TLA MEDIA (PNG)

On 6 October 2025, Australia and Papua New Guinea signed the long-anticipated Pukpuk Treaty , a landmark defence agreement that formalises the deep security partnership between the two neighbours. While much of the public commentary has focused on the strategic implications of the treaty — from regional security and sovereignty debates to Australia’s role in the Pacific vis-à-vis China — the conversation has so far overlooked an equally important dimension: the non-militaristic benefits this treaty could deliver for both countries and the region. The Pukpuk Treaty is, at its core, a mutual security agreement , but its scope goes well beyond traditional military alliances. In the Preamble of the Treaty (p2), there is a string of underlying clauses that emphasise the greater importance of the Treaty for both parties. Essentially, it is: COMMITTED to the mutual defence of both Parties in order to support each other in times of crisis or conflict. Kora* looks beyond the headlines an...

When we think of Papua New Guinea’s modern history, we often focus on the explorers, kiaps, missionaries, soldiers, and scientists whose names appear in official reports and glossy archives.  But just beneath the surface lies another layer of history — the stories of men and women whose contributions were quiet, enduring, and often unrecorded. Indeed, they helped lay the early foundations of Independence. One such figure is Captain Neptune Newcombe Beresford Lloyd Blood, better known simply as “Nep” Blood. Kora, our ChatGPT AI cultural guide and wantok has taken a deep dive through history to help us learn more about this legendary quiet achiever. Early Years and Pre-War Service Born in 1907, Neptune Blood began his career before the Pacific War reached New Guinea’s shores. Drawing on his bushcraft, language skills, and deep familiarity with the interior, he entered service in the New Guinea Constabulary as a Superintendent of Police prior to the outbreak of World War II. ...