Latest news with #PapuaNewGuinea
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Hyderabad gets first Starbucks experiential coffee store
Starbucks has just opened its first-ever experiential store in Hyderabad. This is South India's first cafe in the buzzy Khajaguda neighbourhood of Hyderabad — a space designed not just for sipping coffee, but for understanding, savouring, and interacting with it. Inside, the store that can seat around 50 people is divided into two distinct seating zones and houses an Espresso Zone and Brew Bar. Here, you can chat with in-house baristas, observe the meticulous brewing process, and even get a crash course in what goes into your daily cup — from grind to pour. But the real magic lies in the menu. This is not your regular line-up of lattes and frappes. Instead, you will find a curated range of specialty beverages that celebrate Indian ingredients: jaggery, tamarind, chilli, coconut, and even shikanji. Highlights include the cinnamon jaggery latte, Malabar coconut cream latte, a red peru and kanthari chilli cold brew, and a tamarind shikanji cold brew. There is also a selection of beans to explore. The store offers five exclusive espresso options and 13 whole-bean variants sourced from coffee-growing regions including India, Kenya, Sumatra and Latin America. 'We've always aimed to bring beans from around the world,' says Vibhor Mishra, Starbucks' Coffee Ambassador for APAC and China. 'Because in the world of coffee, geography is flavour. We even have an India States blend — grown, sourced, and roasted in India.' Some of the other unique options include House Blend, French Roast and Papua New Guinea, unavailable at most other outlets. The experiential store is also home to Starbucks' Black Eagle, a semi-automated machine that makes your cup right in front of you. 'Grinding, tamping, dosing, it all happens in full view,' says Vibhor. Of course, we had to taste what the buzz was about. First up: the red peru and kanthari chilli cold brew. A word of caution: this is not for die-hard caffeine seekers. The ice load dilutes the intensity, and while the slice of guava adds an aromatic touch, it does not bring much sweetness. You will catch the chilli only as a faint tingle at the back of your throat. That said, the tamarind red peru shikanji cold brew could win fans of bold, tangy, chaat-inspired flavours. Vibhor assured us that these cold brews can be customised for less ice, something we would recommend for those who want their coffee to speak louder. The winner is the Malabar coconut cream latte. Smooth, creamy, and with just the right hint of coconut — like the malai from a rich curry meets a fine espresso. Whether you are a curious sipper or a brewing purist, this new Starbucks outpost offers a full-bodied experience.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 24 July
Buka jail, Bougainville Photo: Supplied Reports out of the Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville say prison warders are illegally freeing offenders from jail. The Post-Courier reports the warders are bypassing legal procedures and allowing dangerous individuals to roam communities unchecked. Bougainville's head of Correctional Institute Services, Vincent Kundi, says inmates are walking out of Bekut Correctional Facility on unauthorised release - for weeks or months and sometimes even years. He said legally that makes them escapees. Calls are ongoing for a maximum-security prison to house Bougainville's high-risk offenders. Police Commissioner David Manning is warning that there is zero tolerance for threats to essential services. Landowners are threatening to shut off the water supply through the Rouna 2 Hydro Station in Central Province, which feeds Port Moresby. Manning said police will not tolerate attempted extortion. The Post-Courier reports Manning saying there are appropriate, lawful mechanisms for resolving disputes. He has directed police to arrest the landowner group's leader. The Solomon Islands is modernising its immigration services with a new Digital Border Management System. Immigration Minister Trevor Manemahanga has hailed it as a major step towards more modern, efficient, and secure border management. He said digital visas will enhance service delivery and national security. The digital platform is supported by Australia. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will not rule out sacking his Chief Justice Salesi Temo. This comes as the government works through the Commission of Inquiry report into the appointment of sacked anti-corruption commissioner Barbara Malimali. Some have accused the government of double standards. Rabuka said no decisions will be made until Temo has explained his involvement. A $3.2 million funding boost from New Zealand should help Fiji support cleaner and greener agriculture under the Pacific Climate Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Land Management Partnership. Longer-term, Aotearoa has committed nearly $14m over four years to Fiji, Niue, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Pacific Peoples Minister Dr Shane Reti said the funding will provide scientific and technical support in climate-resilient crop trials and also help in soil monitoring and landscape planning. Fiji's fight against HIV has received a boost of $5.4 million from the New Zealand government. Pacific People's Minister Dr Shane Reti met with Fijian Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu over the weekend, to hear firsthand about the country's nationwide HIV outbreak, and Fiji's response plan. Reti said the funding reflects Aotearoa's ongoing commitment to Pacific health security. He hopes it will help ease pressures on Fiji's public health system.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Mayur turns over new leaf with Pacific Lime and Cement rebrand
Mayur Resources changes name to Pacific Lime and Cement as it becomes a PNG supplier of building and industrial materials Company will focus on delivering high-quality lime, cement and downstream building products Future expansion will include concrete production, castings, bricks, pavers, and other building products Mayur Resources has rebranded itself as Pacific Lime and Cement to reflect its successful transition from a resource developer into an integrated supplier of building and industrial materials in Papua New Guinea. The move to focus on the delivery of high-quality lime, cement and downstream building products is timely given that the country's cement demand is projected to grow significantly in 2026. It also comes as the PNG Government flagged its interest in reducing or eliminating cement imports. Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru said in June 2025 that cement is 'essential in building our nation'. 'Our rebrand to Pacific Lime and Cement reflects our transformation into an integrated industrial materials company focused on nation-building in Papua New Guinea,' managing director Paul Mulder said. 'The new name positions us clearly in the market as a supplier of cement, quicklime, and processed building products, underpinned by our own quarry, processing, power, water, and international wharf infrastructure, all within our dedicated Special Economic Zone. 'The CCL Project is poised to become PNG's first vertically integrated downstream manufacturing hub, enabling the country to be self-sufficient in critical industrial materials like cement and quicklime. 'Through the SEZ, the platform is set to expand further downstream into concrete production, castings, bricks, pavers, and other building products, stimulating further economic and social development.' Strategic direction Originally incorporated in 2011 to pursue strategic development opportunities in PNG, the company has evolved to focus on building materials, renewable energy, and other nation-building initiatives. Early construction is already underway at the company's CCL (Central Cement and Lime project) and a final investment decision is imminent. CCL sits just 25km north of the capital Port Moresby and will feature a co-located quarry, plant site and deep draft wharf to enable very low operating costs while providing direct access to both seaborne domestic and export markets. The fully permitted Stage 1 lime development will be capable of delivering >400,000tpa of quicklime and hydrated lime from two kilns to generate EBITDA of ~US$34.5m annually. Stage 2 will involve the construction of two additional kilns. Meanwhile, the cement development will be integrated with the lime project and export wharf facilities. This targets production of 1.65Mt of clinker, which makes up the bulk of cement. CCL also has Special Economic Zone status, which was verified by the PNG government in June 2025 to be legally valid and very much in full force. This SEZ provides fiscal benefits such as tax relief and duty exemptions for downstream processing operations. The company adds that while lime and cement remain the core focus, it will not limit itself in its consideration of complementary initiatives in renewable energy, battery minerals, nature-based carbon, and broader industrial development that contribute to long-term nation-building in PNG.
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Kapuls' captain Alwin Komolong well placed now to offer Papua New Guinea players a voice on the inside at FIFA
First it was a group of Papua New Guinea's top cricketers who were asking what ever happened to their promised prize money after competing in the T20 World Cup. Now it's the turn of the national men's soccer team, with their all-time top goal scorer, Raymond Gunemba, wanting to know why payments due after the Kapuls won the MSG Prime Ministers' Cup last year have still not been made. It's an all too familiar story, but maybe things will change now that Papua New Guinea footballer have a voice inside the world ruling body. In a first for the Pacific, the Kapuls' captain, Alwin Komolong, has been accepted on to the FIFA Player Executive Programme, and his selection is already making a difference.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Veteran Bougainville politician wants new approach to independence and development
Joe Lera (file image) Photo: Bougainville Care Foundation A longtime Bougainville politician, Joe Lera, wants to see widespread changes in the way the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is run. The Papua New Guinea region, which is seeking independence from Port Moresby, is holding elections in the first week of September. Seven candidates are running for president, including Lera. He held the regional seat in the PNG national parliament for ten years before resigning to contest the presidency in the 2020 election. This time around, Lera is campaigning on what he sees as faults in the approach of the Ishmael Toroama administration and told RNZ Pacific he is offering a different tack. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.) Joe Lera: This time, people have seen that the current government is the most corrupt. They have addressed only one side of independence, which is the political side, the other two sides, They have not done it very well. Don Wiseman: What do we mean by that? We can't bandy around words like corruption. What do you mean by corruption? JL: What they have done is huge. They are putting public funds into personal members' accounts, like the constituency grant - 360,000 kina a year. DW: As someone who has operated in the national parliament, you know that that is done there as well. So it's not corrupt necessarily, is it? JL: Well, when they go into their personal account, they use it for their own family goods, and that development, it should be development funds. The people are not seeing the tangible outcomes in the number two side, which is the development side. All the roads are bad. The hospitals are now running out of drugs. Doctors are checking the patients, sending them to pharmaceutical shops to buy the medicine, because the hospitals have run out. DW: These are problems that are affecting the entire country, aren't they, and there's a shortage of money. So how would you solve it? What would you do differently? JL: We will try to make big changes in addressing sustainable development, in agriculture, fishing, forestry, so we can create jobs for the small people. Instead of talking about big, billion dollar mining projects, which will take a long time, we should start with what we already have, and develop and create opportunities for the people to be engaged in nation building through sustainable development first, then we progress into the higher billion dollar projects. Now we are going talking about mining when the people don't have opportunity and they are getting poorer and poorer. That's one area, the other area, to create change we will try to fix the government structure, from ABG to community governments to village assemblies, down to the chiefs. At the moment, the policies they have have fragmented the conduit of getting the services from the top government down to to the village people. DW: Okay, in the past, you've spoken out against the push for independence, suggesting I think, that Bougainville is not ready yet, and it should take its time. Where do you stand at the moment on the independence question? JL: The independence question? We are all for it. I'm not against it, but I'm against the process. How they are going about it. I think the answer has been already given in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, which is a joint creation between the PNG and ABG government, and the process is very clear. Now, what the current government is doing is they are going outside of the Peace Agreement, and they are trying to shortcut based on the [referendum] result. But the Peace Agreement doe not say independence will be given to us based on the result. What it says is, after we know the result, the two governments must continue to dialogue, consult each other and find ways of how to improve the economy, the law and order issues, the development issues. When we fix those, the nation building pillars, we can then apply for the ratification to take place. DW: All right, so you're talking about something that would be quite a way further down the line than what this current government is talking about? JL: The issue is timing. They are putting deadlines themselves, and they are trying to push the PNG government to swallow it. PNG government is a sovereign nation already. We should respect and honestly, in a family room situation, negotiate, talk with them, as the Peace Agreement says, and reach understanding on the timing and other related issues, but not to even take a confrontational approach, which is what they are doing now, but take a family room approach, where we sit and negotiate in the spirit of the Peace Agreement.
