural Police Commander, Senior Inspector Yonga Yawongan said the atmosphere is calm and security personnel are in place across the district. Security has been stepped up with officers from the Mobile Squad, Special Response Unit, and local police deployed across the district. He warned against any plans to disrupt the vote, especially attempts to hijack ballot boxes, saying police would respond firmly. “We’re not taking any chances,” said Inspector. The move comes after the 2022 national election, where disruptions involving ballot boxes led to court-ordered fresh polling. Polling teams are expected to complete their work by the weekend, with ballot boxes transported back to Lae by Sunday or Monday. Counting is expected to begin next week at the stadium in Lae city. Election officials say the goal is to finish polling this week and begin counting in Lae by July 26 or 28, depending on venue availability. A winner is expected to be declared in early August.

After almost a decade, students at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNG UoT) in Lae city will soon be using their new mess hall. The old dining hall burned down in 2016. Now, nine years later, the new building is almost ready. Vice-Chancellor Professor Ora Renagi said the new facility was already used recently to serve guests during the PIURN Conference. “We had dinner there. It was beautiful,” he said. “We’re grateful to the PNG Government for funding the project.” A grand opening is planned soon with Prime Minister James Marape expected to attend. The new mess is designed to serve thousands of students. It includes a spacious dining area, modern kitchen, bakery, cold rooms, and toilets for both male and female students. It also has a toilet designed for students living with disabilities. Entry will be secured through fingerprint scans and proxy cards. Only small finishing touches are left, and the university expects everything to be completed before the end of this month. Prof Renagi said the dining hall is a major improvement for student life. “It’s a big step for the university. We’re excited to see students use it soon,” he said.