Dede Sophie

The Head of State Sir Bob Dadae this morning invited the ruling PANGU Pati to form Government in the 11th Parliament. PANGU Pati won the highest number of seats in the 2022 National Election with 36 declared so far. Sir Bob presented the Section 63 Letter to PANGU Pati General-Sectary Morris Tovebae at Government House in Port Moresby. The Vice Regal said according to Section 63 of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates, PANGU won the highest number of seats in this national election. The event was witnessed by Leader of PANGU Pati James Marape, his Deputy John Rosso and other members of the coalition. In his speech, Mr. Marape said every political party that took part in this election contested for this 63 Letter and its was a fair playing field. Meantime, the PANGU-led coalition at Loloata Island Resort has over 82 members with more expected to be declared. This morning’s event comes a day, before all members-elect for the 11th Parliament prepare to...

A lot of reforms aimed at stopping unsustainable logging and corruption which was exposed by the Barnett Commission of Inquiry have not been implemented after more than 30 years. Community Advocacy Organisation ‘ACT NOW PNG’ campaign Manager, Eddie Tanago, says that these are some of the important issues, for the new Forest Minister, Salio Waipo, to address. Mr. Tanago in a statement, says that it is shameful that nothing much has happened to stop the rampant illegal and unsustainable logging, despite the reforms to the Forestry Act in 1991. He says that the Forestry Act was supposed to mark the end of the Colonial era Timber Rights Purchase (TRP) Agreements, which were found to be full of abuses, the majority of log exports are still from TRP areas.  Mr. Tanago says, another permit that has been abused is the Forest Clearance Authority (FCA’s), which sees logging companies harvesting large forest areas, and not small and discreet areas for agricultural crops or roads....

The PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority is committed to stepping up compliance and enforcement in the New Guinea Islands Region. This with the establishment of its Regional Office in Kokopo, East New Britain Province. Chief Migration Officer Stanis Hulahau when speaking at the launch of the ICA Regional Office in Kokopo on Tuesday says they will be working closely with the Police in the region to make sure those who are illegally living and operating in the province and the region will be dealt with accordingly. Mr Hulahau says this is a clear indication that the ICA will make sure to go after those who break the laws, especially with the work permits, foreign employment act and migration laws. NBC News / PNG Today Next :  Illegal Power Consumers to be charged

It is kind of similar to the iconic Maravanthe beach of Karnataka where the NH 66 highway runs parallel to the Arabian sea and the Sowparnika river. This beach located in Southern Kerala is tucked in between the Arabian Sea and the backwaters of the Edava Narayana lake. And a beautiful road runs right through the heart of it. This road is not any national highway, but it is a cosy stretch with coconut palms on its sandy banks and to one side is the green water of the lake while on the other is the blue sea. I am talking about the offbeat Kappil beach that is located right between Kollam and Varkala . Just 7 kms to the north of the more popular Varkala beach, Kappil beach is more a hit with the locals. They prefer its remote location, quiet atmosphere, scenic backwaters and ample water sports options. It is the kind of place where you and your family can have a peaceful beach holiday with your own picnic lunch. And when you feel like some adventure, you can indulge in some water sports...

Volvo’s XC40 is a deceptive car, writes Brian Byrne. The styling suggests it is smaller than it actually is, but its dimensions are similar to Nissan’s Qashqai and it is larger in most measurements than the Range Rover Evoque, which appears bigger. My neighbour has an Evoque and that visual comparison was easy when I had the electric version of the XC40, the Recharge, outside my house last week. I have liked the styling of the XC40 since it first arrived here in early 2018. There’s something about the angular details, almost boxy, that sets it away from the usually curvier competition in the compact SUV space. It kind of radiates ‘no nonsense’. As you’d expect from the Swedish brand. With a bit of swish added in the form of the diamond cut and black alloys. The vehicle was good enough to win Car of the Year accolades in both Europe and Japan as well as the Women’s World COTY in 2018, and the Continental Irish Car of the Year for 2019. The no nonsense ethos is also largely true for the ...