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scott waide

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PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga

January 9, 2026

SPECIAL REPORT: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent A Papua New Guinea police operation in Tsak Valley, Enga Province, in the early hours of Friday, 2 January 2026 — which resulted in five deaths — has prompted calls for an independent investigation following sharply differing accounts of events from police and community sources, as ... <a title="PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/09/pngs-lethal-tsak-valley-raid-and-deeper-crisis-over-guns-policing-trust-in-enga/" aria-label="Read more about PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga">Read more</a>

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Papua New Guinea fully retires debt for Liquefied Natural Gas project

January 7, 2026

SPECIAL REPORT: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Papua New Guinea’s largest resource development has reached a milestone more than a decade in the making. The PNG Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project has fully retired its bank-financed project debt, closing one of the most complex financing arrangements in the country’s economic history. The debt, ... <a title="Papua New Guinea fully retires debt for Liquefied Natural Gas project" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/07/papua-new-guinea-fully-retires-debt-for-liquefied-natural-gas-project/" aria-label="Read more about Papua New Guinea fully retires debt for Liquefied Natural Gas project">Read more</a>

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The Pukpuk Treaty and the future of Papua New Guinea-Australia relations

October 9, 2025

ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The signing of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Mutual Defence Treaty — officially known as the Pukpuk Treaty — marks a defining moment in the modern Pacific order. Framed as a “historic milestone”, the pact re-casts security cooperation between Port Moresby and Canberra while stirring deeper debates about ... <a title="The Pukpuk Treaty and the future of Papua New Guinea-Australia relations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/10/09/the-pukpuk-treaty-and-the-future-of-papua-new-guinea-australia-relations/" aria-label="Read more about The Pukpuk Treaty and the future of Papua New Guinea-Australia relations">Read more</a>

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Internal tensions throw PNG anti-corruption body into crisis

June 5, 2025

By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Three staffers from Papua New Guinea’s peak anti-corruption body are embroiled in a standoff that has brought into question the integrity of the organisation. Police Commissioner David Manning has confirmed that he received a formal complaint. Commissioner Manning said that initial inquiries were underway to inform the “sensitive ... <a title="Internal tensions throw PNG anti-corruption body into crisis" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/05/internal-tensions-throw-png-anti-corruption-body-into-crisis/" aria-label="Read more about Internal tensions throw PNG anti-corruption body into crisis">Read more</a>

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PNG’s Marape remains PM after no confidence vote against him fails

September 12, 2024

By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has successfully thwarted a vote of no confidence after 75 MPs backed him and 32 voted for the opposition. But the session was not without drama. Just after 10am, after the opposition leader moved a motion for a vote of no ... <a title="PNG’s Marape remains PM after no confidence vote against him fails" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/09/12/pngs-marape-remains-pm-after-no-confidence-vote-against-him-fails/" aria-label="Read more about PNG’s Marape remains PM after no confidence vote against him fails">Read more</a>

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Five arrested in connection with deadly Papua New Guinea massacre

July 30, 2024

By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific journalist Papua New Guinea police have arrested five people in connection with the brutal attacks in Angoram district that left around 25 people dead last week. RNZ Pacific correspondent in PNG, Scott Waide, said the ringleaders who initiated the attacks in three remote villages in East Sepik have not yet ... <a title="Five arrested in connection with deadly Papua New Guinea massacre" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/07/30/five-arrested-in-connection-with-deadly-papua-new-guinea-massacre/" aria-label="Read more about Five arrested in connection with deadly Papua New Guinea massacre">Read more</a>

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PNG landslide buried ‘more than 2000 people alive’: Rescue teams navigate unstable terrain, infighting

May 27, 2024

More than 2000 people were buried alive in the huge landslide which hit Papua New Guinea on Friday, the National Disaster Centre has now confirmed. An entire community living at the foot of a mountain in the remote Enga Province were buried in their sleep about 3am. Earlier reports suggested 670 people died and 150 ... <a title="PNG landslide buried ‘more than 2000 people alive’: Rescue teams navigate unstable terrain, infighting" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/27/png-landslide-buried-more-than-2000-people-alive-rescue-teams-navigate-unstable-terrain-infighting/" aria-label="Read more about PNG landslide buried ‘more than 2000 people alive’: Rescue teams navigate unstable terrain, infighting">Read more</a>

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Journalists challenge PNG government over ‘media control’ policy

May 22, 2024

By Stephen Wright of BenarNews The Papua New Guinea government’s push for news organisations to become its cheer-leading squad is under further scrutiny this week as Parliament hears testimony from journalists and top officials. The effort to wield influence over the news, first announced last year as a “media development policy”, has been watered down ... <a title="Journalists challenge PNG government over ‘media control’ policy" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/22/journalists-challenge-png-government-over-media-control-policy/" aria-label="Read more about Journalists challenge PNG government over ‘media control’ policy">Read more</a>

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Wapenamanda massacre: ‘Pregnant mothers fled for their lives’

February 20, 2024

By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A man housing people who fled a massacre in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province yesterday says pregnant mothers and children are displaced. More than 50 bodies have been retrieved, with police still searching as intertribal tension continues. Prime Minister James Marape said he was “deeply moved” and “very, very ... <a title="Wapenamanda massacre: ‘Pregnant mothers fled for their lives’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/02/20/wapenamanda-massacre-pregnant-mothers-fled-for-their-lives/" aria-label="Read more about Wapenamanda massacre: ‘Pregnant mothers fled for their lives’">Read more</a>

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PNG Prime Minister Marape confident his coalition will stay intact

January 23, 2024

RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s prime minister says he is confident he can retain power in the wake of the recent riots. Prime Minister James Marape claims he has the direct support of more than 50 MPs from his own party as well as coalition partners in the 111-seat Parliament. The Black Wednesday riot claimed ... <a title="PNG Prime Minister Marape confident his coalition will stay intact" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/01/23/png-prime-minister-marape-confident-his-coalition-will-stay-intact/" aria-label="Read more about PNG Prime Minister Marape confident his coalition will stay intact">Read more</a>

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At least 10 dead after looting, fires on Port Moresby’s ‘darkest day’

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>

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Looting breaks out in PNG capital during police and military strike

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>