CoveragePost
April 9, 2026
By Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific bulletin editor Papua New Guinea’s Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph has stepped aside to allow investigations into allegations he interfered with army recruitment. Prime Minister James Marape said he would assume the defence portfolio while an independent probe into PNG Defence Force recruitment irregularities proceeded. A media release from Marape ... <a title="PNG defence minister steps aside amid army recruitment controversy" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/09/png-defence-minister-steps-aside-amid-army-recruitment-controversy/" aria-label="Read more about PNG defence minister steps aside amid army recruitment controversy">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 22, 2024
Papua New Guinea’s former opposition leader Belden Namah says Prime Minister James Marape never answered in detail the questions he asked in Parliament this week about the Enga massacre Namah, the Vanimo Green MP, said he was dissatisfied with the response Marape presented in Parliament yesterday as the death toll from the Wapenamanda killings rose ... <a title="Namah not happy with Marape’s reply over PNG ‘warlords’ question" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/02/22/namah-not-happy-with-marapes-reply-over-png-warlords-question/" aria-label="Read more about Namah not happy with Marape’s reply over PNG ‘warlords’ question">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 12, 2024
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist A political crisis is starting to brew in Papua New Guinea as calls are made for Prime Minster James Marape to step down in the wake of deadly riots in parts of the country. Violence broke out with shops and businesses being set alight late yesterday, after public servants, ... <a title="PNG’s Marape under pressure to resign as 6 MPs quit after Moresby riots" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/01/12/pngs-marape-under-pressure-to-resign-as-6-mps-quit-after-moresby-riots/" aria-label="Read more about PNG’s Marape under pressure to resign as 6 MPs quit after Moresby riots">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 11, 2024
By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent At least 10 people are dead and dozens injured after 24 hours of looting in Papua New Guinea, during which several buildings were torched. Chaos broke out in Port Moresby as looters and opportunists took advantage of a protest by the country’s police and military. People have been ... <a title="At least 10 dead after looting, fires on Port Moresby’s ‘darkest day’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/01/11/at-least-10-dead-after-looting-fires-on-port-moresbys-darkest-day/" aria-label="Read more about At least 10 dead after looting, fires on Port Moresby’s ‘darkest day’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 11, 2024
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist, and Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Shops have been set on fire or looted in parts of Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby as unrest broke out during a police and military strike. The protest over unexplained pay deductions to salaries of police, military, and correctional services has ... <a title="Looting breaks out in PNG capital during police and military strike" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/01/11/looting-breaks-out-in-png-capital-during-police-and-military-strike/" aria-label="Read more about Looting breaks out in PNG capital during police and military strike">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 22, 2023
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Papua New Guinean academic says the new security deals with the United States will militarise his country and anyone who thinks otherwise is naïve. In May, PNG’s Defence Minister Win Barki Daki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the Defence Cooperation Agreement and the Shiprider ... <a title="PNG academic says Port Moresby politicians naïve over US defence deals" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/06/22/png-academic-says-port-moresby-politicians-naive-over-us-defence-deals/" aria-label="Read more about PNG academic says Port Moresby politicians naïve over US defence deals">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 18, 2023
By Lawrence Fong and Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape is still confident of delivering the PNG-US Defence Cooperation Agreement despite the cancellation of US President Joe Biden’s visit, and the leaking of a draft copy of the confidential document on Tuesday. He said PNG’s national interest was at ... <a title="PNG’s Marape confident of pulling off PNG-US defence pact in spite of leak" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/18/pngs-marape-confident-of-pulling-off-png-us-defence-pact-in-spite-of-leak/" aria-label="Read more about PNG’s Marape confident of pulling off PNG-US defence pact in spite of leak">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 11, 2023
PNG Post-Courier A small speeding vehicle allegedly driven by an off-duty soldier set off a chain reaction this week that saw two security guards taken to hospital and the burning of a vehicle belonging to the security company. Guards from the Alpha Response Security firm and two PNG Defence Force sailors from Basilisk Naval base ... <a title="PNG soldiers shock with Boroko street takeover in security uproar" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/11/png-soldiers-shock-with-boroko-street-takeover-in-security-uproar/" aria-label="Read more about PNG soldiers shock with Boroko street takeover in security uproar">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 3, 2023
RNZ Pacific A New Zealand professor and his two Papua New Guinean colleagues have been released from captivity, more than a week after being kidnapped by an armed gang. Archaeologist Professor Bryce Barker, who now lives in Australia and works with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), was held alongside fellow members of his research ... <a title="‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in social media post about 3 freed hostages" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/03/thank-god-says-pm-marape-in-social-media-post-about-3-freed-hostages/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in social media post about 3 freed hostages">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 26, 2023
RNZ News A New Zealand professor and his two Papua New Guinean colleagues have been released from captivity, more than a week after being kidnapped by an armed gang. Archaeologist Professor Bryce Barker, who now lives in Australia and works with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), was held alongside fellow members of his research ... <a title="‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in tweet about 3 freed hostages" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/26/thank-god-says-pm-marape-in-tweet-about-3-freed-hostages/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in tweet about 3 freed hostages">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 21, 2022
By Miriam Zarriga of the PNG Post-Courier A brutal massacre in Porgera town yesterday afternoon in which 18 innocent people were killed has rocked Enga province and shocked Papua New Guinea. Local police chief acting Superintendent George Kakas was shocked by the act of violence in the wake of the country’s national elections — he ... <a title="18 people hacked to death in Porgera in under an hour amid PNG elections" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/07/21/18-people-hacked-to-death-in-porgera-in-under-an-hour-amid-png-elections/" aria-label="Read more about 18 people hacked to death in Porgera in under an hour amid PNG elections">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 18, 2022
By Miriam Zarriga of the PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Police Commissioner David Manning has fired the first warning shot in the hunt for candidates who were involved in disrupting the national elections in Enga province. He is deploying a multipolice and army taskforce to hunt down 15 suspected candidates to bring them to justice ... <a title="PNG police taskforce to hunt down 15 candidate suspects over Enga crisis" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/07/18/png-police-taskforce-to-hunt-down-15-candidate-suspects-over-enga-crisis/" aria-label="Read more about PNG police taskforce to hunt down 15 candidate suspects over Enga crisis">Read more</a>
