Dede Sophie

 The country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Lae MP John Rosso, is still leading the Lae Open Seat race after count 10 this afternoon. Mr. Rosso, who is a PANGU Pati candidate, managed to collect 3, 201 votes to give him a comfortable lead, while running in a distant second is businessman and Independent candidate, Mathew Minape with 874 votes. Coming in third is People’s National Congress Party candidate, Fabian Peter with 655 votes. On fourth placing is Shepard Gaya Way, also an Independent candidate with 400 votes, and in fifth placing is Edward Makarios, an Indigenous Liberation Party candidate with 344 votes. Count 11 is currently underway. Results for the Regional Seats will not be released as yet, because polling is currently still continuing for other Districts in the province. NBC / PNG Today Next :  Acting PM Rosso outlines importance of PNG Prime Minister Marape’s attendance at PIF

 The Santos PNG Orchids selection process ahead of this year’s Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) will continue in Port Moresby this week, with 34 eligible players to face off in a trial match on Saturday 13 August at the Santos National Football Stadium to assist with final squad selections. Orchids coach Ben Jeffries will travel from Australia to Papua New Guinea this week to observe training sessions and the match, which are being delivered by PNG-based Orchids staff and Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL). Initially it was hoped that 10 Australia-based potential Orchids players would travel to PNG to participate in the trial match alongside their PNG-based counterparts, but this has been deferred in line with a recent decision by the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) to delay the SP PNG Hunters’ season return to Port Moresby out of an abundance of caution due to national election processes. Instead, Jeffries will continue to consider the selection claims of overseas-based player