Staff and students of Holy Trinity Teachers College in Mt Hagen are mourning the death of a female student who was killed by thugs on Independence Eve. According to the colleges Principal Michael Miamel, the deceased was a first year student, 20 year old female, from Anglimp South Waghi. She was stabbed with knives by some thugs who wanted to get her mobile phone. The deceased was killed at Banz bus stop in Jiwaka province at a public toilet area where she went to relieve herself. She was rushed to Kudjip Hospital but died due to loss of blood from wounds to her head and neck. Mr Miamel said the school board was shocked with the news following the incident that happened last Wednesday. He expressed his condolences on behalf of the school community and said they would hold a funeral at the campus as well. The principal has described the killing of the late student by robbers as animalistic. Mr Miamel said such criminals did not need to live on this earth as they were senseless like animals. He called on Jiwaka Police to ensure the suspects are caught and brought to justice. Meanwhile, police are doing their investigations and calling on witnesses and informers to come forward. Eastern End Assistant Police Commander Anton Billy said such criminals will cause more deaths if law abiding citizens kept their mouths shut and did nothing to assist the police capture them.

A major landslip at Asisa in the Imbongu electorate of Southern Highlands has completely blocked off the Highlands Highway leading to Mendi town. This follows continuous rains this week, which has also seen another major road washed off by a creek at Yebi as well. Commuters and travelling public are being charged money as they walk across with cargo and personal belongings. Highway Patrol 17 Police at Kaupena confirmed that the section of the highway impassable by vehicles and those driving to Mendi or further to Hela and Enga Provinces via Mendi-Hagen route are advised to take the Tambul - Mendi road which goes around Mt Giluwe. Meanwhile Works Secretary David Wereh has been informed by this newsroom and he is expected to make a response soon. Travelling public, especially PMVs and private vehicle owners are urged not to take that route because there is no way and it is impossible to construct by passes as a hill has slipped onto the road. Picture: Supplied (a section of the Mendi Kandep Highway)

Last week's decision by Mt District Court Magistrate Leonard Mesmin in setting free the alleged murderer and his two accomplices for the murder of late Imelda Tupi Tiamanda due to lack of evidence, which included the absence of the doctors signature on the Post Mortem report will be looked at by they Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority. Acting CEO of Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority Jane Holden told this newsroom, Mt. Hagen General Hospital does not have a pathologist, however she will get more information and make a statement on the matter. Last week, Magistrate Mesmin set free the main suspect and husband of late Imelda, Dr. Simon Temo and his accomplices Ken Paul and Nombre Kasu due to insufficient evidence to commit them to trial at the National Court. The controversial murder case went viral on social media after Police at Kaugel check point at the border of Southern and Western Highlands Provinces caught the three suspects with the body of the woman wrapped in a canvas in the suspects vehicle at around midnight on May 10 this year. At that time the suspects were also caught with a firearm and ammunition and police reports had stated that Mr. Temo had allegedly offered K100, 000 to bribe the policemen. Certain lawyers have argued that the matter was a straightforward one if Southern Highlands Provincial Police Commander and his colleagues PPC of Western Highlands had their policemen diligently compile the case brief report. Though there appeared to be overwhelming circumstantial evidence in which the deceased body was confirmed and proven to be wrapped in a canvas when found by the police in the car of the suspected husband murderer, who even panicked and offered bribes to have the body disposed secretly, Magistrate Mesmin chose to throw out the case on technical grounds. The lawyers have put to task the Justice Minister Bryan Kramer and Police Commissioner David Manning to question the conduct of the magistrate, while Commissioner to intervene in the purportedly bribery infested police work.

Suspended Southern Highlands Governor William Powi is expected to seek the Supreme Courts view on the decision by the National Court Judge David Cannings in suspending him as governor while allowing him to be on full pay. This newsroom was reliably informed also that the Provincial Executive Council would be announcing a care-taker governor by today. It is understood that the suspension of Powi as governor would take effect on Tuesday, August 31st. Powi said he had no issue with the National Courts order for a recount, however it was not logical to have him suspended from functioning as governor while still being allowed to be paid as one, meaning the result of the recount should determine the removal of his powers in entirety. The matter is expected to be brought before the Supreme Court on Monday, a day before his suspension becomes effective. Meanwhile, the style of delivering a court decision from another country is also a matter for clarity to be sought under relevant laws guiding the National and Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea.

Students dormitories and classrooms in Pangia Secondary School in Southern Highlands Province do not have electricity connected and is a concern to parents and students. Pangia Secondary School is located in the Ialibu Pangia District.  Previously it was known as Pangia Provincial High School. This school was converted into secondary school in 2009 by local MP and former PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. It is a boarding school of over 700 plus students who study at the school from grades 9 up to grade 12. Simon Kondo, a parent said children have raised concerns that out of the eleven boys dormitories, only three had power connection and was frustrating. "This problem had been there for years," said Kondo. It was also revealed that the school used gensets to facilitate three hours night study from 7-10pm, as the classrooms also had no electricity. The computer lab remains unused and WiFi which was said to be installed is yet to be activated. The school headmaster Nick Pelango said funding was an issue to do all these work though Pangia Station already has power supply. Meanwhile, local MP Peter O'Neill told PNG Haus Bung that he would find out about the issues raised and address them.

Five suspects, including the husband of a woman whose dead body was found in an abandoned vehicle at Kaupena checkpoint at the Southern and Western Highlands border are in Mt Hagen Police cell now. According to a member of the Police Highway Patrol 17 at Kaupena checkpoint Nick Noah, the incident happened at around midnight,Monday, where the main suspect, and his accomplices transported the corpse  of his wife, from Southern Highlands to Western Highlands in an identified vehicle, perhaps to stage a cover-up. However, they behaved suspiciously at the checkpoint when seeing police and civilian guards still around, as the place was not deserted as expected, and attempted to turn around quickly, when police gave chase, overtook and blocked the road The suspects then left the parked vehicle and fled on foot into the dark, however the medical doctor husband was caught a while later while the other four were arrested with the assistance of the public this morning, following social media reports of an unidentified woman's body being taken off an abandoned vehicle at Kaupena and transported to Mt Hagen Police celll. The deceased has been identified as Imelda Tupi Epawe of mixed parentage Erave and Mendi married to the suspect Simon Temo, who serves at Mendi Hospital. The maternal relatives of Imelda Tupi Epawe, the Southern Highlands woman whose dead body was mysteriously transported by her killers and intercepted by the police on Monday night, have expressed shock and anger in the way her body was treated, even after death. George Kema from Erave in Southern Highlands Province expressed anger on Tuesday morning when he discovered that the dead body, though brought to Mt Hagen General Hospital in the night, was left outside the morgue car park on trolley till day break. Kema says, what pained him more was that he couldn't recognize the deceased as her face was obviously bruised and swollen. He called on the Police not to release the main suspect who is the husband of the deceased and four of his accomplices who are now in Mt Hagen Police cell. Meanwhile, post mortem is being done on the body to ascertain the nature of the death.