The  PNG Hunters have won  back-to-back win  over last years  Queensland Instrust Cup premiers  Mackay Cutter 24 - 16 at Kalabond Stadium, in Kokopo. This was the Hunters first game on home soil and it was watched by a large crowd.

The visitors, were first to open scoring, just 13 minutes from kick off. With a successful conversion saw them lead 6 to nothing. 

The home side worked hard with solid defence and attack and Hunters winger Gary Lo dived  over the line and scored the first try for the Hunters.

Both sides scored two tries a piece in the first half but Hunters kickers did not find the uprights and the  visitors maintained a two point lead at half time, 10-8.

In the second half, Adex Wera, came home with a runaway try from within the Cutters’ 10metre mark.

 Roger Laka converted and put his team in front at 14-10. However that was short lived, as Dan Beasley broke through Hunter’s defence to put his first try over the line. Cutters conversion was succesful and the visitors  lead 16 -14 in the final quarter. 

  As the clock was ticking down, the local boys pushed their bigger opponents scored two unaswered tries through Noel Zemming and Albert Patak. Sebastian Pandia missed the conversion and Hunters sealed the with 24 - 16 scoreline.

The Hunters will meet  Central Queensland Capras next  Saturday at the same venue next week. 

Coach Michael Marum has this afternoon named his squad for the SP PNG Hunters first Intrust Super Cup home game this today against defending premiers the Mackay Cutters.

The club will take 18 players with them to Kokopo with 1 player to be omitted prior to kick off on this afternoon.

The players have responded well to training after Sundays historic win said Marum;

“We have been very careful to ensure that the players get back into our weekly routine and treat every match as equally important. We have a stretch of three home games now which is great for the club and fans, however we play the defending premiers and minor premiers from last year so it is going to be a very demanding three weeks for us. Its important we continue to work on the basics and improve on areas we didn’t do well on last Sunday. In this competition we have to back it up week after week against quality opposition and we are all working hard at training. It will be good to play in front of a parochial home crowd and we hope we get a sell-out at Kalabond Stadium this Saturday.”

SP PNG HUNTERS TEAM vs. Mackay Cutters, Saturday 8th March 2014, Kick-off @ 2pm

1. Adex Wera 

2. Garry Lo 

3. Thompson Teteh

4. Albert Patak 

5. George Benson 

6. Israel Eliab © 

7. Roger Laka

8. Joe Bruno

9. Wartovo Puara

10. Timothy Lomai

11. David Loko

12. Brandy Peter

13. Sebastian Pandia

14. Noel Zemming

15. Willie Minoga

16. Lawrence Tu'u

17. Adam Korave

18. Noel Joel

Coach: Michael Marum

The record attempt by Sophie Cairns, 35, would slash the existing record from over a year to only four months. Completing the Seven Volcanic Summits is an increasingly popular challenge for climbers and competition is growing worldwide to do it in the fastest time.

“I am thrilled that we reached the top despite the bad weather conditions,” said Cairns.

“This project is dedicated to the memory of my father, Anthony Richard Taylor, who passed away in 2008 only two weeks after his diagnosis. It was devastating. Since then I have climbed a mountain a year to raise money for a cure for esophageal cancer.”

Mt. Giluwe (4,368m) is the highest volcano in Australasia. Cairns reached the summit in cold and rainy conditions on March 1 with guides from Paiya Tours and Mt Giluwe Eco-Tourism.

“The local guides were very impressive and I felt extremely safe with them,” said Cairns.

Cairns kicked off her record bid in December by climbing Mt Sidley in Antarctica. She travels to Chile next to tackle the highest peak on the circuit, the massive Ojos del Salado (6,893m).

- Sophie Cairns aims to climb the highest volcano on each continent in record 4 

- Project is dedicated to the memory of Sophie’s father

- Competition growing worldwide to complete Seven Volcanic Summits in fastest time

To follow the Seven Volcanoes Project please visit: www.sevenvolcanoes.com. All funds raised go to Cancer Research UK to fund a clinical trial for a cure for esophageal cancer.

The government is aiming to provide cheaper internet service to the people, by establishing a new SOE.

PNG DataCo limited, will now make use of existing communication infrastructure to provide affordable services.

State Owned Enterprises Minister, Ben Micah says this development is in line with the government’s plans in creating the Kumul Trust.

Internet access in PNG has always been an expensive service.

Telikom PNG, also a state entity, has had some sort of monopoly over access and pricing of internet in PNG.

The government has seen the need to subsidize costs by establishing DataCo, to address this, and provide competition for other service providers.

Following an NEC decision in 2011, PNG DataCo limited was conceived together with the National Transmission Network, two projects under the Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC).

With the completion of the fiber optic cable connecting Komo in Southern Highlands and Port Moresby, the Southern Highlands Government has an 8 % share in the company.

State Enterprises Minister Ben Micah, said this connectivity is part of the bigger national transmission network, a K600 million project.

Three key managers will work under Paul Komboi, the managing director and a team is expected to be fully operational mid this year.

Telikom and Bemobile’s competitor, Digicel PNG, was represented by its CEO, John Mangos, at the swearing in of DataCo’s inaugural board yesterday.

Minister Micah called on the DataCo board to work with other internet service providers to stop unnecessary competition and provide affordable service.

The government aims to eventually transfer Telikom PNG assets and integrate with the PNG LNG fibre cable and PNG Power assets.

DataCo will now restructure existing national communication and information systems and the SOE wholesale communication network. PNG Today / EMTV

The Papua New Guinea government will contribute about FJD$38.5 million for the general elections, Fijivillage reports. 

During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between PNG and the Fiji Government, PNG’s Head of Delegation’s Chief Secretary Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc said the payment will be done in two installations.

The first allocation of 25 million kina or FJD$19 million will be given this year, while other 25 million kina will be given next year.

  

Zurenuoc said over the last two days, they have been meeting with various government officials on how the funding will be used.

Meanwhile during the signing, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Colonel Pio Tikoduadua thanked the PNG government and said the funds will help in the transition of government to parliamentary democracy.

The first payment of 6 million kina will be made by the end of this month while the remaining 19 million kina will paid by the end of June. 

Source: Fijivillage

Prime Minister and Army Commander, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama  told  Fijivillage that the  new Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces will be current Land Force Commander, Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga. 

.An important step in Fiji’s history will be taken tomorrow as Commodore Bainimarama, who has led the RFMF for 15 years, steps down from the Army Commander’s post.

This step has to be taken by Commodore Bainimarama as he has announced that he will form a political party this month.  

The handover ceremony will be held at Queen Elizabeth Barracks tomorrow where the outgoing Commander is expected to give his final address to the troops.

The new Commander, Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga will give his first speech as the Commander RFMF after the soldiers perform the full traditional welcome ceremony.

RFMF’s Land Force Command’s Chief Operations Officer, Colonel Amani Suliano said they are getting ready for the ceremony.

There is an audio file attached to this story. Please login to listen. 

The towing out of the outgoing Army Commander will take place tomorrow afternoon and it will finish off with the beating of the retreat at about 5.30pm.

More than a thousand people are expected to attend the ceremony as members of the Territorial Forces, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international and regional organizations and senior members of the Methodist Church have been invited. 

Source: Fijivillages 

RECENT heated speculations surroundings the deaths of two high ranking Correctional Service men have sparked a government lead probe. The National Executive Council will investigate the recent deaths of Correctional Service Commissioner Martin Balthazar and his deputy David Melange, both of whom mysteriously died two days apart; Melange on the 16th and Balthazar two days later. Correctional Service Minister Jim Simatab said the Cabinet has allocated K750,000 for the investigation and that the investigation is aimed at bringing closure to dangerous speculations that have been going around. “NEC has strongly recommended that investigations be thoroughly carried out into the manner in which the two died because the deaths occurred two days apart,” Simatab said. “Through the assistance of Minister for Works Francis Awesa, two detectives have been sent to begin investigations into the deaths of the two officers,” Simatab said. The autopsy and other tests have already been done and both men’s autopsies have pointed to natural causes of death, however, societal beliefs and witchcraft notion related rumors have since been running rife. The investigation will begin at the hotel in Goroka where the two were staying. “In particular Deputy Commissioner Melange who just collapsed in his room and died before reaching the hospital will be scrutinized carefully,” Simatab said. “We really need to go down there and find out what really happened in the hotel because there are some speculations of how they died. We want to ensure that those speculations do not affect their relatives. “We don’t want the families and relatives to think that there was some foul play. That is why the Government will have to conduct the investigati

on,” Simatab said. Meanwhile, the Cabinet has appointed Michael Waipo as acting Correctional Services Commissioner to replace the late Martin Balthazar. Waipo’s acting appointment is for only three months. Correction Services Minister Jim Simatab said Waipo’s immediate task is to facilitate the repatriation of the two bodies to their provinces. Simatab said Waipo held several senior positions in the CS headquarters in the past 14 years and was no rookie in the CS related field work.

PNG Today/ Post Courier