The third match of the day for the PM's XIII game saw the PNG women's team go down to the Australian ladies 50-0 at fulltime at the Santos National Football Stadium. With 9 minutes into the first half, Australia's Keele Browne secured her sides first try on the wing putting them in the lead. The conversion was unsuccessful leaving the first points at 4-0. The PNG women tried their best under the hot skies but we're unable to secure themselves a least a try to redeem themselves. The Australia women’s side kept their scoring spree on the go with two consecutive tries from Rory Owen on the right wing, Jamie Chapman followed by Keele Brown scoring her second try of the match. The PNG side tried their best but had a lot of clumsy minutes to force the team to hand over the ball to their opponents. Australia's Jamie Chapman scored another try for her team to put them in the lead, followed by Kezie Apps and Tehan Berry scoring their last try of the first try, taking them 44-0 at first half. Coming back to hopefully break the egg in the last 40 mins, the PNG Women's side we're unable to secure any try in the second half but were able to defend stronger only letting the Australians to score their last try, taking the fulltime score to 50-0.

While the grade ten (Grd10) students sit back and reflect on their recent national examinations, a total of 32, 863 grade twelve (Grd12) students from 225 secondary and 6 national school of excellence will commence their national examinations tomorrow, Monday 14th October 2024. In the Western Province, Education Advisor Mr. Charlie Buia told PNG HAUSBUNG that of the six (6) secondary schools in the province, eight-hundred and fifty-two (852) Grd12 students will sit for the exams. He said, they are anticipating a smooth run of the Grd12 exams like they did with the Grd10 examinations. “We did not experience any issues with the examinations. The exams in the province ran smoothly. The exam papers arrived on time and were delivered to all schools, and all the students were able to sit for the exams. We had no issues surrounding the administration of grd10 examinations in the province.” He also advised that those Grd10 students continuing to Grd11 can expect to check their results online towards the last week of November and the first week of December. Mr. Buia further encouraged them and stated that they have done their best to ensure that students were given all the help during the year and are happy to see them sit for their exams. “We wish all the students the very best and we would like to see that the students concentrate on their exams and avoid other issues as much as possible.” Meanwhile, here is the schedule for Grade 12 examinations tomorrow onwards: GRADE 12 EXAM SCHEDULE: October 14 (Monday) • Session 1: ADVANCED MATHEMATICS P1/ GENERAL MATHEMATICS P1. • Session 2: APPLIED SCIENCE /HISTORY. October 15 (Tuesday) • Session 1: PHYSICS /ACCOUNTING. • Session 2: GEOGRAPHY. October 16 (Wednesday) • Session 1: BIOLOGY/ECONOMICS. • Session 2: GEOLOGY / BUSINESS STUDIES. October 17 (Thursday) • Session 1: LANGUAGE & LITERATURE / APPLIED ENGLISH. •Session 2: CHEMISTRY / LEGAL STUDIES. October 18 (Friday) • Session 1: INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY. • Session 2: ADVANCED MATHEMATICS P2 /GENERAL MATHEMATICS P2.

Save the Children, UNICEF and the National Government officially launched the Oky PNG- a groundbreaking period-tracker mobile app for girls on Friday 11th October, coinciding with International Girls Day. According to Oky Project Manager-Save the Children, Mr. Deanford Nianford, the app is now available on the Google Play Store and the App Store (Apple) as part of a soft launch for in-country testing and feedback, for promotional activities planned in Port Moresby. Oky is the first period tracking app co-created with girls, for girls aged 10-19 to learn about menstrual hygiene, puberty, personal safety, mental health, referral pathways and other topics important to girls in PNG. The global app has been tailored to PNG through a partnership between UNICEF PNG, Save the Children and the Government of PNG, with support from the Australian Government. The app is available in both Android and iOS versions. Dr Edward Waramin, Manager for Population and Family Health Services at the National Department of Health, said sexual and reproductive health is often considered taboo in PNG. "The National Department of Health is addressing this vital issue through its adolescent-focused programs," Dr Waramin said. "We are excited to see how Oky will empower a generation of girls to dream big and take charge of their health and wellbeing," he added. Oky PNG has been tailored with input from adolescent girls like 16- year-old Rachel, who said she was 13 when she had her period and couldn't stop crying. "I had no idea what was happening, if I had something like Oky back then, it would have made such a difference. Now, I want to share the information on Oky with girls in my community," Rachel said. The Oky PNG is also supported by the National Department of Education through the Office of the Secretary. It is noted that menstrual health and hygiene education and information is to be made available anytime whenever our students especially the girls need it and Oky is making this possible. Sam Lora, the First Assistant Secretary further reiterated that puberty is a challenging time for adolescents, and not having the right information can significantly impact the wellbeing of young girls, which in turn might affect their educational outcomes. "We hope that the information on Oky about puberty is utilized not just by girls but also by boys, teachers, and caregivers, so we can create a more supportive and girl-friendly social ecosystem." The Oky PNG initiative, backed by the Australian Government through its Indo-Pacific Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights COVID-19 Surge Response Program, aims to enhance digital health for girls in Papua New Guinea. In an effort to reach the most girls, the app functions both online and offline, is designed to work on lower-end smartphones, is compatible with older software, and is entirely free, without advertisements. UNICEF Country Representative, Angela Kearney emphasized the transformative Impact of the app, saying the app works offline, which is vital in a country where internet access is still expanding. "By putting girls at the centre of their own health decisions, we are giving them the tools to navigate adolescence with confidence. We thank the Government of Australia and other partners."

As time draws near for the Prime Minister’s XIII game, PNG’s Orchids and the Australian Jillaroos are geared up and focused on facing off each other in tomorrow's match at the Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby. Incoming PNG representative Orchids Coach Tahnee Norris said the girls have settled in well after coming in on Monday and heading straight into training. Norris said, they’ve had a couple of good running sessions as a team with both the PNG based players and the Australian based players getting along together and training as a team. She said a couple of girls playing in the Santos cup have been selected to wear the Orchids jersey and she is looking forward to seeing the ladies go up against a strong Australian side, to test themselves against some of the best players in the NRLW as they prepare for the upcoming Pacific Championship. “Its a really proud moment for me to be named as the Orchids coach. I know it's the number sport in PNG and I’m excited to be part of it and to see the growth of women’s rugby league over here and how serious PNGRFL are taking the women’s sport over here, it is really an exciting place to be and to coach the national side,” said Norris. Orchids captain Elsie Albert said, “It's always an honor to put on the PNG Orchids jersey and I am very much looking forward to this weekend's game.” Albert further stated that, preparations are going well with the girls and are ready and fit for this Sunday’s match, “I have confidence in the team that we have and faith in Tahnee’’s selection and we’ll see how we go.” Meanwhile, Australian Women’s Indigenous All Stars coach Jess Skinner will mentor the Jillaroos side. Skinner said, they had an early start trying to get the team to PNG and are excited to be in the country as this time of the calendar is an exciting time of the year and are looking forward to the match. She said, they have a couple of returning girls from last year's squad like Jaime Chapman and many are new selections. “We are proud to have women already on the international stage and it's always good to come to Papua New Guinea and see the Orchids and the PM’s team take the field, they have a great coach Tanhee leading them.” said Skinner. Skinner said this is the first time they have appointed a female coach and are happy to see more women in league. Jillaroos great, Kezie Apps, who plays for Wests Tigers, expressed excitement to be here and take part in the PM’s XIII match. “We love coming over here and I’m just really excited to play on Sunday and it's a great showcase of women’s rugby league and I think it's great what Else and Tahnee have done with women’s rugby league have done and it's so pleasing to hear that its growing and there’s more investment into the sport.”

Papua New Guinea representative coaches Joey Grima and Solomon Kuluniasi have named their representative sides maintaining their roles, selecting their squads for the upcoming Prime Minister’s XIII challenges against the Australian school boys’ and school girls’ sides. Both the Prime Minister's XIII Junior Kumuls’ and Junior Orchids’ squads have assembled in Port Moresby in the lead-up to the international matches taking place at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, this coming Sunday 13th October. Grima said last year’s narrow defeat to the Australian school boys demonstrates the talent pool here in Papua New Guinea. This year it’s an opportunity to see how the junior male players grow and learn from that experience. “The staff and I are so proud of the journey for these young men of PNG. The national pride these young men have wearing a junior kumuls’ jersey from all regions from Papua New Guinea and East coast of Australia is refreshing.” “Some of our players selected have never left their village or town and now they have an opportunity to travel to the nation’s capital and train in a world-class gym and faculty with the best available PNG players available.” “These players deserve this opportunity to play against the number one nation of rugby league. I’m excited for what Sunday will deliver and incredibly excited for my playing group and staff,” Grima said. Meanwhile, Kuluniasi expressed that camp was progressing well for the female juniors’ team. “The girls are connecting and getting better. A few bumps and bruises but they’ll get over it come weekend’s game. The staff are doing a great job also. A good culture is happening.” “This is a great opportunity for our young girls to come together - they are excited and looking forward to Sunday,” Kuluniasi added. PNG PRIME MINISTER'S JUNIOR SQUADS PNG PRIME MINISTER'S XIII JUNIOR ORCHIDS SQUAD Alton Nayep Becky Kambi Bradley Orosambo Benitha Paka Cedrick Kuli Deborah Kitipa Emmanuel Balio Ennie James Emmanuel Tembon Gail Manove Errol Gialom Fabian Kari Hadassah Isokali Finley Muno Jacinta Gerry Gairo Voro - captain Josephine Howard Gregan Format Joyce Hobert Hercules Kondo Rhonda Joseph Ishmael Vaieke Jared Horne Ruth Gende Joseph Kora Ruth Paul Otto Thomas Samantha Micheal Phillip Coates Shelina Pota Smith Pamundi Skylyn Sil Vane Manuma Tasha Storm Wendy Josh  

The United States (US) Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), launched the next phase in the United States’ 20-plus years of support for the prevention and treatment of HIV in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the EPIC Project. For the last six years, USAID has partnered with the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the National Capital District (NCD) Provincial Health Authority (PHA) to make the NCD a model district for the prevention, monitoring, and treatment of HIV. Under EPIC, this work will be expanded to Morobe and Eastern Highlands Provinces in partnership with the PHAs. The partnership will work with community-based organizations, key populations, and front-line health workers to support people living with HIV, fight PNG’s HIV epidemic, and address a crisis in vertical transmission. (Mother to child HIV transmission that occurs during pregnancy or at birth.) USAID Country Representative, Nino Nadiradze reaffirmed that the United States is a partner PNG can rely on in the fight against HIV, “USAID is committed to standing with Papua New Guinea to prevent and respond to the HIV epidemic.” The previous phase of United States support for combating HIV in Papua New Guinea - the USAID HIV Support for PNG project - was a six-year, $23.5 million initiative that contributed to the NCD achieving UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 goals for HIV treatment and prevention. That means that over 95% of people living with HIV in the NCD know their status. Of those who know their status, over 95% are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and over 94% of those on ART have achieved viral suppression and cannot transmit HIV to others. USAID’s HIV support has also pioneered the integration of gender-based violence (GBV) services into HIV care with over 8,000 survivors receiving support. The project also launched the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment and the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) campaign, both of which significantly improved transmission prevention and viral suppression in the NCD. The EPIC Project will expand USAID’s HIV technical assistance to Morobe and Eastern Highlands Provinces to strengthen the capacities of the Provincial Health Authorities to implement their HIV prevention and response programs. The technical assistance will include enhanced HIV and outbreak data management at the provincial level, expansion of integrated HIV and gender-based violence services, expanded PrEP, and other targeted interventions.

While the other ‘Green Angels’ where out taking care and attending to patients, the National St John Ambulance Council marked World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10th October with a focus on creating a mentally safer workplace. This year’s theme, ‘prioritize mental health in the workplace’, highlights the importance of looking after their first responders’ wellbeing so they can continue delivering emergency services to the people of Papua New Guinea. To support this goal, two new initiatives were announced. The first is the creation of a peer support program, where staff can connect with senior colleagues trained in psychological first aid. The second is an initiative to make it easier for staff to access primary and preventative health care, including counselling and mental health services from the National Headquarters. These programs are a step towards making sure our staff remain healthy and ready to serve the community. On World Mental Health Day, we are reminded that good health includes mental wellbeing, and by caring for our team, we ensure they can care for you.

The Ramhaga Adventist Primary School in the Huhu Local Level Government of Alotau District, Milne Bay Province received a total of K10,000 worth of food and toiletry supplies along with four fuel drums this week. This timely assistance was provided by the Member for Samarai-Murua Isi Henry Leonard after requests were made to his office. Ramhaga Adventist Primary School is a mission school run by the Adventist Church under the Northern and Milne Bay Mission but has faced tough times from food shortages. Many students from Samarai-Murua district also attend the Ramhaga Adventist School in Alotau district, which prompted Mr Leonard to support the school. In recent years, the school has also been a victim of increasing law and order issues from sea piracy within the province. Food shortage has been the major issue that constantly faces the school; however, they continue finding help to keep the school running. Member for Alotau Open, Ricky Morris assisted in recent months with food supplies which have since been depleted and the school had to turn to the agriculture industry (As they refer to it) which are their food gardens that they have survived on for several weeks now before the timely assistance by Mr Leonard this week. Although the school is just an hour across the Milne Bay (bay) from Alotau town, it is in a rural setting where the challenges they face are similar to other rural schools within the province. In his remarks, Mr Leonard emphasized the importance in education for students and how critical it was at this period of the schooling year as students prepare for exams. He commended the teachers and students for their commitment and perseverance. “I am greatly honoured to come to this school and participate in assisting with the shortfall that we have in food supplies and fuel. I saw the reports and the request coming in and the need to support the school. The end of the year is critical as students must sit for their examinations. We are fortunate that our children can attend this school. This provides the basis on which we build our human capital,” Mr Leonard said. “I thank my brother Member for Alotau Open Hon, Ricky Morris who has supported this school. And for me to come here is the most honourable thing, given the fact that it is not within my jurisdiction in terms of electoral boundaries. “But that’s not the point, the point is that when you’re a leader, there are no boundaries. When called upon, anywhere and everywhere you must serve the people. For those that ask, we must give and provide,” he said. Mr. Leonard apologized to the school because he had put in a plan when he rolled out the drought relief supply program for his district earlier this year which also included the school but when the report came through to his office, the school missed out. So, when the request came through from the school for food supplies, he responded to deliver the food items and the fuel drums personally. Mr. Leonard made a commitment to continue to support the school into the future and also committed several solar streetlights to be placed around the school yard and two chainsaws to help the school mill its own timber to build basic infrastructure like teachers houses and classrooms. Ramhaga Adventist Primary School Board member and representative from the local Mission Lester Toukmai thanked Mr. Leonard and his team for responding to their call for assistance and said the food supplied was enough to take them through to the end of the school year term. The food items provided included rice bales, sugar bales, flour, tinned food, tea, salt, coffee, milo, noodle cartons, biscuits and toiletries such as bath soap, toilet rolls, detergents, laundry powder among other items. The school also requested two drums of petrol and zoom but Mr. Leonard gave extra two drums making it four drums in total. Mr. Leonard and his team travelled to Ramhaga on Monday evening spending a few hours with the teachers and students before returning to Alotau.

Vodafone PNG has once again come on board this year announcing their support for the 61st Morobe Provincial Agricultural Show. As a White ribbon sponsor, Vodafone PNG will be supporting the event with a total package of K20,350 in cash and Free SIM cards with K200 Free talk-time for all attendees. The cash donation will help the committee with funding the general admission tickets for both days of the event which sees over 100, 000 attendees per year. Vodafone PNG’s Lae Regional Manager, Ronil Anuj described the Morobe Show as a great way to promote connections between farmers, consumers and businesses in the area. “We are honoured yet again to be a sponsor of this year’s Morobe Show as this event is a great way for us to showcase our broadband and mobile solutions designed to benefit rural communities.” “This year our booth will be an interactive display where visitors can learn about our services and products including the role of connectivity in advancing agricultural practices.” Anuj further stated, “Vodafone's involvement as a sponsor of this year’s show is not merely a financial transaction but a testament to our commitment to the communities we serve. We recognise the importance of supporting agriculture and believe that technological advancement can complement, rather than replace, the time-honored practices of farming and rural life.” Vodafone's sponsorship brings a range of benefits to the annual agricultural show, including Free SIM cards for attendees, massive discounts on mobile phones and the popular Show Bags. As the 61st Morobe Province Agricultural Show approaches, the Lae community is buzzing with anticipation. With Vodafone's support, attendees can expect an even more memorable experience that blends the charm of agricultural traditions with the convenience and connectivity of the modern world.

The Sydney Roosters have held off a furious Sharks comeback to claim a thrilling NRLW grand final victory. The Roosters led 24-0 at half-time, before Cronulla came roaring back in the second half to pull within two with eight minutes to play. Dally M Medallist Olivia Kernick looked to have put the game to bed with a 66th minute try, her second of the game. Sharks skipper Tiana Penitani gave her side one last chance with a late try of her own, but that was where the comeback would end, the Roosters holding on to secure a 32-28 win. Roosters forward Millie Elliott set the tone early with a dominant opening stint while five-eighth Joceleyn Kelleher wreaked havoc with her boot throughout the first half. The playmaker forced five errors from bombs in the opening 20 minutes and the Roosters made their opponents pay, running in five tries to zero in the first half A Sharks error opened the door for the Roosters and Kernick put her side up 6-0 when she crashed over in the 15th minute. Wingers Jayme Fressard and Brydie Parker then crossed in quick succession on the back of Kelleher bombs, Cronulla struggling to secure possession. Parker had her second in the 26th minute before Jess Sergis extended the margin in the final minute of the first half. Cronulla were a different team after the break, Emma Tonegato and Georgia Hannaway picking apart the Roosters defence. Tiana Penitani crossed three minutes into the second half, before Tonegato put Quincy Dodd over to cut the deficit to 12. Hannaway had a try of her own in the 48th minute and suddenly the Sharks were a chance of pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in grand final history. The previous biggest comeback in an NRLW game was in the 2021 semi-final when the Roosters turned a 16-0 deficit into a 22-16 win over the Broncos. An error off the kick off, however, halted the momentum and the Roosters kicked out to a 26-18 lead courtesy of a Kelleher penalty goal. The Sharks were still coming, with Ellie Johnston producing a miracle play to pull her team within two. The prop caught the ball with her legs, before gathering it and crashing over in the 61st minute. Kernick's try gave the Roosters some breathing room, but Cronulla still had a pulse and Penitani set up a grandstand finish when she made it 32-28. The Sharks had one last set of six to complete the comeback, however an errant offload put an end to their charge and the Roosters held on to secure a tense victory.

A new coach could be the spark that the PNG Kapuls need ahead of this month's FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania Qualifiers group stage. Warren Moon left the post following their OFC Men’s Nations Cup campaign, where a win, a draw and a loss weren’t enough to see them advance to the semi-finals, missing out on goal difference to Tahiti. Felipe Vega-Arango is the new man in charge and has a squad with no shortage of international experience at his disposal. As well as the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in June, Papua New Guinea also played in the Pacific Games in Honiara late last year, failing to make the semi-finals. The newly-created FIFA Series was another opportunity for international experience outside of the Oceania region for Papua New Guinea. A credible 0-0 draw with Sr Lanka was followed by a 4-0 defeat to Central African Republic, both fixtures being played in Colombo. Felipe Vega-Arango previously coached Solomon Islands and despite being drawn to face them in the group stage, isn’t allowing his focus to shift from their first match against New Caledonia in Suva next week. “I am not even thinking about them right now. We have a really difficult match with New Caledonia, in which obviously they are the favourites for the match. So, the only thing that I have in my mind right now is to have a team ready to compete against New Caledonia. The Solomon Islands game is too far away from me right now,” he said. Papua New Guinea was frustrated not to advance past the group stage in the OFC Men’s Nations Cup earlier this year in Fiji and the coach is aware that his side have a tough challenge ahead of them if they are to progress to the semi-finals. “The three teams, Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia, lately they’ve been doing much better than us, so I’ve been trying to pass that message to the boys that we have to be humble and we are going to have to compete extremely hard. “As you will know, World Cup qualifier matches are a completely different ball game,” Vega-Arango explained. After next week’s action, the group shifts to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, with the coach hoping home advantage will provide his side with a boost in their bid to qualify for a first-ever FIFA World Cup. “Let’s be honest, in football, playing in the home ground is always, I believe, an advantage and it’s always positive, so I am happy but I am thinking a lot more about the New Caledonia game. That’s actually the only thing that I have in my mind at the moment,” he explained. Papua New Guinea fixtures FIFA World Cup 26™ Oceania Qualifiers (kick-off times local) Thursday, October 10 v New Caledonia, 4:00pm, HFC Bank Stadium, Suva Thursday, November 14 v Fiji, 4:00pm, PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby Sunday, November 17 v Solomon Islands, 4:00pm, PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby

The SP PNG Hunters' comeback and the maturation of players like Judah Rimbu this season, are encouraging signs for the future of rugby league in the country. That's according to PNG Kumuls Coach Jason Demetriou when commenting on the progress of the sport in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The National Rugby League (NRL) reported that Rimbu, who can play both in the halves and at hooker, became the second Hunter to win the Petero Civoniceva Medal as the Hostplus Cup player of the year for the QRL. This accomplishment added to an incredible season that will likely be capped off by another Kumuls call-up. The Kumuls beat Fiji in the final of last year's Pacific Bowl, and with players like Rimbu stepping up, Demetriou was excited to see the talent coming through. “I think the Hunters probably underachieved the last few years and [head coach] Paul Aiton's done a fantastic job with them, and they played an exciting brand of footy,” Demetriou said. “One of the first things I noticed when I started watching them was Judah Rimbu, who stood out in every game that he played. "If he's not their best player, he’s in their top three every week, so I could see how he's earned that award and that sets him up for a good international period as well." Rimbu is set to join Castleford in England, where nine members of last year's Kumuls squad play, and despite injuries to Alex Johnston, Justin Olam and Zac Laybutt, there is now more depth of PNG-eligible players in Super League and the NRL. The Hunters reached the preliminary final before losing to eventual premiers Norths Devils, while the domestic competition is growing in strength. “It's a great sign; the future's bright," Demetriou said. "I think with the talk of an NRL bid potentially … there's real opportunity for the Kumuls to build some momentum for the game over there in PNG." “The Kumuls are the number one brand over there and it's a great responsibility to take into the Pac Champs (Pacific Champions)." In a change to the format for the Pacific Championships, the winner of the Bowl will play the third placed Cup team - either Australia, New Zealand or Tonga - in a promotion-relegation play-off. “There's a real opportunity here to go up against one of those top tier nations and that's going to be a massive challenge. There’s an opportunity there for Fiji, for us and for the Cook Islands," Demetriou said. “There's been a lot of talk about players not getting the opportunity in the NRL from PNG, but I'm a strong believer that if the Kumuls can start pushing themselves into the top tier and start beating some top tier teams, then the interest from NRL clubs will rise dramatically. “It's up to us to earn the right for our boys to get opportunities. I'm really excited about the campaign.” Speaking to NRL.com following his player of the year win, Rimbu wasn’t getting too far of himself and said he was still waiting to receive a call from his coach to say he would be representing his country again. However, after a big year that began with a fulltime pre-season training opportunity with NRL side the Dolphins under a strategic partnership between the two clubs, an international call-up to take part in a revamped Pacific Championships would be a fitting season finale. “It's surprising and exciting as well, it's really good to receive the award, it's really good that this year was one of my best years,” Rimbu said. “When I went to the Dolphins, I learnt a lot … mostly professionalism on-and-off the field. “That made me be a better person on-and-off the field and that's why I am so grateful that I got to spend time with the Dolphins … and then to come back to Hunters and play with the boys and the boys were really helpful. “It's really good that I got (to do that), I'm so blessed with that. “Definitely it's a goal that I look forward to, to represent my country. Fingers crossed, anything might happen, so I'm just keeping my eyes and my phone open, coach might ring me, fingers crossed. “But that's a goal, I wanted to represent my country at the end of the season, so that's one of my goals that’s yet to be ticked. “To play in Port Moresby] all the grandstands are going to be filled up; the PNG people really love their footy so it's going to be a lot of fans there.”