The Councillor of Wutung Village, the border village of Sandaun Province and Chairman of the landowner company of the proposed Papua New Guinea (PNG) Trade Centre in Wutung village have reached an agreement with the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru and the Sandaun Provincial Government and Administration to provide land for the establishment of the Trade Centre. The agreement reached during the recent trip of Minister Maru and the Japan Development Institute (JDI) Expert Team to visit Vanimo are as follows: The land identified for the Trade Centre at Wutung Village will not be sold to the government but only leased long term to the National Government. All business spin off for the Trade Centre like security, cleaning, etc will be given to the landowner company. The National Government will fund the cost of building a new bore water supply system for the proposed Trade Centre and the border post at Wutung. The same water supply system must also provide a continuous and free water supply system to Wutung Village. Currently, there is no electricity and water supply at the border post, resulting in all the scanning machines including the truck which has the scanning machines has not been used since 2018. “They are all gathering dust, including the office complex as there is no water. The whole border post is in a despicable state and we must act now to fix all these shambles if we are serious to trade with Indonesia,” said Minister Maru. “I have asked the Sandaun Governor and his administration to meet the cost of connecting electricity from Vanimo to Wutung as a matter of priority at the cost of the Sandaun Provincial Government while the National Government will take care of funding the water supply system and lease the land from the Wutung landowners for the Trade Centre. We cannot continue the one-way trade of our people going to Batas in Indonesia to buy Indonesian goods. The time has come for us to get our act together and build the Trade Centre at Wutung. This has to be a shared responsibility between the National Government, Sandaun Provincial Government and the Vanimo District DDA,” Minister Maru said.

A Sanskrit grammatical problem which has perplexed scholars since the 5th Century BC has been solved by a University of Cambridge PhD student. Rishi Rajpopat, 27, decoded a rule taught by Panini, a master of the ancient Sanskrit language who lived around 2,500 years ago. Sanskrit is mostly spoken in India by an estimated 25,000 people, the university said. Mr Rajpopat said he had "a eureka moment in Cambridge" after spending nine months "getting nowhere". "I closed the books for a month and just enjoyed the summer - swimming, cycling, cooking, praying and meditating," he said. "Then, begrudgingly I went back to work, and, within minutes, as I turned the pages, these patterns starting emerging, and it all started to make sense." He said he "would spend hours in the library including in the middle of the night", but still needed to work for another two-and-a-half years on the problem. Sanskrit, although not widely spoken, is the sacred language of Hinduism and has been used in India's science, philosophy, poetry and other secular literature over the centuries. Panini's grammar, known as the Astadhyayi, relied on a system that functioned like an algorithm to turn the base and suffix of a word into grammatically correct words and sentences. However, two or more of Panini's rules often apply simultaneously, resulting in conflicts. Panini taught a "metarule", which is traditionally interpreted by scholars as meaning "in the event of a conflict between two rules of equal strength, the rule that comes later in the grammar's serial order wins". However, this often led to grammatically incorrect results.`1 Mr Rajpopat rejected the traditional interpretation of the metarule. Instead, he argued that Panini meant that between rules applicable to the left and right sides of a word respectively, Panini wanted us to choose the rule applicable to the right side. Employing this interpretation, he found the Panini's "language machine" produced grammatically correct words with almost no exceptions. "I hope this discovery will infuse students in India with confidence, pride and hope that they too can achieve great things," said Mr Rajpopat, from India. His supervisor at Cambridge, professor of Sanskrit Vincenzo Vergiani, said: "He has found an extraordinarily elegant solution to a problem which has perplexed scholars for centuries. "This discovery will revolutionise the study of Sanskrit at a time when interest in the language is on the rise."

A Sudanese woman charged with adultery has had her life spared and will instead spend six months behind bars after she admitted to kissing a man. The 20-year-old was initially sentenced to death by stoning, sparking an international outcry. She was arrested by police after her cousin killed her boyfriend. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) described the initial penalty as a "grave violation of international law". The divorcee was sentenced to death after she was found guilty of adultery by a court in the city of Kosti, in Sudan's White Nile state. Following international condemnation, the White Nile state court retried the case. Ultimately, the presiding judge changed the charge from "adultery" to an "obscene act" which meant she would instead serve prison time for her actions. She confessed in court to being with a man and admitted that the pair had kissed. Her lawyer, Intisar Abdullah, said the judge "didn't have many options but to convict her". "The thing is she confessed at the court that she was with a man, she is very young and she doesn't know the complications of the case," the lawyer told the BBC. The woman had been free on bail but has now gone to prison to start her sentence. The ACJPS said she was not allowed a lawyer in the initial case, and procedural errors led to the stoning sentence being overturned. Sudan still imposes the death penalty for some hudud crimes - offences specified by Allah in the Quran, including theft and adultery. In Sudanese law they carry penalties such as flogging, the amputation of hands and feet, hanging and stoning. The majority of stoning sentences in Sudan - laid predominantly against women - have been overturned at the High Court. Previously, a government minister described the sentence as a "joke" but admitted that no government minister could intervene. Sudan has been run by a military junta since a coup in 2021.   Source: BBC

Malaysian search and rescue teams are scouring a holiday campsite in the Selangor state for survivors after a landslide killed at least 21 people. Families were sleeping in their tents when the landslide happened around 03:00 Friday (19:00 GMT Thursday) at a farm stay in Batang Kali township. Some 400 rescue workers spent Friday digging through mud to find 12 missing people, local media reported. Among the victims are five children and 12 women, officials announced. Fire Chief Norazam Khamis also told local media that two of the bodies were found "hugging each other" and are believed to be mother and daughter. The farm's managers said at least 30 children and 51 adults were registered for an overnight stay, and Health Miniser Zaliha Mustafa said one of those injured was a pregnant woman. More than 20 primary school teachers and their family members were also at the campsite, according to a New Straits Times report. Malaysia's fire and rescue department said a 30m (100ft) high slope impacted the campsite in "a terrible tragedy". Government authorities noted that the landslide involved about 450,000 sq m of soil. The camp site had been operating illegally, according to local government development minister Nga Kor Ming. He added that the operator had government approval to run an organic farm, but was not permitted to run camping activities. If found guilty of violating the law, the owner could be jailed up to three years or fined up to 50,000 ringgit (£9,306; $11,318). Mr. Nga also said he ordered all "high-risk" camping sites - those located along rivers, waterfalls and hillsides - across Malaysia to immediately shut down for seven days. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi echoed the message, warning that the weather was expected to worsen in the coming days. "We have to learn from what has happened today," he said. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Singapore's foreign ministry said three of its citizens were among those rescued. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed "heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all those affected by the landslide". It is unclear what triggered the landslide, which happened in a forested, hilly area next to the side of the road in Batang Kali, close to the Genting Highland region. Locals reported some light rain, but no heavy downpours or any earthquakes in the lead up to it. However, monsoon season is currently underway in Malaysia. Pictures posted online by Malaysia's rescue agencies showed crews of helmeted workers clambering up uneven ground, past uprooted trees and other debris. One camper, Teh Lynn Xuan, said she and her mother had survived, but her brother had died and another brother had been injured and taken to hospital. "We felt the tents becoming unstable and soil was falling around us," she told Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian. "My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves." She said they had been camping with a big group of more than 40 people. Another survivor, Leong Jim Meng, said he and his family were woken by an explosion before the ground began to shift. They were briefly trapped in their tents by debris before managing to escape. "It was too dark to see clearly what was happening," he said. And a campsite worker, Thawng Uk, told the Reuters news agency that they had narrowly survived the disaster after being roused by neighbours. "I have never seen such a horrible incident. I feel so shocked and terrified," the 35-year-old said. "We could bring nothing at all as we urgently ran. We are asking around where to get shelter and food." Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was due to arrive at the site later on Friday, following visits from several other government ministers. He offered condolences to the victims and prayers for more survivors on his Facebook page.   Source: BBC

Minister Responsible for National Gaming Control Board, Manasseh Makiba, MP has challenged the Board and Management of NGCB to collect annual gaming revenue of K2 billion starting next year. He made this remark during a welcome reception at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby on 13th December 2022. Minister Makiba while was pleased with the Board’s performance and achievements for the past 27 years said in line with the Government’s ‘take back PNG’, NGCB must align with Government policy to take back gaming industry. “The Board and Management must reach a target of K2 billion in revenue in 2023 and onwards and meet the Government’s aim for the country to become a K200 billion economy in the next 10 years." “I am pleased to know that the NGCB generates over K55 million monthly of which fifty five percent (55%) goes directly to Government in the form of tax through IRC. “I want the Board to keep this momentum but must set target to increase the revenue and assist the Government on the development phases of our country to be smart, wise, fair, healthy and a happy society by 2050. The Minister further said that he will work with the Board and Management to create Investment and Dividend Trust Funds and certain percentage from the Community Benefit Fund 7% levy received monthly be allocated to these two new Trust Funds. “This is to assist the Board park aside funds and invest into businesses for sustainability in the long run”, Minister Makiba said. The Minister was adamant that the Community Benefit Trust Fund ‘Give Back Program’ be revisited and changes be made to ensure funds are diverted to strategic development as well as consider investing into businesses as part of long term growth, development and sustainability of the Board. “ I am aware that NGCB has invested a lot into sports in the country, thus it is time we prioritize and look at ways to expand the industry and generate more revenue to support the Government achieving the Vision 2050,” Minister Makiba said. Furthermore, the Minister said the Gaming Control Bill 2021 is still under review and when complete, he will table in Parliament . “The new bill will include proper regulation of other gaming such as casino, online gaming, sports betting lottery and other games”, Minister said. He said the core functions of NGCB is to regulate all forms of legalized gambling activities and stop illegal gambling that will affect people’s lives. “The NGCB will be working around the clock in 2023 to monitor and close all illegal gambling activities,” Minister said. He added that the regulations will be tightened to strictly prevent young people under the age of 18 years and older people over the age of 70 years from getting involved in gambling. The Minister said Minister also clarified that one casino license is given to Paga Hill Development Limited to support Government’s Special Economic Zone Development in Port Moresby on provisional basis to be reviewed in three (3) years. He said if no development of casino takes place by Paga Hill Development within 3 years, then the license can be revoked and a floating casino by way of ships with casino can be licensed to dock in Port Moresby wharf to trial out how casino will fare in PNG and if positive outcome then onshore casino will be seriously developed as part of Special Economic Zone Development. NGCB Chairman Clemence Kanau while congratulating the Minister of his appointment assured him that the Board stands ready to work with his office to deliver tangible key government agendas and policy matters concerning the gaming industry. “ The Board has set target to increase monthly revenue from K55 million to K100 million and this will be possible with introduction of online gaming and gaming tourism,” Kanau said. The Chairman said the Board has been working tirelessly despite confronted with the COVDI-19 pandemic in early 2020 and 2021. “At the time of our appointment in 2021 we were confronted with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This had a devastating effect on the industry. Our operations throughout the country were severely disrupted, resulting in a loss of over K200 million in revenue during the shutdown period. “Working closely with CEO Imelda Agon and her management, my board held nine (9) extraordinary board meetings to find ways to reopen the industry and keep it operational in the midst of the pandemic. “We crafted out a business continuity plan that would satisfy the requirements of government, and be in compliance with guidelines imposed by the Controller under the COVID-19 Emergency Act.” Kanau said. The Chairman further added that the Board has approved the Gaming Control Bill 2021 which has taken the NGCB six years to thoroughly go through, review and amend the Act to ensure the laws are consistent with the industry’s best practices. NGCB Chief Executive Officer, Imelda Agon shared the same sentiment and said NGCB was once a back office operated on an ad hoc basis. She said fast forward to today, NGCB makes millions of kina for the country and it stands to serve the 8 million plus people of this country. “ I acknowledge the Prime Minister for his leadership and vision for the country and welcome the appointment of +Honorable Manesseh Makiba as the Minister Responsible for the NGCB Matters and also Bougainville Affairs. “I stand together with my management team who have been working tirelessly behind the scene to ensure we serve the government and the people. The CEO said my management team will be working closely with the Board to meet the target set by the Minister. She further alluded the importance of team effort in progressing the NGCB’s vision and goals as well the country’s.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday (14/12/22) responded to the press release by the Deputy Opposition Leader in relation to the reopening of the Porgera Mine. “The Deputy Opposition Leader has never sat down at the table with any project stake holders to negotiate a way forward for any national projects and can only make uninformed statements from the sidelines. “The National Government together with Barrick have jointly concluded all the important milestones contained in the Porgera Project Framework Agreement, which was initially signed in April 2021. Since then, we have concluded the Commencement Agreement, the Shareholders agreement and now Kumul mining is completing the Operators Agreement which is between the new joint venture company and the Barrick Operating entity rather than with the State,” Prime Minister Marape said. “The New Porgera Limited has been incorporated and the State parties are now 51% majority owner of the mine which means the risks and responsibilities that must be negotiated through the various legal agreements are different and more complex than what the State is used to. They must now go through the regulatory process with the Mineral Resources Authority in accordance with the Mining Act which will include dealing with licensing, other technical regulations and a Development Forum for the Landowners and Provincial Government stakeholders.” He said it is now this internal process and the settlement of legacy issues that the old Porgera Joint Venture between the Mineral Resources Enga (owned jointly by the Landowners and Provincial Government) and Barrick that needed to settled that will drive the timing of the reopening of the mine and not further commercial, technical and administrative negotiations with the Marape - Rosso Government. “PNG deserves the best outcome in our resources negotiations and our stakeholders have a right to be heard and benefit from those projects,” the Prime Minister said. “There are no ulterior motives in the delay, other than to ensure that all stakeholders views are considered. It was important for both Barrick and the National Government to secure the support of the Enga Provincial Government, and the landowners in the early part of the negotiations, and with the signing of the revised PPCA in September 2022, those issues are now sorted out. “The government is working through a process of properly establishing the SNT as an organization. But these two processes are happening simultaneously,” the Prime Minister said. “We have had State Negotiation Teams since 2007 when we started negotiations on the PNG LNG Project, and we are fortunate that a handful of these experienced resources are still around and available to the State. These are high value industries and we have had some high quality resources who have effectively secured important gains for our people. “I want high quality negotiations, advisory services and project coordination that result in positive results and reputation for our people and our government. If we do not have those immediately available, we procure them. “The Government part of the negotiation is supported by high technical advisors and advisory firms where required who are procured internationally. These advisors support Public Servants who serve the interest of the SNT over and above their day-to-day duties. The consultants are paid industry rates within the legal limits of the authorizing officer and within the terms of their contracts.” In relation to Wafi Golpu project, Prime Minister Marape said that the negotiations were focused on ensuring that the landowners are able to participate throughout the construction phase and then build value over the life of the project. He expects to make an announcement on the completion of the fiscal terms before the end of the year. “My government is committed to ensuring that we get better fiscal terms from large scale projects such as those proposed for the New Porgera Gold Mine, Wafi Golpu, and the gas projects P’nyang and Papua LNG Project. In P’nyang we achieved a 63% benefit split outcome which is a record. I have achieved more than the previous governments and a large part of this is due to the leadership of the various State Negotiations Team over the last two years under my leadership,” the Prime Minister said. “Any bonuses that may be due and payable to public servants working in this space would normally be based on the bonus guidelines approved by NEC and the SRC back in 2009 when the PNG LNG was first negotiated. “This is not something that my government initiated, but we are determined to support and recognize the commitments made by good public servants who are useful to any government in this line of work. Most importantly these incentives are performance based and allow us to compete with the Statutory Authorities and the private sector where our public servants could go to because of remuneration.” Prime Minister Marape said he is surprised that the good Deputy Opposition Leader has chosen to rubbish the efforts that our public servants put into this work, which is over and above the regular duties they have on a day to day basis. The Prime Minister added that considering the work of the SNT is negotiating an estimated USD30 billion worth of resource projects, arguing over the payments to advisors and advisory firms shows inexperience and immaturity.

Simbu Province came out in full force yesterday to present K1 million to Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru to fund the Feasibility Study into the viability of establishing a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Karamui-Nomane District. Simbu Provincial Government presented K1 million to Minister Maru upon his visit to Karamui as he had promised Chuave MP, James Nomame in the last parliament session. The Department of National Planning and Monitoring also presented K1.3 million to support fund the study. The presentation was made by the Vice Minister for National Planning and Monitoring and Chuave MP, James Nomane. “I am very impressed with your commitment; you are the first district and province, from those that we have visited so far, to make such a commitment.  You have set the record and you should be extremely proud,” said Minister Maru during his visit with the Japan Development Institute (JDI) Expert team and the local consultants to assess the potential of Karamui-Nomane District for it to be developed as an economic zone. Simbu Province leaders are united in supporting this initiative because Simbu has only been generating K5 million internal revenue and cannot develop the province with such revenue each year. The province does not have an economy because of the mountainous terrain of the province. The only land that is flat and very fertile and that can be developed into a major agriculture hub to contribute to the revenue and development of the province is in the Karamui-Nomane District. Cocoa and other crops grow very well there. “Simbu has no gold, no copper, no silver and no gas, but it has the raw potential to be a major agriculture hub in the country. Over the last 47 years, human resource has been Simbu’s greatest contribution to our country,” said Minister Maru. “Despite its vast potential, the country has not been able to unlock development of Karamui-Nomane District because it has no road access and it will be difficult to bring any of their produce to the market. While the people are ready to work and get behind development, we need to build the infrastructure to attract the investors to go in and develop agriculture in a large-scale commercial scheme of arrangements,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru explained that Simbu generates K5 million only in revenue every year, making it one of the lowest income generating province in the country in terms of income generation. “East Sepik generates K15 million, Madang- K30 million, Morobe almost K200 million, and NCD K250 million. This is why the provincial government cannot carry out any major development because there is no revenue- that is Simbu’s biggest problem; there is no money for service and development. How can Simbu Province be developed and lives of the people improved if the province cannot generate enough internal revenue to develop the province? The National Government pumps in K200 million in budget each year to support Simbu Province. Unless Simbu sorts out its economy- it will not have a prosperous future,” said Minister Maru. “East Sepik Province once had K5 million internal revenue but it had increased to K15 million and is still climbing. How are we climbing when we have no mine? We are climbing on the back of cocoa and other agriculture produce. Today I fully appreciate that Karamui’s land is very fertile and it has the potential to grow Simbu’s internal economy through agriculture. Simbu must have a clear plan to generate over K20 million in internal revenue each year. Without an SEZ in Karamui (ySimbu’s greatest land asset) this would not be possible,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru added that for Karamui to be an economic zone, it needed to have law and order, have a state land, and have road access to a port, and have cheap and reliable electricy. “With the K1.3 million given by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, I will get one of the best consulting firms in the world to come in and assess the viability of Karamui and also to tell us all the requirements that we need to meet to turn it into an economic zone. They will recommend to us, from their studies whether the road will go from Karamui to Kundiawa or to Lae where the port is. Karamui cannot be an economic zone without roads to give access to market and it also has to set up a mini hydro to produce cheap and reliable electricity to the proposed Karamui SEZ. There must also be a state land for the offices and factories to be established, which means the landowners must be willing to sell some land to the state. The study will also include a new town plan and will also recommend the crop that Karamui will be specialized in,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru encouraged Simbu Provincial Government to sort out law and order issues in Karamui by building a police station and bringing enough police manpower on the ground. “I also want the Provincial Government and the local MP give me a house and an office in Karamui early next year so an officer from the new Department of International Trade and Investment will come and stay here and facilitate the feasibility study,” said Minister Maru. Meanwhile, Minister Maru also visited Kundiawa where people crowded the streets of town to receive them and to celebrate the new dawn of the province. Governor Kool described the day as a ‘historic day’ of the province.

The  PNGAus Partnership has been contributing to the expansion of Family and Sexual Violence Units (FSVUs) since 2009, helping to establish 27 of the current 47 FSVUs around the country. Recently, more than 60 frontline police officers from PNG’s FSVUs and Criminal Investigation Division (CID) gathered in Port Moresby for a week-long workshop to learn from each other’s experiences and discuss recent amendments to the Family Protection Act (FPA). Tougher penalties for offenders were a key change to the FPA. Those found guilty of aggravated domestic violence will face up to 5 years prison and up to 2 years for breaches of family protection orders. Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary National FSVU Directorate Coordinator, Chief Inspector Delilah Sandeka said the workshop and similar training supported by the Australian Government was a “lifeline” for FSVU officers in keeping them abreast of changes in the law. Australian High Commission representative, Casey Senome praised the attendees, “You are critical, you are on the frontline of PNG’s response to FSV. Your work can literally save lives. That is why Australia is committed to supporting your efforts, because what you do matters.”

NCDC has been applauded and recognized for its contributions to the development of sporting talents and sports in general. Its recent support of the participation of Team PNG at this year’s Mini Pacific Games in Saipan, Northern Marianas, was acknowledged by the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee with an Appreciation Plaque in recognition of its tremendous support. The plaque was delivered to City Hall by top PNG Sprinter Leeroy Kamau who was part of the Team PNG contingent at the Saipan Mini Games. The plaque was handed over to City Manager Mr. Ravu Frank by Community & Social Services Manager Mr. Kila Dick. NCDC supported PNG’s participation at the Mini Games with K30,000.00 and in-kind K20,000.00 through the purchase of Fun Run T-Shirts, the major fundraising event for Team PNG. “We are honored with this recognition by the PNG Olympic Committee.” “Thank you for valuing the commitment of NCDC to the development of sporting talents and sports in general through this gesture of appreciation,” Mr. Frank said. The City Manager said NCDC’s support for sports is for the value it places on the contributions to the development of the city including human development. Sports is an integral part of development in society and the aspects of discipline for good health and well-being are major considerations for NCDC when it comes to supporting sports. “We will continue to support and fund sports programs in the city for the value we place on sports and integral development,” Mr. Frank said. Sports is emphasized as among the development priorities of the Commission in line with its goals for a healthy, clean, safe, and planned city. “This emphasis on sports is from the Board all the way to the management and strongly advocated by the NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop for the good health and wellbeing of city residents,” the City Manager added. Community and Social Services Manager, Mr. Dick who was the Chef De Mission for Team PNG to the Saipan Mini Games was grateful for the NCDC support which contributed in a big way to the success of Team PNG’s participation at the Games. PNG topped the medal tally at the Saipan Mini Games with a total of 80 medals which included 33 gold, 28 silver, and 19 bronze.

Guardians of the Galaxy director and DC Studios’ new co-chairman, James Gunn, is writing a Superman movie that won’t involve the actor Henry Cavill, who said it was “not the easiest news” after he only recently announced that he would be returning to the role. The new Superman film penned by Gunn will take the character in a different direction and focus on the superhero’s younger years. The announcement comes amid momentous change at DC Studios and parent company Warner Brothers, which has been slashing scores of projects to cut costs after merging with Discovery, Inc. Cavill has played Superman since the 2013 film Man of Steel and last appeared in the role in a cameo in Black Adam earlier this year. In October, after resigning from the lead role in Netflix show The Witcher, he announced he would be returning to play Superman again. On Wednesday, Cavill wrote on Instagram that Gunn and his co-chair, Peter Safran, had met with him to deliver the news. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill wrote. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes." "My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.” Gunn’s film will reportedly focus on the younger years of the hero, during his years posing as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, with insiders telling the Hollywood Reporter that Gunn could potentially direct the film as well as writing it. “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” Gunn wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.” Cavill’s announcement that he would return as Superman was reportedly signed off by Warner Bros, before Gunn and Safran assumed their roles at DC Studios on 1 November. Just six days before that, Cavill had said in an interview that he was looking forward to playing an “enormously joyful” Superman and that he was “very excited” about Gunn being hired. On Tuesday it was revealed that DC Studios’ Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins would no longer be working on a third film in the franchise. In response to reports, she denied quitting, writing in a lengthy open letter: “I never walked away. I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time.” The Hollywood Reporter claims that Gunn and Safran have also met with Batman actor Ben Affleck to float the idea of him directing for them in the future. A Black Superman film written by author Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by JJ Abrams is reportedly still going ahead, and will not be impacted by Gunn’s film. Gunn has long been in the running to make a Superman film: in 2018, when Gunn left Marvel Studios for DC when he was temporarily fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, then-Warners boss Toby Emmerich pushed for Gunn to take on Superman. Gunn wrote and directed The Suicide Squad instead. … we have a small favour to ask. Millions are turning to the Guardian for open, independent, quality news every day, and readers in 180 countries around the world now support us financially. We believe everyone deserves access to information that’s grounded in science and truth, and analysis rooted in authority and integrity. That’s why we made a different choice: to keep our reporting open for all readers, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay. This means more people can be better informed, united, and inspired to take meaningful action. In these perilous times, a truth-seeking global news organisation like the Guardian is essential. We have no shareholders or billionaire owner, meaning our journalism is free from commercial and political influence – this makes us different. When it’s never been more important, our independence allows us to fearlessly investigate, challenge and expose those in power

Kangaroos second-rower Angus Crichton is free to play for Sydney Roosters in the opening round against the Dolphins after being permitted to serve his World Cup suspension in the pre-season. Crichton received a two-match ban for striking Toa Samoa hooker Chanel Harris-Tavita with his elbow in the World Cup final at Old Trafford but the suspension was halved on appeal. He will avoid missing a premiership match by serving the one match ban in the opening round of the NRL Pre-season Challenge against the Storm in Geelong on February 12. The 26-year-old could play the following weekend at Gosford against Manly and will be available for the historic NRL debut of the Dolphins, who are set to become the Telstra Premiership's 17th team next year. Players suspended in the NRL are required to serve their bans in premiership fixtures, with Ryan Matterson (Eels), Francis Molo (Dragons), Mat Croker (Knights), Taane Milne (Rabbitohs) and Brian Kelly (Titans) set to miss the start of the season. However, Crichton's ban falls under the jurisdiction of the International Rugby League, which permits pre-season matches to be included. A clause in the NRL judiciary code allows for the disciplinary policy of the body which handed down the suspension to be applied and Crichton has been cleared to serve his ban during the new pre-season competition. Crichton was sinbinned for striking Harris-Tevita with a raised forearm, and Samoa coach Matt Parish later said referee Ashley Klein should have sent the Australian forward off. However, Crichton insisted he did not mean to strike Harris-Tevita and asked to front the media immediately after Australia's 30-10 win to publicly apologise to the Samoa utility and explain his actions. “I want to talk to you guys because I want to get this message across, and I want to let his family know that I am genuinely sorry. I want to let the Samoa community know that I had no malice at all,” Crichton said. “It was just me bracing for a tackle- and it was a freak tackle. As soon as it happened, I spoke to Chanel, and it was honestly just a reaction. I didn’t know that he was coming in and I had not malice at all." Crichton and Harris-Tavita spent time travelling together in Europe after the World Cup, along with injured Samoa utility Tyrone May, Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary and forward Pat Carrigan. "Whenever I play football, I never try to injure or hurt anyone. I know that I am a good person and I play the game the way it is meant to be played. “I never wish anyone to be injured on the football field like that, especially knockouts. A few of my great mates in Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner had their careers ruined so I never want to injure anyone on the field. “That was not my intention at all so anyone I have upset or anyone in his family or anyone in the Samoa community I am genuinely sorry.” Meanwhile, Matterson and Kelly will miss the opening three rounds of the Telstra Premiership, while Milne, Molo and Croker each have two matches to serve at the start of the 2023 competition and Milne has one. Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (New Zealand) and Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo (Tonga) served their end-of-season suspensions during the World Cup. Milne did not play at the World Cup because of the suspension but Fiji’s warm-up match against England, three pool game and quarter-final loss to the Kiwis were included as he was considered a certain selection for the Bati.   Source: NRL.com

The National Government has donated K200, 000 to the Cheshire Homes at Hohola in Port Moresby to run programs for persons with special needs. Secretary to the Department of Prime Minister& National Executive Council (PMNEC) Ivan Pomaleu presented the cheque to the Board of Cheshire Homes on Thursday this week (15/12/22). Secretary Pomaleu said the Lord above has created persons with special needs who are equal as other abled bodied persons. He said it takes people with an understanding and caring heart to care for persons with special needs. The Secretary said it is an area that need more attention in our society today as he also has personal experiences. ‘’I am a father to a special needs boy and I have empathy for the things you do for our people with special needs here at the Hohola Cheshire Homes. “There would be other families with a child or a person with special needs too in their homes and may not have the ability to care for their needs. “That is the reason why we value the work Cheshire Homes do. “Admittedly our society has not had the required adjustment to build facilities to cater for their needs, have policies and services that is inclusive, that includes those who need special care and attention,’’ said Secretary Pomaleu. He said that such care and attention would come, but it will take time. “As and when society matures and able to understand that everyone who lives in society are equal members of the society, we begin to have those adjustments like in other countries of the world have. “There are certain things like access to walkways, driveways, car parks and curbs at shops and main buildings, are not necessarily designed for those people with special needs in our society at the moment. “That is something that I personally recognize and hopefully within the course of my time as Secretary will ensure some changes are made. “I want to say that there is a special attention to the residents, people with special needs here today at Hohola that they are equal members with equal and special needs of our society. “In all aspects of work, our existence, in all aspects of our conversation, we are dealing with equal members of our society who are just different. “The good Lord made them different to all of us and on that basis we want to give the assurance that we will continue to help wherever we are able to and can,’’ said Secretary Pomaleu. He said that ‘there are some of us who understand, there are some of us who are very clear of what the challenges are’. Secretary Pomaleu said he was happy to present the K200, 000 on behalf of the Prime Minister James Marape who had prior commitments. “The cheque that I am going to hand over is the Government contribution from the community and social services fund managed and controlled by the National Gaming and Control Board. Prime Minister Marape was the Minister responsible for the National Gaming Control Board when the commitment was made but took a while to process as the Gaming Board has it processes. “I am pleased to come and present it on behalf of the Prime Minister and Government. I am sure it will be put to very good use,’’ said Secretary Pomaleu. Meanwhile, Kevin Buckby a board member of Cheshire Homes thanked the government for the support. He said the Cheshire Homes relies on continued donations and the Government support through the National Gaming Control Board is a relief. “We only survive through the generosity of the Government and business houses. “This is a huge relief for us because it means that we have the ability to keep going and supporting our programs into next year 2023 and continue the work we do. “On behalf of the Cheshire Homes Board of Directors, management and staff say thank you so much for the support. “These donation means the world to them, our people with special needs here at Hohola,’’ he said. Cheshire Homes and Disability Services PNG is an NGO and charitable organization that offers wide range of services to persons with special needs and relies on donations and generosity from businesses and society.