Financial Safety Push: BPNG and 15 financial institutions signed the PNG Empower Finance Code, a voluntary framework to prevent and respond to financial and economic abuse, including salary theft, forced loans and misuse of cards/PINs. Connectivity Deal: Digicel PNG and Vodafone PNG signed a tower co-location agreement to share infrastructure, aiming to expand coverage faster and cut duplication costs. Mining & Capital Moves: St Barbara agreed to sell its remaining New Simberi stake and Tabar Islands licences to China’s Lingbao Gold Group for A$410m cash plus royalties, freeing cash for its 15-Mile Processing Hub. LNG Project Shake-up: ExxonMobil agreed to increase its Papua LNG interest to 34.1% and take operatorship as Santos lifts its stake to 21%, with the project targeting a fourth-quarter 2026 FID. Mining Operations Logistics: Ok Tedi completed its first direct charter flight from Tabubil to Brisbane, creating a new FIFO hub and cutting travel delays. Roads to Jobs: PM Marape urged Eastern Highlands communities to turn Highlands Highway investment into more coffee, SMEs and incomes, commissioning bridges and road upgrades. Agriculture Under El Niño: Farmers in the Highlands seek help as El Niño threatens coffee livelihoods, with calls for better water access. Trade Linkages: West Sepik businesses are being encouraged to attend Indonesia’s Trade Expo 2026 to find new buyers and suppliers. Digital Platform Pressure: A call for PNG to engage Meta meaningfully, arguing PNG users create value but lack fair monetisation, payments and local support. Culture & Media Win: ABC Radio Australia’s Politok won Best International Podcast at the Asia Podcast Awards. Sports Legal Threat: PNG Chiefs face a trademark dispute with New Zealand Rugby that could force changes ahead of their NRL entry. Maritime Leadership: PNG Women in Maritime Association completed leadership training to strengthen governance and women’s participation in PNG’s maritime sector. Literacy Support: Buk Bilong Pikinini donated 3,000 books to Lae schools for International Literacy Day.