Men can have an important role to play in ending violence, particularly Family and Sexual Violence and Sorcery accusation related violence. However, this requires respect for human rights for both men and women and challenge to the gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice. After witnessing an increase in the rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in his community, Alphonse Pemuko took it upon himself to educate and counsel the mostly male perpetrators. Pemuko credits the training he received through the PNG-Australia Partnership, including an intensive Learning to Lead course, that empowered him to develop skills and ways to tackle FSV and other human rights abuses and achieve his goals. In 2014, Pemuko supported the establishment of the Arawa Men’s Hub - an organisation that works with men and boys to change attitudes towards women and girls by discouraging violence and building awareness of FSV and the laws surrounding it, including the Family Protection Act. The hub also provides a safe refuge for men from South and Central Bougainville fleeing sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV). Pemuko notes awareness and understanding of the law as key issues. Often, perpetrators who are served interim protection orders (IPOs) and protection orders (POs) by a court to prevent further violence do not understand their purpose. “They come to us and we explain to them what the orders mean and why they were served.” The Hub provides a space for men and boys to talk about issues around gender, SARV, and FSV and undertake counselling. since its inception, it has served more than 1000 people. The facility is also part of the Bougainville-wide network of services for FSV survivors operated by the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, providing safe refuge and referral service. “When survivors come to us, we have this referral pathway where we refer them to different service providers like the police, Family Sexual Violence Unit, the Family Support Centre, the courts and safe houses,” Pemuko says. Under his leadership the Hub has developed targeted training and activities that promote respect for human rights for both men and women and change attitudes and gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice.

Shocking news out of New Ireland!! An elderly man was speared to death by one of his tribesman after he attempted to murder a lady with a bush knife a week ago, this is according to outgoing New Ireland Provincial Police Commander Felix Nebanat. According to Nebanat, the incident occurred in Lamusmus Village along the West Coast of New Ireland Province where the deceased had an ongoing argument with a lady from the same village, to which he had intended to hurt on several occasions but failed to do so. The situation became more tense and escalated when the man had begun to chase the villagers with his bush knife until he was speared down by one of the villagers. “The deceased was a troublemaker who was always on the run and for a long time could not be apprehended by police until reports came in that he was speared down by one of the locals after he had been chasing them with his bush knife.” The deceased suffered a mortal injury from his thigh right up to his private part as a result of the spearing and was confirmed dead at the Kavieng General Hospital. All identities are confidential at the moment as stated by PPC Nebanat. “The villager who was responsible for the spearing of the deceased along with twelve other suspects surrounding the incident surrendered to community leaders later on and were taken into custody by police.” The Correctional Institute Service officers are now working on their files to decide whether they will stand trial or face the full force of the law. Despite this incident, Mr Nebanat stated that nothing serious other than that has occurred and the festive period was very quiet within the province unlike previous years. “Everything is back to normal now and I would like to commend fellow New Irelanders for celebrating the festive season by being mindful and taking ownership of the law”, said the PPC. Nebanat concluded in saying there will be a handover takeover ceremony later this month to bring in the new PPC for New Ireland Albert Beli, who is already in the province and will be serving the people of New Ireland in 2023 till his next posting.

Prime Minister James Marape left for Singapore yesterday Saturday, January 7, 2023 to meet with Puma Energy executives on the ongoing saga with Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) which continues to threaten the country with energy insecurities. He was accompanied by Minister for Petroleum and Energy Kerenga Kua and the State Solicitor to discuss this issue which resulted in all Air Niugini flights being cancelled on Thursday last week. Puma Energy is a Swiss multinational mid- and downstream oil company, majority-owned by Singapore-based Swiss company Trafigura. Its operations span around 40 countries across five continents and encompass the supply, storage, refining, distribution, and retail of a range of petroleum products. Minister for Inter-Government Relations. Soroi Eoi, will be acting Prime Minister for the next two days as Deputy Prime Minister  John Rosso is also out of the country. “I am going to Singapore with Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Kerenga Kua, to meet Puma executives about this ongoing saga between BPNG and Puma,” PM Marape said before leaving for Singapore. “ This is so that we do not have energy or fuel insecurity issues going forward into the future. “We cannot be held to ransom like this – which recurs every time there is an issue with foreign exchange. I know Central Bank has some regulatory issues with Puma and we want to hear from Puma leadership on why compliance to Central Bank directions are not possible and for us to find a permanent solution. “I am also bringing our State Lawyers and we will be informing Puma that we are looking at other options, apart from fixing the relationship between them and BPNG, and finding permanent solutions so our country is not energy-insecure. “I will also indicate to Puma that we are reviewing the NapaNapa Refinery Agreement – which gives them a monopoly of fuel supply to Papua New Guinea - and to check if they are in full compliance to all requirements that secured them this present monopoly.” PM Marape also said the Government was now seriously looking at downstream processing of PNG’s oil and gas resources. “I have signaled our major oil and gas harvesters like Santos , Total Energies and ExxonMobil that the State, through Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd and Mineral Resources Development Company, wants to move into the downstream processing of our own petroleum products with their partnership and we are looking at the cost of setting up a refinery.”

A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say. The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said. It is unclear how the child obtained the gun, but Mr Drew said the incident was not "an accidental shooting". The teacher - who has not been named and is said to be in her 30s - was left with life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a local hospital and is being closely monitored by doctors. The incident took place in a first grade (ages six to seven) classroom after an altercation between the pair. But Mr Drew emphasised that the shooting had been an isolated incident and stressed that officers "did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting". Officials said that while the school - which has around 550 students - had metal detection facilities, students were checked at random and not every child was inspected. Police declined to name the weapon used in the incident, but said the boy had used a handgun. School District Head Dr George Parker said officials would "be looking at any instance that may have occurred that may have caused this incident". "This is terrible, something like this should never occur," Dr Parker added. "We want to ensure nothing like this happens again." He said the school would be closed on Monday, and pledged that students and parents would be offered support to help them deal with the traumatic event. Mayor Phillip Jones - who took office just three days ago - said the shooting marked "a dark day for Newport News". "We're going to learn from this and we're going to come back stronger," he told reporters. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he had offered assistance to local officials, adding that his administration was "ready to help in any way we can". "I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community," he wrote on Twitter. Newport News is a city of around 180,000 people and sits about 70 miles (112km) to the south of the state capital Richmond.     Source: BBC

A new coach and a host of big-name recruits signal the start of a new era for the Wests Tigers in 2023, coming after a horror past season which ended in them collecting the wooden spoon. Believing the answer to the future sits with figures from the past, the Wests Tigers have brought back their premiership-winning coach from 2005, Tim Sheens, with club legends Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah as his assistants. The signing of six new players, five of whom have played in NRL Grand Finals previously, is a good start as they seek to bounce back from last year's 20-loss disaster. Predicted Round 1 team Daine Laurie David Nofoaluma Tommy Talau Brent Naden Ken Maumalo Adam Doueihi Luke Brooks Stefano Utoikamanu Api Koroisau David Klemmer Isaiah Papali’i John Bateman Joe Ofahengaue Jake Simpkin Alex Twal Fonua Pole Shawn Blore Other: Alex Seyfarth, Apisalome Saukuru, Asu Kepaoa, Brandon Tumeth, Charlie Staines, Christian Ma’anaima (development), Justin Matamua, Josh Feledy (development), Junior Tupou, Kitione Kautoga (development), Rua Ngatikaura, Sione Fainu, Star To'a, Triston Reilly, Tukimihia Simpkins, Will Smith. Squad watch Squad spots filled: 30/30 The club is loaded with talent in the forwards for 2023, with Stefano Utoikamanu - tipped by many as a future representative player - the only member of their likely starting pack who hasn't played either Origin or Test football for a tier one nation. Aside from the new faces they have signed, the club will regain the services of forward Shawn Blore and versatile back Tommy Talau, who both failed to play a single minute of football last season due to serious injuries. They have good depth in the backline, with Charlie Staines - who was a scorer in last year's Grand Final win for Penrith - and talented Kiwi Starford To'a likely to start the year outside the top 17, while in the pack it looks unlikely that 2022 NRL regular Alex Seyfarth or highly touted youngster Justin Matamua will be in the team for round one. Despite losing a glut of talent to rival NRL clubs, including seven players who were regulars in their side last year, it's hard to argue that the Wests Tigers haven't improved their squad significantly for 2023. Health watch A tough run with injuries, which started in the pre-season with the loss of Blore and Talau for the year, really hurt the Wests Tigers in 2022, and they'll be relying on better fortune this coming season. Talau and Blore are both on track to start the year, while Ken Maumalo is back in full training after having minor knee surgery. Alex Seyfarth is back doing contact work after tearing a pectoral muscle late last season and is expected to be available for the start of the 2023 campaign. Most contentious position There wasn't a standout option at centre last year for the Wests Tigers, and again for 2023 it's hard to know who will emerge at the first-choice pairing. Versatile back Star To'a started 14 games at centre last year in a season which saw him play a career-high 21 games, while Brent Naden impressed at the back end as a winger, and has plenty of centre experience under his belt. The departure of Oliver Gildart (Dolphins) is offset by Talau's return from a season-long injury layoff, and if he can stay fit Sheens has indicated he's likely to be part of the 17 somewhere. Biggest strength This forward pack will cause issues for plenty of sides in 2023. The addition of Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali'i and John Bateman, plus former Blues enforcer David Klemmer, to a group already featuring some quality veterans and promising forwards, means the engine room should hum. In Koroisau they have a proven winner, with three-straight Grand Final appearances to his name, while Papali'i was one of the competition's best back-rowers last year, playing every game for the Eels and scoring 10 tries, with 140 average run metres per game. Bateman too has shown he belongs in the competition's elite in his position, having been judged to be the NRL's best second-rower back in 2019 with the Raiders. That talent on the edge should improve the Wests Tigers on both sides of the footy, while there will be no lack of punch through the middle, with the aggressive David Klemmer, who averaged 155 metres per game last year, joining Joe Ofahengaue, Alex Twal and Stefano Utoikamanu. Biggest question mark How long will it take this new-look coaching setup to find their feet, and will their relative lack of experience as modern-day NRL coaches matter? Sheens is a premiership-winning coach and a club legend. But it's also been 11 years since he did it at NRL level, and in that time the game has changed drastically. In Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah he has two assistants with recent playing experience, but next to no experience as top-flight coaches. How they manage this roster and make the adjustments needed throughout a grueling NRL campaign will be crucial to deciding where the Wests Tigers land this coming season. Source: NRL.com

Tobacco companies will now be charged to clean up cigarette butts off the streets and beaches of Spain, according to new environmental regulations. Millions of butts are thrown away each year - releasing toxic plastic waste which can take decades to break down. Figures from 2020 show around a fifth of adult Spaniards smoke everyday. The rules came into force on Friday, but it remains unclear how they will be implemented and whether costs are likely to be passed on to consumers. A report by the Catalan Rezero Foundation estimated that local authorities in Catalonia were paying between €12-21 (£11-19; $13-22) per inhabitant per year on road cleaning of cigarettes - with higher rates in coastal areas. The report called cigarette waste the "most abundant waste" on the beaches of the western Mediterranean, adding that existing measures to tackle it - such as awareness campaigns and portable beach ashtrays - had been insufficient. The new rules make manufacturers responsible for collecting discarded butts as well as transporting them for waste treatment. The Mesa del Tabaco industry association has said it is still waiting for details on how the rules will be implemented, local media say. Most cigarette butts contain filters made of cellulose acetate fibre, a type of a bioplastic. These can take years, if not decades, to break down - and microplastic pollution can hamper plant growth too, according to scientists. The new rules are part of a law passed last year banning single-use plastics like cutlery and straws - drawn up to comply with a European Union directive. Ireland introduced similar legislation on Thursday, requiring tobacco companies to contribute to the cost of cigarette litter. Almost half of litter in Ireland is cigarette-related, according to the country's National Litter Pollution Monitoring System. Spain has introduced a host of sweeping measures to curb smoking in recent years. Last July, smoking was banned on all of Barcelona's public beaches, with offenders fined €30 (£27; $32).       Source: BBC

The boss of gambling firm Bet365 was paid more than £200m in just one year, which is one of the biggest salaries ever awarded in the UK. The highest paid director of Bet365 Group, believed to be founder Denise Coates, earned a salary of £213.4m in the year to March 2022. She was also entitled to at least half of £100m in dividends, despite a fall in profits. Bet365 did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment. But campaign groups such as the High Pay Centre hit out at the announcement, arguing it served as a reminder that "too much [money] is going to too few people" in the UK economy. Its spokesman Andrew Speke said: "It shows if the government wanted to provide greater support to those struggling and increase the pay of striking public sector workers facing real wage cuts, increasing tax on high incomes and wealth would be one of the most effective ways of funding this." Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who co-chairs a cross-party parliamentary group examining gambling-related harm, said that losses made by users as prices are rising "are paying for the huge salaries of gambling bosses". She called on the government to bring forward its white paper on gambling and update laws that have been in place for decades. Ms. Coates founded the Bet365 website in a portable building in Stoke-on-Trent more than 20 years ago. She is thought to be one of Britain's richest women and among the best-paid bosses in the world. After training as an accountant she helped build the group into one of the biggest online gambling companies from her father's bookmaking business. Her brother is also co-chief executive. According to the latest company accounts, Ms. Coates received a salary of almost £250m salary the year before. Piling money into efforts to expand internationally saw the Bet365 group's profits dive. Bet365 made a profit before tax of £49.8m for the year, taking into account a £26.2m loss from its ownership of Stoke City Football Club, much less than the £469m profit seen in 2021. The group also saw its wage bill go up significantly, with more than 6,000 employees now on the payroll. In the year to 29 March 2022, the business turned over £2.9bn in total, an increase of 2% compared with the year before. While sales from sports betting fell, online games revenues jumped by 25% during the year. Its report also describes how it invested heavily in advertising and IT systems, having previously benefitted from a boom during the pandemic. Charitable donations of about £100m were made through the Denise Coates Foundation. The eldest of four children, Ms. Coates worked part time for the family firm while still at school, before gaining a first-class degree in econometrics. She has previously been described as one of the UK's "most successful women", spotting the opportunity that online platforms presented. In a rare interview with a local newspaper, Ms Coates once said: "I was convinced early on that gambling would work well on the internet. It is private, accessible and allows you to present a huge range of betting opportunities to customers."   Source: BBC

Manly will go into 2023 with a new coach and potentially new-look side as Anthony Seibold looks to get the club back to the top after a disappointing past year rocked by injury and controversy. The Sea Eagles have a squad on paper capable of challenging any team (see the 2021 version) when firing, but it's no surprise a lot of that hinges on the fitness of star fullback Tom Trbojevic. Trbojevic, returning from a shoulder reconstruction in the pre-season, has been halted by a hamstring concern but should be OK for Round 1. Off the field continuity will also be key for the side and club next year with the rainbow jersey saga an unwanted distraction that has turned their culture upside down in recent months. With a fresh coach in, it shapes as the perfect time to start a new chapter. Predicted Round 1 team Tom Trbojevic Reuben Garrick Tolu Koula Brad Parker Christian Tuipulotu Josh Schuster Daly Cherry-Evans Josh Aloiai Lachlan Croker Taniela Paseka Haumole Ola'kauatu Kelma Tuilagi Jake Trbojevic Ben Trbojevic Sean Keppie Toafofoa Sipley Ethan Bullemor Squad watch Anthony Seibold has inherited a squad of 28 players and will have little room to move on potentially targeting someone he wants before the season kicks off. The Sea Eagles are very forward heavy in their squad but lack a specialist hooker option behind former half turned rake Lachlan Croker. They also lack depth around their halves with Daly Cherry-Evans and Josh Schuster (who is untested) the only recognised playmakers in the squad. Former Storm halfback Cooper Johns is on a train and trial deal and yet to enter the top 30 but would be handy back-up option. Back-rowers Kelma Tuilagi and Ben Condon arrive from rival clubs and will both be pushing for Schuster's vacant forward spot on the left edge. Health watch The Sea Eagles finished the year with a heavy injury toll and that looks set to continue into the pre-season with several players either recovering or rehabbing their setbacks over the summer. Josh Aloiai (shoulder) and Taniela Paseka (knee) had end of season surgeries and are being eased back to training while Jason Saab (knee) and Karl Lawton (knee) continue with their recovery following ACL injuries. Reuben Garrick, Morgan Harper and Ben Trbojevic (all shoulder) underwent surgeries while Tom Trbojevic's hamstring injury suffered in December is a concern but all should be available by the time the season opener comes around. Morgan Boyle (foot) had surgery in the off-season after a luckless 2022 campaign but has been re-signed for a further year. Most contentious position The departure of Kieran Foran gives Josh Schuster his big chance to cement the five-eighth spot at the club but if the move doesn't pay off early, there will be pressure on Anthony Seibold with what to do next. Schuster sacrificed a World Cup appearance with Samoa to get himself into shape to make the No.6 jersey his own but as highlighted above, there is minimal depth in the halves in the current squad if it doesn't work out. The rest of the 17 should be fairly straight forward, although Dylan Walker's exit to the Warriors also leaves Seibold with a decision to make around the bench make-up. Ben Trbojevic could be an option here, or Karl Lawton, who will be eased back into the competition after rupturing his ACL in 2022. Biggest strength Any side led by Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic in it at the same time will lift to another level regardless of who is in the team. For as long as the pair are on the field together, everything else around them should flow. Both players, particularly Trbojevic, help players around them go to another level and their combination around the ruck is a constant worry for the opposition. The Sea Eagles are strong in the middle and on the edges which should give DCE and Trbojevic the ability to work their magic. Biggest question mark How reliant can a team be on one or two players, specifically Tom Trbojevic? The side showed without Turbo that Reuben Garrick is a worthy replacement, but Manly's woes off-field cancelled out anything good on it towards the end of the 2022 season. If the club can get their back house in good order over the summer then at least it will give the players a chance to band together under the fresh mind of Seibold to shock a few in 2023. With not a lot of pressure on them next season, it could be a chance for Manly to either hit back or finish where many believe they will in 2023 - outside the top eight. Source: NRL.com

Barrick (Niugini) Limited (BNL) would like to clarify that Porgera Mine remains in Care and Maintenance and the current limited rehiring of a specially skilled workforce is only to assist with ongoing maintenance work at the mine. A protest was held in Porgera on Friday claiming that BNL’s current recruitment process was improperly overlooking unemployed locals within the Special Mining Lease area. BNL completely rejects those inaccurate claims. Since the mine was placed into Care and Maintenance in April 2020, BNL has invested more than one billion kina in good faith in the hope and expectation that the various contractual and regulatory conditions for the reopening of the Porgera mine can be satisfied to allow for the restart to occur. While those conditions have not yet been satisfied, in preparation for restart BNL has approved limited maintenance work on plant infrastructure, repair of mobile equipment, and rehabilitation work on the open pit and underground areas. The ongoing maintenance at site requires highly skilled and experienced personnel to ensure operational readiness is maintained. BNL’s recruitment policy is based on transparency and best practice and gives first preference to skilled and experienced workers with a good track record who are based in Porgera. Due to the limited pool of local workers that meet the necessary requirements for the current ongoing work, however, we have had to rehire a small number of skilled workers from beyond Porgera, within Enga and PNG. These workers are on short-term contracts. BNL is aware that certain individuals have been creating false expectations of employment by unskilled Porgeran youth and spreading baseless claims of inappropriate hiring practices by BNL. No evidence has been put forward by those making these claims. BNL will always seek to recruit first locally as it is the best business option for New Porgera and in our interest to do so. The current maintenance work, however, requires specific skillsets so that safety and other requirements are properly complied with. As with any other professional organization, BNL will not recruit persons with an unsatisfactory employment or community history. Once the mine restarts, New Porgera will recommence the historically successful Job Ready Program (JRP) for the benefit of Porgeran youth. JRP provides the best avenue for inexperienced local youth to enter the mine workforce and has produced skilled miners who are now employed at Porgera, as well as at other mines in PNG and overseas. It is also incumbent on local leaders to work with Government and other stakeholders to invest in training and other opportunities for Porgeran youth. Any threat to the Porgera mine assets or our employees and contractors will be immediately referred to the relevant authorities. BNL will not hire persons involved in such activities. More generally, restoration of law and order should be the priority for all Porgera stakeholders to ensure Government services are restored and businesses, including Porgera mine, can operate safely and profitably. New Porgera provides an opportunity to build a new thriving and sustainable economy for Porgera that that will outlive the life of the mine and benefit the community long into the future. BNL urges all stakeholders of New Porgera, especially landowners, to work cooperatively to enable that future to become a reality.

Hong Kong is set to lift its year-long ban on the import of hamsters later this month as it unwinds some of the world's toughest Covid restrictions. The city's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) told the BBC the rodents would be tested for the virus. Last year officials said around 2,000 animals would be culled to stop the spread of Covid. The move came after an outbreak of infections at a pet shop. A spokesperson for the AFCD said it planned to lift the import ban in mid-January. "Our staff will arrange to collect samples from hamsters and other small mammals for Covid-19 testing. They can only be sold if the test results are negative," the spokesperson said. They added that this was because studies had found the animals could contract the virus and pass it to humans. "If such imports are to resume the hamsters need to be handled with consideration [and] given the best care possible during transport and quarantine," a spokesperson from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hong Kong said. Rodent row Hong Kong banned the import of hamsters last year after an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 was linked to a worker at the Little Boss pet shop in the city. It prompted officials to test hundreds of animals in the shop for coronavirus. Eleven hamsters that had been imported from the Netherlands tested positive. Officials said they believed this could have been a case of animal-to-human Covid transmission, and said around 2,000 hamsters and other small animals would be culled as a "preventative measure". At the time thousands of people signed a petition against the decision to put down the animals. "Subsequent testing of humans and hamsters confirmed that there was transmission of Covid-19 from hamsters to humans," Vanessa Barrs, a professor of companion animal health at the City University of Hong Kong, told the BBC. "The situation was very sad, but the government acted out of an abundance of caution at that time," she added. The virus that causes Covid, Sars-Cov-2, can be caught by animals including dogs, cats and hamsters, which are all commonly kept as pets. But there is no clear evidence that pets can easily pass the infection to humans. Louis Yeung, owner of the Chinchilla & Pets Shop in Hong Kong, said he had handed over 22 hamsters to be culled by the authorities last year. He told the BBC that he hopes to start selling the pets again once import restrictions are lifted. "Since January 2022, our business has been bad. The hamsters are popular pets to lots of people, especially children," he said. Opening up Hong Kong dropped almost all its Covid restrictions last month, following a similar move by mainland China. People arriving in the city, which is a special administrative region of China, no longer have to do mandatory PCR tests. A vaccine pass system was also scrapped, although people were still required to wear masks in public places. It was a dramatic move by the city, which once had some of the most stringent Covid-19 restrictions in the world.   Source: BBC

A clean-up operation is underway following flash floods that swept through parts of Fiji. The National Disaster Management Office said its team has been out in force with the help of local youths removing debris. The Fiji Roads Authority said eight roads remain closed due to flooding caused by the heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, severe weather warnings have been updated in Samoa this morning, and Solomon Islands Police have urged caution in the bad weather. Source: Radio New Zealand

New Ireland Rugby Union (NIRU) leaps into the New Year hosting its Annual General Meeting proper today-Friday 06th January 2023. Interim NIRU President Charlie Melachon revealed today the affiliated associations of NIRU including Kavieng Urban, Kara, Nalik, Sentral, Namatanai and Matalai Rugby Union Presidents convene today to elect the NIRU President to lead the association for another term. Mehachon said Lihir, Murat and Lavonggai Associations participate as observers as they are yet to establish in house managements. Of the two districts of New Ireland province, Kavieng Urban, Kara, Nalik, Sentral, Murat and Lavonggai associations represent Kavieng district while Namatanai, Matalai and Lihir Associations represent Namatanai district of New Ireland respectively. But I am proud that over my three year term as NIRU interim President the success of my core working group is attested to the rest of New Ireland represented by six established affiliated associations of the NIRU. And three more to be added heading into 2023 that would complete a 100 percent spread of rugby union from urban to rural New Ireland. Rugby union revival is core in New Ireland like the rest of other Provincial Unions and reestablishing partnerships to reignite the code’s flare is a must in a province that once dominated Papua New Guinea in the yesteryears of the code. The Nakmai Pty Ltd 7s, Douglas Guise 7s and Bilas Peles 7s initiated and hosted respectively during my term, as well coming up is the Lihir Islanders 7s in 2023 gives ownership of the code to the province as a whole. “The good thing about 7s tournaments in New Ireland is the capacity to revive and encourage participation and in the longer run to incorporate into the annual NIRU calendar. Eventually we want the tournaments to be sanctioned by PNG Rugby Union (PNGRU).” The proper AGM later today will formally announce the new NIRU President as well board of the NIRU heading the code in the province from 2023 onwards