Standing in the shadow cast by the statue of Rugby League Immortal Arthur Beetson, Kenny Bromwich said he was excited to take part in a special match that would see a dream of the pioneering player realised. The Dolphins take on the Sydney Roosters in their inaugural match at Suncorp Stadium in Round 1 of the 2023 season, with Beetson having played for both clubs during his storied career, writing in his book that his dream was to one day see the Dolphins play the Roosters in the NRL. “There has been a little bit of talk (about Round 1 already), especially coming into this new club and what we're play for there, Arthur Beetson; it'll be a memorial game for him,” Bromwich told assembled media at the club’s new one-game membership announcement. “It was his dream for the Dolphins to play the Roosters, so it's something that we're really working hard towards and something that we'll try to play in the right spirit and that’s play it hard and play to win. “There is a lot of history at the club and we're always trying to educate ourselves on what's happened at the club before we've got here. “There have been custodians of the jersey before us and when we're in the gym, you can see some of the flags hanging up with some of the names on there, so we’re always going to pay our respects to the players who dug the well before us so that we could drink from it.” Joining his older brother Jesse at the Dolphins after spending the past 10 years with Melbourne Storm, the Kiwi representative said he was adjusting well to life on the peninsular, and admitted there were a few similarities he had found at the club; namely the styles of coaches Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett. “I do think they're really similar in a lot of ways, they both care a lot about you as a person before the player and they both care about your families, which is something I really admire,” Bromwich said. “And I think you all think Wayne's a bit of a larrikin, but he does get quite cranky at training as well, so he’s not too far off Craig; Craig sprays, but Wayne does get a bit cranky every now and then too.” In saying that however, Bromwich said it didn’t take long for Bennett to convince him to join his brother and be part of paving the way forward with the new club. “It only took one conversation really with Wayne to make me feel like this was the right decision,” Bromwich said. “The vision and plan that he has for the place and what they've got going on was something that I really wanted to come into and help build.” Bromwich was also hoping to this year build on his enviable NRL record at Suncorp Stadium which has seen him win 18 of the 22 matches he has played there, with the Dolphins set to play eight games at the venue this year, including a highly anticipated match against the Broncos in Round 4. “I've really enjoyed playing at Suncorp, it's the best rugby league ground in the world,” Bromwich said. “Coming here and playing with a packed stadium, it's something. It's always easy to get up and play at Suncorp, so to be able to play our home game against the Broncos, that's very exciting and it's something that we will be looking to keep going and we will try to perform here every time we can.” Source: NRL.Com

Prince Harry's memoir Spare has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998. The much-publicised book sold 467,183 copies in its first week, according to official figures from Nielsen BookData. The book, which was written with celebrity ghostwriter JR Moehringer, went on sale on 10 January. Most of the revelations in the book leaked early after some copies went on sale in Spain several days before the official publication date. But that does not appear to have damaged sales of Spare. The only books to have enjoyed higher first-week sales since Nielsen's records began were four Harry Potter novels and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. The memoir sees Prince Harry describe his experience as a member of the Royal Family before he stepped back from official duties in 2020. It provides behind-the-scenes details of the conflict he had with his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne. The book was released in a blaze of publicity, receiving widespread media coverage around the world. The Wall Street Journal previously reported the book sold 1.4 million copies in its first day - including pre-orders - across the US, the UK and Canada. It is the only non-fiction book in the all-time top 10 fastest-sellers since Nielsen started collecting data. Source: BBC

China's population has fallen for the first time in 60 years, with the national birth rate hitting a record low - 6.77 births per 1,000 people. The population in 2022 - 1.4118 billion - fell by 850,000 from 2021. China's birth rate has been declining for years, prompting a slew of policies to try to slow the trend. But seven years after scrapping the one-child policy, it has entered what one official described as an "era of negative population growth". The birth rate in 2022 was also down from 7.52 in 2021, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics, which released the figures on Tuesday. In comparison, in 2021, the United States recorded 11.06 births per 1,000 people, and the United Kingdom, 10.08 births. The birth rate for the same year in India, which is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous country, was 16.42. Deaths also outnumbered births for the first time last year in China. The country logged its highest death rate since 1976 - 7.37 deaths per 1,000 people, up from 7.18 the previous year. Earlier government data had heralded a demographic crisis, which would in the long run shrink China's labour force and increase the burden on healthcare and other social security costs. Results from a once-a-decade census announced in 2021 showed China's population growing at its slowest pace in decades. Populations are also shrinking and ageing in other East Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea. "This trend is going to continue and perhaps worsen after Covid," says Yue Su, principal economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Ms Su is among experts who expect China's population to shrink further through 2023. "The high youth unemployment rate and weaknesses in income expectations could delay marriage and childbirth plans further, dragging down the number of newborns," she added. And the death rate in 2023 is likely to be higher than it was pre-pandemic due to Covid infections, she said. China has seen a surge of cases since it abandoned its zero-Covid policy last month. China's population trends over the years have been largely shaped by the controversial one-child policy, which was introduced in 1979 to slow population growth. Families that violated the rules were fined and, in some cases, even lost jobs. In a culture that historically favours boys over girls, the policy had also led to forced abortions and a reportedly skewed gender ratio from the 1980s. The policy was scrapped in 2016 and married couples were allowed to have two children. In recent years, the Chinese government also offered tax breaks and better maternal healthcare, among other incentives, to reverse, or at least slow, the falling birth rate. But these policies did not lead to a sustained increase in the births. Some experts say this is because policies that encouraged childbirth were not accompanied by efforts to ease the burden of childcare, such as more help for working mothers or access to education. In October 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping made boosting birth rates a priority. Mr Xi said in a once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing that his government would "pursue a proactive national strategy" in response to the country's ageing population. Apart from dishing out incentives to have children, China should also improve gender equality in households and workplaces, said Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, director of the National University of Singapore's Centre for Family and Population Research. Scandinavian countries have shown that such moves can improve fertility rates, she added. According to Paul Cheung, Singapore's former chief statistician, China has "plenty of manpower" and "a lot of lead time" to manage the demographic challenge. "They are not in a doomsday scenario right away," he said. Observers also say merely raising birth rates will not resolve the problems behind China's slowing growth. "Boosting fertility is not going to improve productivity or increase domestic consumption in the medium term," said Stuart Gietel-Basten, a public policy professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "How China will respond to these structural issues would be more crucial."   Source: BBC

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's firm Ineos has officially entered the race to buy Manchester United. United's owners the Glazer family said in November that they were considering selling the club as they "explore strategic alternatives". Ineos said the company had "formally put ourselves into the process". Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful late £4.25bn offer to buy Chelsea last year after owner Roman Abramovich put the London club up for sale. Born the son of a joiner in Failsworth, in Greater Manchester, Ratcliffe is a boyhood fan of United and one of the UK's richest men. He said he would have tried to buy the Old Trafford side following the failure to acquire Chelsea but, after meeting with brothers Joel and Avram Glazer, stated that they did not want to sell. However, since then the Glazers have changed their stance and he has now joined the bidding process. Ineos group owns Nice in France and Swiss club Lausanne. United have been owned by the Glazer family since 2005. They are fourth in the Premier League after an improvement in form under manager Erik ten Hag, who took over in the summer. They beat local rivals Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday and are nine points off leaders Arsenal. American investment firm Raine Group, who handled Chelsea's £4.25bn sale in May, is exclusively advising United. A consortium led by Todd Boehly paid £2.5bn for the Stamford Bridge club's shares, while saying it would provide £1.75bn to invest in the Premier League club. There have been multiple protests against the Glazers' ownership in recent years, including one in May 2021 that caused United's home league match against Liverpool to be postponed. Thousands of supporters marched to Old Trafford in protest before the same fixture this season, in August. United were part of the failed European Super League project that rapidly collapsed in April 2021. Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer later apologised for the unrest it caused. He later attended fans' forums in the wake of supporter unrest and pledged to make shares available to the club's followers. Since then, a statement from United in November said the board will "consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company". Source: BBC

Papua New Guinea's economy through the course of 2022, has experienced higher levels of activity post the COVID-19 period. To maintain this shift in momentum, government needs to accelerate foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023. According to the 2022 BSP Quarter 4 Pacific Economic and Market Insights Report, the Pacific region’s economies collectively grew by 5.3% in 2022, mainly driven by growth in PNG’s mineral sector and Fiji’s tourism sector. In 2023, all Pacific economies are expected to post positive GDP growth, with regional growth of 4.8% as the recovery in some countries stabilizes. BSP Acting Group Chief Executive Officer Ronesh Dayal said, “with the reopening of borders across the Pacific, we have seen marked improvement in economic activity across the Group compared to the COVID-19 period.” PNG’s economy grew by 4.6% in 2022, led by higher oil and gas production, as developers sought to capitalise on high prices. Production is expected to normalise in 2023, leading to a lower growth forecast of 4.0%. Non-resource sector GDP is estimated to have grown by 4.5% in 2022, and 4.6% is forecast for 2023. Whereas, resource sector GDP is forecasted to grow by 1.2% in 2023. Given PNG’s reliance on imports, the country was prone to the effects of heightened global inflation, driven largely by imported inflation for crude oil and foods. Though global inflation is expected to subside in 2023, we do not expect that this will immediately translate to lower prices for PNG consumers. Monetary policy tools including the Kina Facility Rate (KFR) and the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) have been used to tighten money supply and combat inflation. The KFR was increased to 3.50% in January 2023 and the CRR has increased steadily from 7% to 10% (pre-COVID levels) by the end of 2022. When speaking on the potential upsides for the PNG economy, Mr. Dayal added “In early 2023, we need to see tangible foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments particularly from the extractive sector, before we see PNG’s economic recovery commence,” and stressed that PNG needs FDIs in 2023 to consolidate its growth trajectory and achieve a sustainable recovery. Regarding the financial sectors role in the economic growth expected for PNG, Mr. Dayal added “differentiating industry corporate income tax rates, like those seen for commercial banks in PNG, can be particularly damaging for emerging economies such as PNG. Such tax policies are detrimental to the proper functioning of market forces and conflicts with modern economic theory.” “The tax rate increase to 45% on commercial banks comes at a time when other locally-grown financial institutions are looking to obtain commercial banking licenses. The timing is unfortunate and will act as a deterrent for the much needed expansion of the financial sector and investments in PNG,” he concluded.

“We understand that a lot of our customers cannot make it to our branches during week days to pay for school and tertiary institution related fees therefore BSP, as in past years, has allowed for selected BSP Branches to be open on Saturdays for ‘Back-to-school’ needs, commencing this Saturday 21st January, 2023,” announced Deputy General Manager for Retail – Sales and Customer Service Delivery, Peter Komon Twenty-eight (28) selected branches around the country will open their doors for the next five (5) Saturdays, commencing 21st January to 18th February, 2023, from 9am to 1pm. [caption id="attachment_34645" align="aligncenter" width="1218"] A customer depositing School Fees at our Waigani Banking Centre[/caption] These branches are; Buka, Arawa, Kokopo, Palmalmal, Wewak, Maprik, Yangoru, Goroka, Wabag, Tari, Banz, Madang, Gusap, Alotau, Lae Top Town, Bulolo, Kavieng, Lihir, Waigani Banking Centre, Popondetta, Kundiawa, Mendi, Kimbe, Aitape, Vanimo, Kiunga, Tabubil and Mt Hagen. Mr Komon said the annual Saturday Banking is an extended service BSP is providing to cater for school related banking needs. BSP’s personal lending product remains the most competitive in the market and offers our customers same day funding subject to all requirements being met. “Whilst Saturday Banking is available for school and tertiary related fee deposits, School Fee Payment service is also available through BSP Mobile Banking USSD service *131# and on BSP Pay. We encourage our customers to register and use BSP Mobile Banking to pay school fees directly to the schools from the comfort of their home or office. Alternatively, customers can use BSP Internet Banking to pay fees directly to these schools as well as BSP Pay for a select number of schools,” Mr Komon added. [caption id="attachment_34647" align="aligncenter" width="750"] A customer depositing School Fees at our Buka Branch.[/caption] BSP offers schools and institutions the ability to accept instant school fee payment from parents and guardians through BSP Mobile Banking *131#. Payments are only accepted through schools that are registered as BSP Mobile Merchants. Each school is issued a School Code that allows parents and students to reference when making school fee payments via BSP Mobile Banking *131#. The full list of registered schools is available on the BSP website www.bsp.com.pg Meantime the trading hours for the new NCD Lending Centre will extend to Saturdays from 9am to 1pm, to improve convenience for our customers in NCD. Customers seeking financial assistance for back to school needs can visit the Lending Centre from this Saturday, 21st January, 2023.

The betel nut market at Gerehu stage 2 in Port Moresby was closed down by police to ease tensions, following Monday's nasty clash involving betel nut vendors. A Chimbu man was reportedly attacked allegedly by the same group of men who attacked two men from Tari earlier during the day. The injured pair are currently nursing their wounds in the hospital. Police officers from the Gerehu Public Safety unit and Sector Patrol Fox 200 unit issued a warning for the vendors to refrain from doing business at this venue, but they defied this police warning. Police and the community leaders there agreed to stop all market activities until those embroiled in the conflict are identified, arrested and charged for their offences. The market will remain closed indefinitely until the suspects are arrested by police. The initial fight broke out on Monday when some men from Enga clashed with the men from Tari over a betelnut issue, and two Tari men were injured and hospitalised. According to police, the identities of those embroiled in the dispute are known to police.

BSP has renewed its sponsorship for the 7th season of the Men Of Honour Campaign by becoming a regional sponsor with support of K25,000. The Men of Honour Campaign is a peace building initiative by Digicel PNG Foundation that focuses on positive behavior with the aim to break the cycle of violence in PNG. To date, the Men of Honour Campaign has awarded 95 men across the nation on the outstanding work they are doing in their communities to build peace and address drivers of violence in their community. This year, the campaign is in its seventh season. Three ambassadors will be selected from each of the four regions, with one ‘Unsung Hero’ award going to an ambassador from each region. BSP Head of Marketing and Public Relations Gorethy Semi said BSP is pleased to continue its support for the third year now and this time with a sponsorship of K25, 000. She added that BSP will also provide additional support of BSP merchandise packs for each of the three selected ambassadors for the Southern Region Award. “Leadership and Community are core values which BSP holds highly and what better way to demonstrate that through this campaign for the third year and reward a Man of Honour in this selected category. As a leader in our respective industry, it is only fitting that we recognize all leaders for their commitment and contribution in influencing positive changes in their respective communities. As a community oriented bank that gives back to the communities we operate in through our annual Community Projects, we are also proud to be supporting other worthy campaigns such as this. Digicel PNG Foundation CEO Serena Sasingian thanked BSP for the continued support when receiving the cheque. She acknowledged the role BSP has played in addressing gender based violence through the Bel Isi initiative and their Black Thursday Campaign. “It is vital that the private sector continues to work in partnership to take a stand against violence and recognize positive role models for the next generation to follow. We value our partnership with BSP, and appreciate its commitment in showing recognition to ordinary men doing outstanding work through this platform.’

The newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC), Mr. Richard Stephen Howard Jr, on Monday (18/01/22) presented his letter of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Papua New Guinea, Justin Tkatchenko. The official presentation took place at the Office of the Minister in Port Moresby. Minister Tkatchenko welcomed Mr. Howard to Papua New Guinea and congratulated him on the appointment. “I am looking forward to working closely with the UN and work towards bringing long-term benefits to the people of Papua New Guinea,” said Minister Tkatchenko. In presenting his credentials, Mr. Howard expressed his enthusiasm for working in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea and development partners to promote efficiency and accountability as the organization develops its next Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the UN system’s five-year programming instrument that will capture the entire footprint of the UN agencies, funds and programmes in the country. “The UN is here to support the Government in delivering results for the Papua New Guineans,” said Mr Howard. The Resident Coordinator is the representative of the UN Secretary General in Papua New Guinea and leads the UN Country Team, consisting of 17 resident and non-resident UN agencies, funds and programmes. Mr Howard has more than 30 years of experience in management and research experience, including economic growth and decent job creation, gender equality and inclusion with the private sector, non-government organizations, and the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific.

A group of women and girls foraging for wild fruits were abducted by armed men in separate incidents in Burkina Faso, the government said Monday. Around 50 women and girls were taken in the incidents which happened on January 12 and 13 respectively, according to a statement by the governor of the country’s Sahel region. Some of the women and girls were kidnapped around 15 kilometers from the town of Arbinda, while the others were taken from another locality in the Soum province. “While out in search of wild fruits, these wives, mothers and daughters were unjustly attacked by armed men,” the statement said. It added searches began as soon as the disappearances were reported, the statement said. The Sahel region governor expressed his solidarity with the women’s families on behalf of the government, adding authorities “remain committed to doing everything possible to bring the situation to a successful conclusion.” France’s foreign ministry said in a statement Monday it condemned the kidnappings “in the strongest possible terms,” and called for the immediate release of the women. “France reaffirms its solidarity and commitment to Burkina Faso,” the statement continued. Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest nations, has been the epicenter of the violence that started in neighboring Mali in 2012 but has since spread across the arid expanse of the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert. Source: CNN

Among other issues of significance to be added into expanded Bilateral Security Treaty between Australia and PNG, a major issue is the visa requirements for Papua New Guineans travelling to Australia. Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko, announced the Bilateral Security Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea had been expanded to cover broader security areas of priority. Minister Tkatchenko highlighted significant areas of concern to be added into the treaty agreement include cybercrime, climate change, money laundering, biosecurity, internal security and gender-based violence. “The definition of the security treaty has been expanded which I think is a very good thing, it’s not just about Defence but all the other important areas as well.” “One of the big issues was visa, that comes under Department of Immigration but Foreign Affairs has an important role to play in that area as well.” “I want to thank the Government of Australia under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who has acknowledged that they have treated PNG unfairly with visa issues.” “That’s a strong wording to acknowledge the visa situation in hand,” Minister Tkatchenko said. Minister Tkatchenko said April 30th 2023 was the deadline for the treaty to be signed by both prime ministers. “Our deadline to get all that finished and completed is on April 30th, my department and other line agencies will be working closely with the Australian Government and their officials and counterparts to ensure that this is achieved for both prime ministers to sign off.” “For Defence, that will continue to go down the normal process of the diplomatic relationships.” “With the Departments of Immigration, Foreign Affairs, State Solicitor and Justice, we will work closely with Australian officials on how we are finally going to resolve the visa issue between PNG and Australia at the annual Ministerial Forum in Canberra on February 17th 2023.” “We are not wasting time, we have dates, deadlines and we want to make this happen for the good of our people.” “Those long outstanding issues that were discussed between the two prime ministers were important.” “Economic stability and other issues were discussed in the bilateral which will also be finalized at the ministerial forum.” Minister Tkatchenko said eight ministers of state would be joining him in Canberra to address those outstanding issues. “We look forward to concluding some of these issues into the future by February and by May the two prime ministers will get together and sign off on this important bilateral security treaty.” Meanwhile, Minister Tkatchenko acknowledged the Government of Papua New Guinea for a successful two-day official visit by Prime Minister for Australia, Anthony Albanese. Minister Tkatchenko commended the department of Foreign Affairs and other line agencies who assisted in organizing the official visit.

Guided by our vision to help the people of Papua New Guinea lead better and healthier lives, CPL Group was pleased to support the Throwdown in Vula’a fitness event in Hula Village, Central Province over the weekend on 14 January 2023. The fitness event is an annual program for the community, organized by Kila and Marie Kilaverave, with Jack Karo Jnr from Functional 365. The sponsored event had hundreds turnout and a success. CPL, through the CPL Foundation and City Pharmacy, supported the fitness event with cartons of water and a donation of medical supplies to the Hula Health Clinic. The presentation was made to Hula Community leaders in the presence of the community. CPL also provided free blood pressure, blood oxygen level and glucose health checkups for adults, while also providing deworming tablets for children. More than 155 community members were seen by our dedicated team of nurses from City Pharmacy. The health checkups are part of City Pharmacy’s Community Outreach Program. City Pharmacy has over 30 Pharmacies across the country, providing healthcare and wellbeing retail services to the community. With over 35 Years of trading in Papua New Guinea, CPL Group is PNG’s leading retail Group, with brands such as Stop & Shop, City Pharmacy, Hardware Haus, Bon Café, Fresh Express, Stop & Shop Express, Real Rewards Plus, Jacks of PNG, and Prouds (PNG).