Two PNG Kickboxers Thomas Kagili and Nelson Samson Wailo put up an extra ordinary challenge against their opponents over the weekend in North Miami State Town Hall, in Florida USA in the International Kickboxing Championship. Fighter Thomas Kagili nickname as the Spiderman was the first PNG male fighter who took on a 6 foot opponent, Mr Seyi Banjoko from UK. PNG Kick boxing President and Head Coach Stanley Nandex, The Head-hunter stated that Thomas took the fight with so much power punishing the opponent. “Thomas outclassed his opponent in the first round but the UK fighter came very strong in the 2nd and 3rd round, but Thomas maintained his defensive and combination of boxing and kickboxing techniques.” “Congratulations to Kagili who won the lightweight 63kg division with the height and ridge advantage that made him win in a score card or 30/27,” said Nandex. Nandex further stated that the main event of the event was between PNG Kick boxer Nelson Samson Wailo and a national hero in Miamim USA, Mr Ulises Fernandez in the 2 minutes by 4 rounds. “Nelson fought in the 73kg and in the first and second round, Nelson dominated the fight and became the crowds’ favourite”. “However, his opponent came back very strong with massive punches and combinations of kicking that stopped Nelson in the third round.” Nandex added that though Nelson lost the fight, he was the most electrifying fighter of the night with few Promoters having shown interest to put him on the next drawcard. “Am so impressed and proud of the fighters, particularly Thomas Kaligi and our only female fighter who both won fights in such a prestigious international kickboxing championship in the US”. Nandex said, seeing the PNG flags raised reminds him of his time representing the country as one person but he has a team of fighters continuing his legacy and flying the PNG. “A big thank you to special people particular who made this journey to fight in the US possible, the Governor of NCD Hon. Powes Parkop LLB and his Executive Officer Dr. Newton Albert, Minister for Sports and Higher education science and technology, Hon. Don Polye MP and his Chief executive Officer Mr. Albert Veretau, MRDC Augustine Mano, David Arterwal, all the business houses who attended the corporate dinner fundraiser.” “Special mention also to my hard-working team from the Female Kickboxing League president MS Lyn Pokam and the team, PNGKBF executives, senior fighters and members of the PNG Kickboxing Federation for the support given, as well as the PNG media.” Nandex added that all efforts and support given was not wasted because his fighters flew the PNG flag high in the United States winning two fights both in the women’s and men’s international championships.

Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Ms Stephanie Copus Campbell joined a gender equality roundtable chaired by PNG’s Department of Community Development and Religion Acting Deputy Secretary, Ms Karen Haive at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby on today, 15th August 2023. The dialogue brought together representatives from PNG government, the development sector, and civil society for dialogue on gender equality in PNG. Following the release of the PNG Government's gender equality plans and targets for the next five years under the Medium-Term Development Plan IV, 2023 to 2027 (MTDP), the roundtable enabled gender equality representatives in PNG to meet and engage in meaningful discussions about plans to advance gender equality in the country. Acting Deputy Secretary for Department for Community Development and Religion, Ms Karen Haive stated that Gender equality and women’s advancement remain PNG Government’s priority although there has been a slow progress made in the implementation and achievement of the gender equality objective. “The Department for Community Development & Religion is committed to improving gender equality and women’s advancement through review of the National Women’s and Gender Equality Policy 2011-2015.” “The revised Policy will provide new priorities and strategies for all Development Partners and stakeholders to address and advance gender equality agenda in PNG.” During the roundtable dialogue, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, learn from each other, and reflect on the work and progress achieved so far towards gender equality in PNG. Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Ms Campbell, highlighted at the dialogue that Australia is committed to gender equality and will continue to work in partnership with PNG to ensure women and girls in all diversity throughout the country are safe and have equal share in resources, opportunities, and decision-making with men and boys. “Ensuring gender equality is a shared priority for both Australia and PNG, because it is crucial to the economic growth, development, and stability of both countries and for our Pacific region.”

“Since the introduction of female kickboxing in the early 2000 in Papua New Guinea, our female kick boxers have proven to be the best in this martial art sports”. That’s from PNG Kick boxing President and Head Coach Stanley Nandex, The Headhunter. This is the third time now to see PNG Female kick boxer win an international fight. “Congratulations to our female fighter Miss Manella Lambar who showed so much skill and won the Super Welter Weight Division 70kg,” said Nandex. Nandex told PNG HAUSBUNG that Ms. Kambar boxed with her opponent from Argentina in 2 minutes by 3 rounds match at North Miami State Town Hall over the weekend where she forced down her opponent to win the Super Welter Weight Division, 70kg. Nandex added that Kambar win is now officially the third international kickboxing win for female kickboxing in the country. “The first female kick boxer who won the bronze medal was Ms.Kepi Kena from Morobe during the WKA World championships in Rome,Italy in 2002.” “Ms. Jessy Gonopa Kaima was the second female fighter, who won the WKF international title belt  in 2018 in Port Moresby.” “And now Ms Kambar is the third PNG female kick boxer.”

FinCorp, the trusted Financial Services provider, proudly introduces the appointment of two distinguished professionals to its Board. The new Directors are Mr. Douveri Henao and Mr. Chris Hansor, they both bring a wealth of expertise and proven track record in strategy and governance to further enhance the lending institution’s vision and operations. As FinCorp continue their transformation journey, Mr. Henao's joins bringing with him impressive career trajectory that includes a decade-long tenure as the Executive Director of the PNG Business Council and over two decades of experience in critical positions on various boards and chairmanships of prominent PNG corporations, state entities, government regulatory bodies, and charitable organizations. His remarkable achievements are further underpinned by his academic qualifications, including a Bachelor of Laws Degree from UPNG Law School and a prestigious Diploma in Trade Negotiations from the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat. Currently serving as the CEO of Legacy Group Limited, Mr. Henao is poised to infuse his strategic insight into FinCorp's transformation and growth trajectory. Board Chairman of FinCorp, Mr Goiye Gileng, commented that, "Mr Henao, comes to the board with significant wealth of experience in both private and public sector which placed him in a unique position to add substantial value to FinCorp and its clients in the next phase of FinCorp's growth.” “Adding additional skills to the Board is Mr. Chris Hansor, an accounting and audit professional with an impressive career spanning over 27 years.” Gileng added that Mr Hansor’s extensive experience across diverse markets including PNG, Australia, and the United Kingdom, garnered during his tenure at the global accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was most recently a Partner of the PNG business, positions him as a true asset to FinCorp. Mr. Hansor currently provides advisory services to several boards and is a Member of the Audit & Risk Committee of Steamships Trading Company Limited and Non-Executive Director of Trinity Anglican School Limited in Queensland, Australia. “His significant experience and understanding of the PNG economic and regulatory landscape has been derived from his time as an Assurance Partner working with many of PNG’s largest businesses, which reaffirms his ability to ensure the highest standards of governance.” Gilend further stated that Hansor brings to the Board substantial professional experience acquired across various jurisdictions in the accounting and financial space, undertaking audits of large multinational corporations and none-audit areas including mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, control frameworks, risk management and finance function transformation. “The current board and management look forward to working with the new Directors” added Chairman Gileng. Their tenure on the Board promises to support the continued period of transformative growth and innovation, solidifying FinCorp's position as a leading force in the financial services landscape.

On International Youth Day this year, Westpac’s Youth Network (WYN) and the University of Papua New Guinea Biology Students Association (UPNGBSA), collaborated to plant a total of four hundred seedlings to make a meaningful impact on the environment through a successful Mangrove Planting initiative. The collaboration between Westpac and UPNGBSA shows a strong commitment to community engagement and demonstrated a shared vision for a sustainable future. Mangrove forests are vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in protecting coastlines, providing habitats for various species and sequestering carbon dioxide. Mangroves contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and understanding the importance of preserving these delicate ecosystems, TYN and UPNGBSA united in a common endeavour to restore and protect mangrove habitats for generations to come. Westpac PNG has long advocated for youth and has a vision to bring opportunity and inspiration to every young person in the community. Co-Chair of Westpac’s Youth Network, Melinda Temara stated that, “At TYN, we believe in the power of collective action and the difference we can make when we come together for a common cause.” “Partnering with the students allows us to showcase our commitment for sustainability, creating a stronger impact for the communities we serve.” This mangrove planting initiative marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to environmental conservation and will leave a legacy of positive change in the community.” President of UPNG Biology Students Association, Shirley Waira expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration between the bank and the students. “We are thrilled to work together with Westpac’s Youth Network on this significant project.” “Mangrove ecosystems are crucial for the health of our planet. Partnering with TYN has enabled us to extend our conservation efforts and learning beyond the classroom and into the real world, making tangible impact on our environment and communities”, said Miss Waira. The Mangrove Planting initiative took place at Tubuserea village on the outskirts of Port Moresby. Through this hands-on experience, the young leaders not only enriched their understanding of environmental conservation but also left a legacy of positive change in the community.

Ninety-three people have been confirmed killed in the Maui fire that razed the historic town of Lahaina, marking the most deadly US fire in a century. The number of victims could rise "significantly", Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned on Saturday, as forensic work continues to identify the victims. Hundreds remain unaccounted for while hundreds of others fill shelters across Maui after fleeing the flames. "It's an impossible day," Green said. The fire will "certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced", he said. "We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding." While the wildfires are now largely under control, efforts to fully extinguish them are continuing in parts of the island, including around Lahaina, which has been devastated. Authorities have focused efforts on combing through what is left of the coastal area of the island, using sniffer dogs trained to detect bodies to look for signs of corpses under the rubble. So far, they have covered only 3 percent of the search area, said a visibly emotional Maui Police chief John Pelletier. "You have to do rapid DNA [testing] to identify them, every one of these 89 are John and Jane Doe [initially unidentified]," he said. "None of us really understand the size of this yet." [caption id="attachment_43788" align="aligncenter" width="1085"] Destroyed buildings and homes in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on 11 August 2023. Photo: SEBASTIEN VUAGNAT / AFP[/caption] Jeremy Greenberg, a senior official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has told the BBC that extra support being sent included urban search and rescue, and fire suppression teams. "The absolute number one priority is survivor safety," he said. Greenberg added that while close to 1000 people are still yet to be contacted, some of these may be safe but out of reach for a number of reasons. In the emergency shelter at Maui's War Memorial Complex on Saturday, hundreds of evacuees continued to gather, receiving food, toiletries and medical aid from a still-growing number of volunteers. Large whiteboards noted the most pressing needs - batteries, water, and generators - and an all-caps note that no more clothing was needed. Keapo Bissen, a member of the War Memorial shelter team, said the list of the missing was fluctuating hour to hour as more people reported absent loved ones, and others were found. "We've had a lot of great reunions happen in this parking lot," she said. "That's really been the bright side in all of this." It is thought that more than 2000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed since the fires broke out. The majority of these were homes in the Lahaina area. The main road to Lahaina, the Honoapiilani highway, was briefly re-opened to residents on Saturday, before quickly being closed again. Hundreds of Lahaina residents have stayed in line on the highway anyway, hoping to be be allowed through. Liz Germansky, who lost her home in the fire, is angry about the response. "The government's getting in the way of people helping," she said, sitting in that same traffic queue. Another route, the Kahekili Highway, is open, but locals say it is far too dangerous to attempt that drive. The road - known simply here as "the backroad" to Lahaina - is barely wide enough for one car, has many hair-pin turns, and a steep drop-off. "We can't drive this truck there. It's a cliff," said resident Ruth Lee who was stuck in traffic trying to bring supplies to her family that stayed behind. The cost of rebuilding Maui has been estimated at USD$5.5 billion (NZD$9.1b), according to the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and FEMA, which is coordinating the relief effort to Hawaii from Washington. Helicopter pilot Richard Olsten has flown over Maui and told the BBC that even most of the boats in the harbour were burnt and had sunk. "The historic buildings, the church, the missionary building and so forth - all gone," he said. "The main tourist area where all the shops and restaurants are, the historic front street - everything burnt to the ground." Felicia Johnson, who owns a printing business in the city of Kahului, Maui, is organising a massive grassroots response to the disaster. Her family is from the Lahaina area. She has amassed hundreds of pounds of donated supplies to bring in, but has been unable to shuttle them through the government checkpoint. She said that pleading with authorities to let her enter with her donated goods is the hardest part for her emotionally - not the devastation she has witnessed while dropping off supplies. "That's the part that I'm so wrecked on, is I got to keep begging you to come in to feed people." Many of the docks in the area are too badly damaged or destroyed to bring in supplies by boat, Johnson said. Some people that have made the journey have swum the supplies to the shore. Some of the young men helping her load supplies blame government mismanagement and bureaucracy. "Too many chiefs, not enough warriors," said Bradah Young, 25. "Everybody is in charge but nobody is moving," said another man. As they departed in hope of being allowed through the checkpoint, one man threw up a shaka, a traditional hand greeting in Hawaii. Source: rnz.com

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) says foreign aid sent to Papua New Guinea is being distributed across the region. The Air Force's Hercules and crew dropped 7000 kilograms of supplies into the town of Buka yesterday where 8000 people have been impacted by the volcanic eruption of Mt Bagana. The drops, paid for by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contained temporary shelters and tarpaulins, as well as food, water containers and water purification tablets, hygiene kits, generators and lighting. NZDF Air Component Commander Shaun Sexton said other countries were helping move the supplies. "The stores that we dropped off are being moved by the Papua New Guinea folks, supported by the US forces, and they're distributing down to where they're needed most." The deployment followed a request from Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape for international partners to support the Autonomous Government of Bougainville and the Government of Papua New Guinea as they assessed damage caused by the ongoing volcanic activity and responded to locals' emergency needs. Ash plumes and other volcanic effects have affected communities near the volcano, which began erupting last month. While no deaths or injuries have been reported, ash fall has posed challenges for food and water security and has caused thousands to be displaced. Sexton said while there were no plans at this stage for the NZDF to return with further aid, it was always prepared to help its Pacific partners when they were in need. Source: Radio NZ Pacific

One of Hawaii’s biggest stars is expressing support in the midst of the lethal wildfires in Maui. Actor Jason Momoa has been posting on his verified Instagram account about the tragedy, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people and massive destruction on the island. “We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and ‘ohana on Maui who have been impacted by the recent wildfires,” the caption reads on one of Momoa’s posts, which reposted information from the community organization ‘Āina Momona. Momoa, who was born in in Honolulu, also reposted information that included a locator list for those searching for their loved ones. In his Instastories, the “Game of Thrones” and “Aquaman” star reposted information from organizations that are aiding in the disaster. One repost advised people to not book hotel stays there at the moment. “The American Hotel & Lodging Association and Hawaii Hotel Alliance are currently working with hotels in other part [sic] of Hawaii to house displaced residents,” the post originally from ‘Āina Momona reads. “Survivors are the priority.” Momoa is a frequent booster of Hawaiian organizations that support its culture, environment and social activism. Source: CNN

The Deputy Chief of PNG Defence Force, Commodore Philip Polewara, has presented the PNGDF Investigation Report on the Kupiano Training Incident to the General Board of Inquiry on Wednesday 09th of August 2023. The Board – convened by the authority of the Minister for Defence – summoned Commodore Polewara following its first sitting on Tuesday 10th of August 2023, at APEC Haus, Port Moresby. While handing over the report, the Commodore said the PNGDF investigation, from which the report is furnished, was conducted independently, without interference from the force’s higher command. “It is the initial PNGDF report into the training mishap that occurred on 4th July 2023 in Kupiano, claiming the lives of two members and injuring another along with a civilian.” “The report will serve as a key document for the Board to conduct their investigations.” He further stated that the Inquiry is a fact-finding mission, and the Board will inquire into and scrutinize all areas of Defence administration, operations and training, and provide appropriate recommendations to the Defence hierarchy for improvement of administration, process and procedures. He said that this will ensure accidents such as the one in Kupiano do not occur again during PNGDF trainings. The procedure of the Inquiry is as directed by the Chairman and the Board, is not bound to observe strict legal procedures or rules of evidence but may admit and consider information as is available and relevant to the Inquiry. In the interest of fairness, the Board may order that all or any evidence given before it be given in private. Session was adjourned on Wednesday afternoon and will resume on today Friday at 10am, giving Board members Thursday to read through the report.

“More than K16.0 million Constitutional Grants went stale and were forfeited back to the state this year.” . “This is due to non-submittal of acquittal reports of Constitutional grants which consists of Provincial and District Support Grants (PSG & DSG).” The Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) Secretary Aihi Vaki said to qualify for the release of next lot of Constitutional Grants depends entirely on the previous year’s both physical and financial reports. Mr. Vaki said there were 36 discretionary and 31 non-discretionary components of PSG & DSG that added up to K16, 750,000.00 in 2022 that went stale. In 2021, there were K6, 250,000.00 PSG and DSG of which 12 discretionary and 13 non-discretionary cheques that had been re-issued, however it will go stale again in September 2023, if not collected by the provinces and districts. “These PSG and DSG cheques went stale because of the failure by the provincial or district finance managers including their administration and we blame them for not complying,” he said. He said because of such issues and actions by those in authority, people suffer. “Districts and provinces must identify gaps in important areas that need serious consideration and intervention, especially at the LLG and ward levels where most of the people live. “Funds must be spent on intended purposes such as law and order, education and health sectors including other sustainable programs in partnership with local communities to empower and improve their living standards and submitting of acquittal reports to access such development grants are very critical.” Vaki further challenges public servants at the sub-national administration to comply with the administrative guidelines and financial instructions by submitting all outstanding Provincial and District Services Improvement Program (PSIP and DSIP) dated back to 2018-2022. “I call up on every implementer at the sub-national administration to use the funds wisely and hand over the report back to us as part of compliance that stipulated under the Public Finance Management Act (2014) because huge development grants were frontloaded to sub-nationals who fail to hand over reports.” He said this is to ensure accountability, transparency and practice good governance at the sub-national administration.

PNG Power has commenced work to restore faulty generators at the Boram Power Station in Wewak, East Sepik Province. A technical team from Port Moresby arrived in Wewak on Wednesday, August 2, and commenced work on the faulty generators. Heavy load shedding has been undertaken on the Wewak grid due to only two (machines) in operation, while the other three generating units have been offline due to mechanical faults and parts replacement. The Technical Team will also work on Units 5 and 1 and has scheduled Unit 5 to be restored by this Saturday with a capacity of 600 kilowatts. Immediate work will begin with the installation of the new 2.5-Megawatt (MW) generator for the power station, and it is anticipated to be online by this week. Unit 1, with 700 kilowatts, will undertake an overhaul with parts flown in from Port Moresby and will be commissioned by the end of August and parts are expected to arrive in Wewak on August 20. A new service block exchange will also be installed for Unit 6 with parts already purchased and will also be shipped to Wewak in mid-August with a capacity of 800kW. A replacement machine for Unit 4 is being shipped from Port Moresby and is expected to arrive at the end of August, with an added capacity of 700kw. The short-term goal for PNG Power is to ensure that some of these generators are up and running by this weekend while working on a longer-term solution for the Wewak grid. PPL is now apologizing to its customers in Wewak for the inconvenience caused due to the generation shortfall, causing heavy load shedding. Genesis Top News.

A Memorandum of Understanding was officially signed between Marie Stopes PNG (MSPNG) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s (ABG) Department of Health. The special ceremony was held at the Buka General Hospital (BGH) recently, paved the way for more meaningful and effective partnership between the two. The signing of partnership was officiated by MSPNG External Relation Director, Anthony Nagul; and Acting-Secretary for ABG Department of Health (ABG DoH), Dr Ruline Pokote and present to witness the occasion were Buka General Hospital CEO – Dr. Tommy Wotsia, BGH senior management and staff, ABG representatives, stakeholders, and media personnel. The partnership is to develop and facilitate collaboration between the Parties as set out in the areas of cooperation towards strengthening Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health service provision for the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB). MSPNG External Relation Director, Mr Nagul said the partnership will see two Marie Stopes’s nurses embedded or stationed at Buka General Hospital’s Post Natal Ward and Arawa District Hospital’s Post Natal Ward. “These nurses will provide family planning services and counselling to post-partum mothers and it is also hoped that these nurses can offer education and awareness on family planning and sexual reproductive health to the wider catchment areas across Buka and Arawa, respectively”. “Marie Stopes PNG is excited to recommence service delivery in ARoB and it is great to see other development agencies, NGOs, Civil Societies and partners working closely with the ABG to delivery much needed services to the people of AROB,” he further added. Also speaking at the signing ceremony,Acting-Secretary for ABG Department of Health (ABG DoH), Dr Ruline Pokote thanked MSPNG and the people and government of New Zealand for their support and steadfast commitment to assisting the ABG achieve its development goals in the space of family planning. “Your willingness and commitment to re-engage with our region given our past history is greatly appreciated so I give you assurance that we are committed to fostering a conducive and enabling environment that can result in all of us achieving our shared goals of increasing family planning access to our local population.” Dr Pokote described the partnership as the cornerstone for more sustainable family planning programs and said it was important for the future plans of Bougainville. “It is our hope that through this partnership which will act as a cornerstone to more sustainable family planning programs, progress can be made in increasing the awareness to our general population.” “Thus, we can normalize and increase the acceptance and uptake of family planning or better future planning services in Bougainville,” Dr Pokote said. Mr Nagul stated in conclusion, “Through the generous funding of the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Marie Stopes PNG has embarked on renewing its partnership with ABG Department of Health to support Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for the people of AROB and PNG.” “The goal of the project is to create awareness and educate our citizens on the importance of spacing our children to ensure families can prosper within their financial means.”