The Remington Group has been leading the way in building our young PNG leaders of tomorrow! For the past three years the Group has been an avid supporter of the Don Bosco Technical School, assisting by sponsoring prizes for their top 4 performed students in the ICT & Elctro-Technology strand, along with some notable “mic drop” moments where the Group CEO has offered a student an apprenticeship role. On Thursday, 24th November 2022, two hundred and twenty-four students gathered at the Don Bosco school hall for their annual graduation ceremony. The Remington Group CEO, Peter Goodwin very much looks forward to this event, where this year the Group presented K1,000 each to; Grade 12 Dux, Taina Joku, Grade 12 Best in IT Trade, Leonard Oa, Grade 12 Best in Electro Technology Trade, Ryan Elijah Bahu, and Industrial Training Course (ITC) 2 Best in Electro-Technology Trade, Stanley Timon. Every year during this event we hear so many inspiring stories around how the student’s hard work and perseverance have helped them achieve this significant milestone in their life. This year we share the inspiring story of Stanley Timon, one of our awardees. After Stanley’s Father passed away unexpectedly in 2017, he made the hard decision to leave his mum and siblings in Mendi to travel to Port Moresby to live with his grandparents and get an education. Whilst studying, Stanley struggled with a side hustle to support himself and pay for his school fees, things were not easy, but through sheer determination and the drive to achieve his dreams, Stanley completed his ITC 2 course with flying colours, finishing off in the top 3 rank. Remington Group CEO, Peter Goodwin when presenting Stanley’s prize, said that “we must all remember that though we may not be the smartest person in the class, our attitude and how hard we work will always get us through. Perseverance, resilience, guts, commitment, drive and sheer hard work are the qualities that set us apart from the rest”. In recognition of his hard work and dedication to his studies, Stanley was awarded K1,000 for his achievement, and then, as a special award to help his family, the Remington Group has pledged to pay off his outstanding school fees as well as offering Stanley Timon an apprenticeship in 2023.

The National Rugby League today announced new partnerships with Surf Life Saving in Queensland and New South Wales to bring Touch Footy to the beach this summer. In conjunction with Touch Football Australia, a new series of beach touch footy events will be held at Surf Life Saving Surf Sports carnivals throughout December, kicking off on the sands of Mooloolaba, Maroubra, Coolangatta and The Entrance. Beach Touch Footy will give surf life saving participants the chance to compete and show off their skills, with competitions running in the 13-17 and open (18+) age groups. The best teams at each event will win a dream trip to the NRL’s Magic Round in 2023, where they will represent their state in the national finals. The events will also cater to younger Surf Life Savers, with those aged five to 12 years taking part in one-hour ‘League Stars’ skills-based sessions. Peter V’landys AM, Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, said, “I’m very excited about this initiative which brings together two Australian traditions, footy and the beach. Now you can enjoy both at the same time. It also encourages kids to be active in the best possible environment. “These events are just the beginning for our partnerships with Surf Life Saving in Queensland and New South Wales. As community partners moving forward, we believe there is great potential to increase the reach of both sports on the coast and in regional areas of Australia.” SLSQ General Manager for Sport, Brand and Enterprise, Kurt Wilson, said the organisation was looking forward to expanding the Surf Sports competition offering for members in the state. “There is no doubt surf life saving and rugby league are both quintessential to Queensland culture, so this partnership is a natural fit for our organisations. “SLSQ aims to provide a variety of competitive activities for our members and adding touch football to our Beach Series in December this year is an exciting new way to engage with our membership.” SLSNSW President, George Shales OAM, said, “Partnering with other community and sporting organisations is a key component of our participation and growth strategy for our sport moving forward. “There is no doubt that working with the NRL will grow and develop our sports offering, and there are significant opportunities to explore how this partnership can help us achieve our mission of saving lives, creating great Australians and building better communities.” Details of the upcoming events include: 3 December – Mooloolaba, QLD 10 December – Maroubra, NSW 17 December – Coolangatta, QLD 17 December – The Entrance, NSW Find out more and register for Beach Touch Footy in Queensland here, or New South Wales here. Source: NRL.Com

Air Niugini wishes to advise our customers that the airline has opened an additional sales office , located within Eliseo Rainbow Plaza, Gerehu.   It’s now open for business effective today, bringing to total 8 sales offices in Port Moresby. For now, the operating hours are from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday while 8am to 12pm on Saturday. For your travel requirements, call the sales team on landline: (675) 327 3961 The other sales offices are Jackson’s airport plaza, Commercial Service Centre(ANG Head office), Waigani (Within the vicinity of Stop n Shop), Range View, Business Travel Centre(Water front) , Monian Tower and 8mile retail(opposite the Mobil service station). Source: Air Niugini

Host nation Qatar crashed out of their own World Cup after they were beaten 3-1 by Senegal and Ecuador held the Netherlands to a draw. The Gulf state, which has spent an estimated $200 billion to stage football’s global showpiece, become just the second World Cup hosts in history after South Africa in 2010 to bow out in the group stage. Senegal scored either side of half-time through Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhiou before Qatar substitute Mohammed Muntari replied in the 78th minute to set up a dramatic finale. The African champions’ substitute Bamba Dieng scored six minutes later to put the result beyond doubt and lift Senegal, who opened with a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands, right back into contention in Group A. Qatar’s second successive defeat left the Asian champions relying on Ecuador beating the Dutch a few hours later, but the match ended 1-1 to seal the Qataris’ fate. “We would like to say we’re very sorry to the supporters, to the country,” said Tarek Salman, who was a second-half substitute. “We have made them feel bad about losing two games in a row in the World Cup.” “It feels very bad to be out of the World Cup. I think today we played a good game and in the big games small details change the game,” he said. “We made two mistakes, they scored two goals but for some minutes of the game we played better than them, we scored a goal. We have to learn from our mistakes.” Qatar had made a nervy start to the tournament in a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador and they again looked tentative against Senegal. The Qataris dropped their goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb to the bench after his shaky performance in the opener. His replacement Meshaal Barsham did not inspire much confidence in the early stages, flapping at a corner as Senegal pushed for the opening goal. Ismaila Sarr and Nampalys Mendy had already missed scoring chances for Senegal by then, and Idrissa Gana Gueye and Youssouf Sabaly squandered more as the first half wore on. Qatar spent most of the opening 45 minutes on the back foot but a rare break forward saw Akram Afif incensed not to be awarded a penalty after he was bundled over by Sarr. Senegal looked like they would head into half-time without managing to break down Qatar’s resistance, only for the hosts to gift them a goal in the 41st minute. Qatari defender Boualem Khoukhi fluffed a clearance to leave Dia to pounce on the loose ball and fire it past Barsham. Senegal doubled their lead almost immediately after the break when Diedhiou glanced home a header at the near post from a corner. Qatar began to show much more attacking ambition from two goals down and Afif was involved in everything. Almoez Ali forced a fingertip save out of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy before the Chelsea man again rescued the Africans from Ismail Mohamad’s effort. Mendy was rooted to his line when Muntari pulled one back for Qatar, powerfully heading home Mohamad’s cross to haul the hosts back into it. The goal lifted the crowd and sent Qatar surging forward in search of another, but Dieng nipped the revival in the bud in the 84th minute when he swept the ball home for Senegal’s third. Abdelkarim Hassan then lashed a free-kick just wide of the post as Qatar tried to hit back but Senegal held firm to see out the win. Source: Fox Sports.com

The new PNG WNT coach Spencer Prior arrived in the country with his squad from Sydney, Australia, today. Prior was with the PNG Women’s National Football Team in Sydney after taking part in the Pacific Four Nation Cup in Canberra. The former Manchester City player said he came up with squad to run with them in Port Moresby along others who did not make it to Canberra and Sydney. "I am basically here to see other girls can offer to make the National Team for World Cup qualifier in February 2023," he said. PNGFA Technical Director Paul Isorua and PNGFA General Secretary Pius Letenge was at the Jackson International Airport to welcome Coach Prior and his team from Australia. Mr Isorua said Head Coach Spencer Prior will use his stay in Port Moresby to see for himself the players who did not take part. It would be a great challenge for him as a coach, but he is looking forward to the challenge in the coming weeks Mr Prior first engagement with the team in Port Moresby is tomorrow afternoon at the PNG Football Stadium .Also with Prior was also one of the assistant coaches, Nicola Williams, who came with the team. Source: PNG Football Association

Protests against strict Covid measures in China have spilled into a second night and spread to the biggest cities. Demonstrators gathered in the capital Beijing and the financial hub Shanghai. Many held up blank pieces of paper to express their discontent and acknowledge the censorship. Some have, however, gone as far as calling for President Xi Jinping to step down. Millions have been affected by nearly three years of mass testing, quarantines and snap lockdowns. It is very unusual for people to publicly vent their anger at Communist Party leaders in China, where any direct government criticism can result in harsh penalties. The police have largely allowed the rallies to continue, but in Shanghai officers arrested several people and cordoned off streets on Sunday. [caption id="attachment_31195" align="alignnone" width="906"] Demonstrators protesting against strict Covid measures gathered in the capital Beijing for a second night. Photo: AFP[/caption] Hundreds of people gathered on the banks of a river in the capital Beijing for several hours on Sunday, singing the national anthem and listening to speeches. Earlier in Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, dozens held a peaceful protest against Covid restrictions and sung the national anthem, according to pictures and video posted on social media. Protests also took place during the day in the south-western city of Chengdu and central cities of Xi'an and also Wuhan - where the Covid outbreak originated nearly three years ago. Videos posted on social media appear to show hundreds of Wuhan residents taking to the streets, with some protesters pictured knocking down barricades and smashing metal gates. The latest unrest follows a protest in the north-western city of Urumqi, where lockdown rules were blamed for hampering rescue efforts after a tower block fire in which 10 people died. China's authorities have denied those claims. 'Xi Jinping, step down' In Shanghai - China's biggest city and a global financial hub - police kept a heavy presence in the area of Wulumuqi Road, where a candlelight vigil the day before turned into protests. The BBC saw police officers, private security guards and plain-clothed police officers on the streets, confronting protesters who assembled for a second day. But in the afternoon, hundreds had come back to the same area with blank sheets of paper to hold what appeared to be a silent protest, an eyewitness told the AFP news agency. During Saturday night's protest in the city people were heard openly shouting slogans such as "Xi Jinping, step down" and "Communist party, step down". Such demands are highly unusual in China. [caption id="attachment_31200" align="alignnone" width="906"] Some on the streets of Shanghai held up blank papers as a way to protest against China's strict Covid measures. Photo: AFP[/caption] But the government appears to have drastically underestimated growing discontent towards the zero-Covid approach, a policy inextricably linked to President Xi who recently pledged there would be no swerving from it. One protester in Shanghai told the BBC that he felt "shocked and a bit excited" to see people out on the streets, calling it the first time he'd seen such large-scale dissent in China. He said lockdowns made him feel "sad, angry and hopeless", and had left him unable to see his unwell mother, who was undergoing cancer treatment. The zero-Covid strategy is the last policy of its kind among the world's major economies, and is partly due to China's relatively low vaccination levels and an effort to protect elderly people. Snap lockdowns have caused anger across the country - and Covid restrictions more broadly have trigged recent violent protests from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou. In spite of the stringent measures, China's case numbers this week hit all-time records since the pandemic began. Taking to the streets in numbers and calling for President Xi to step down was thought to be unthinkable not so long ago. However, after a recent dramatic protest on a Beijing bridge that stunned many, a bar appears to have been set for the expression of more open and sharper dissent. Others have also chosen to wave the Chinese flag and sing the national anthem - its lyrics espousing revolutionary ideals and urging the people to "rise up, rise up". It is a show of patriotism that could also be read as a pointed expression of solidarity with fellow Chinese suffering under the zero-Covid policy - and a call to action. Source: BBC

Athletics PNG has assembled its men's middle and long distance training squads in Port Moresby ahead of the PNG Air National Championships , to provide the athletes some much needed lead up competition and to assess the athletes form ahead of the teams departure for Australia for the World Cross Country Championships which will be in Bathurst NSW in February. PNG Air have sponsored the athletes flights into Port Moresby and Prima Smallgoods are supporting the athletes in camp with donations of meal products. President Tony Green said that the bulk of the team for the World XC will leave Port Moresby straight after the National Championships, for two months of intensive final preparations for the World Cross Country Championships, with other members of the team joining them later. Green said that Athletics PNG was looking to select between four and six male athletes for the grueling 10km race and between two and four females and that PNG will also enter a team in the mixed relay. Two male and two female athletes will run the 4*2km relay. The first lead up race was last week Wednesday when Siune Kagl and Wilford Bai both ran 15min 44 seconds in the 5000m and today the focus was on the 1500m. Exciting young middle distance prospect Willie Kalai from West New Britain set a hot pace which assisted Aquila Turalom and Abel Siune to clock pleasing times of 4min 07 and 4min 11 secs respectively. Juteis Robinson of ENB was third in 4min 20 secs. APNG also took the opportunity to give the top 400m runners a good lead up competition ahead of the PNG Air national championships. With national reps Leroy Kamau , Benjamin Aliei , Adolf Kauba and Terrence Talio in the field a close race was expected. However Aliel was in a determined mood to show that he is still a force to be reckoned with despite an absence from the scene of two years and was a runaway winner with a very impressive time of 47.9 seconds. Adolf Kauba and Leroy Kamau had a good battle for second in which Kauba prevailed with a time of 49.1secs.

A number of people are feared to have been killed after a mudslide triggered by heavy rains swept away homes on the island of Ischia, near Naples. The torrent of mud and debris dislodged trees, engulfed buildings and dragged cars into the sea as it reached the coast early on Saturday. The body of a woman was reported to have been found under the mud, and several other people are still missing. Dozens of homes are cut off, with bad weather hampering rescuers. Resident Lisa Mocciaro told Ansa news agency: "We started hearing loud thunder at about 03:00 (02:00 GMT), then the first landslide came down, followed by a second one around 05:00. It was horrifying." Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters the situation was "very complicated" and that the people missing were believed to be trapped under the mud. Up to 155mm (6.1in) of rain fell over the course of six hours. Heavy rains have been battering Campania, the region surrounding Naples and Ischia, for several days. A weather warning for rainfall and strong winds is in place until Sunday. On Thursday, two people were killed due to bad weather in the region. An Argentine tourist drowned after being swept into the sea during a coastal storm, while a man was struck by lightning on a beach. Local authorities are urging residents to stay home to avoid hindering emergency services. Earlier, Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said eight people had died in the landslide, adding: "From north to south, this country needs to be protected because it is the most beautiful country in the world." But the interior minister later said that no deaths had yet been confirmed. Like nearby Capri, Ischia, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a popular holiday destination for tourists and Italians alike. Ischia featured in the popular book series Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante and was the backdrop to the 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley. Source: BBC

The St. Joseph Training Centre at Iawakaka ward, Rabaul District has produced more than 300 students since the rollout of trainings in June last year. The training center which is a Catholic run organization offers one month basic cooking, basic sewing and organic gardening courses. It recently hosted its graduation which saw Batch 5 for Basic Cooking and Batch 4 for Basic sewing graduated with flying colors; wearing shirts they themselves sewed and celebrating afterwards with food they prepared. A total of 34 participants graduated which includes both male and female; 26 for basic cooking and eight for basic sewing. Speaking during the graduation mass was Fr. Paul Kote who stressed on the importance of acquiring basic life skills and using it to help others. “These skills are gifts from God and we must utilize it to serve others. Do not let these skills die out, we must continue doing it and also share our skills with others,” Fr. Kote said. He further said that we must prioritize our education whether it be a short course or year-long course. “Make use of such opportunities, a lot of people travel long distances and spend more money to learn such courses and you are lucky the courses are offered at your doorstep,” Fr. Kote said. Meantime, Sr. Elmah who is the Training Center Coordinator said that though most of the participants are from the nearby communities, only two female participants travelled all the way from the Autonomous Region of Bouganville to attend the training. Also speaking on behalf of the Rabaul District Administrator was District Social Development Officer (DSDO) Tony Namur who highlighted on the importance of such life skills training saying that it is the foundation of the family unit. Mr Namur said that it is better that such training is conducted so that participants improve their art in cooking and sewing and prepare themselves for possible employment. He added that everybody eats food and wear clothes and that the demand for such skills is still high. Mr Namur confirmed that the District will continue with supporting future trainings and also encouraged more youths to apply.

Argentina has revived its World Cup hopes with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in front of a raucous crowd at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. The match was scoreless entering the second half, but it was 35-year-old superstar Lionel Messi who made a superb goal in the 64th minute to break the tie. Enzo Fernández punctuated the victory with a second goal for Argentina just before the end of regulation. La Albiceleste was humiliated earlier this week when it threw away the lead to lose 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in its opening Group C match, immediately throwing the team's contention into doubt. With the victory, Argentina moves into a second place tie with Saudi Arabia in Group C standings. Now it has a chance to decide its fate when the team takes on Poland on Nov. 30. A win can guarantee the team's advance to the Round of 16. Source: CNN

Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko, in an official address to the media on Friday (25/11/220, said the Department had already initiated preliminary arrangements to update Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Policy White Paper since its creation 41 years ago. Minister Tkatchenko revealed seven career diplomats, who previously served Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Service, would become the core team of experts to primarily undertake a Foreign Policy Review then subsequently establish the country’s new Foreign Policy White Paper. The team of experts will be led by Sir Charles Lepani and include Dame Jean Kekedo, Dame Meg Taylor, Gabriel Dusava, Winnie Kiap, Gabriel Pepson and Ambassador Max Rai. “This announcement is long overdue and I have given the deadline for the completion of this critical document by June 1st 2023.” “It is a document that guides our foreign service and also our foreign missions overseas in our policies and direction for the country.” “It allows us to be on the same page where PNG stands with diplomacy and foreign policy going forward.” “This is the cream of the crop when it comes to recruiting distinguished Papua New Guineans with huge amounts of knowledge and wisdom to revise and completely redo our Foreign Policy White Paper,” Minister Tkatchenko said. Additional to the esteemed team of diplomats is veteran Professor Mr. Ted Wolfers who worked as a permanent consultant to the committee responsible for developing Papua New Guinea’s Constitution. Minister Tkatchenko pointed out that Papua New Guinea’s only Foreign Policy White Paper was developed in 1981 with the title “Active and Selective Engagement.” “Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Policy since independence had been universalism-based and under this broad policy, successive governments have conducted international relations under the statements of “Friends to all, enemies to none” and “Look North” including “Look North and Work the Pacific.” “There was a review endeavoured by the Department in 2017 to re-assess Papua New Guinea’s conduct of international relations, but funding restrictions hindered this review, however since taking office in August this year as the minister responsible with our new Secretary Mr. Elias Wohengu, we put it as ur number one priority to get it fixed and completed,” Minister Tkatchenko said. Minister Tkatchenko also thanked the Australian Government for supporting this very important exercise by providing funding and technical assistance which was announced this week during an Australia-PNG Senior Officials Meeting in Canberra. Minister Tkatchenko said the official work on the White Paper would commence as soon as funding was received. “This is a very important exercise given the changing global dynamics, such as regional security, Papua New Guinea’s trade and investment interests, global conflict, climate change including all matters pertaining to our foreign relations,” Minister Tkatchenko concluded.

Boisen Secondary School in Rabaul District, East New Britain Province recently witnessed the graduation of 54 pioneer Grade 8 students under the 1-6-6 reform structure. Apart from the pioneer Grade 8’s, the school also celebrated the third graduation for Grade 10’s and the second graduation for Grade 12’s after the school’s re-establishment in 2017. Speaking during the graduation was school Principal Mr Wesly Kankan who stressed on the graduation theme; “Empowering Responsible Citizens”. He encouraged students to set goals and have a positive mindset; contributing meaningfully to the development in their communities. Mr Kankan added though the school infrastructure development rate is moving at a fast pace, there is still more work to be done. The Principal further said that though the project fees were set at K260, some parents and guardians yet to pay up resulting in more than 50 percent outstanding fees for the year. The School principal also pointed out some of the challenges that they face which hinders their education. “Transport for our students to school is the main problem which affects student’s attendance and punctuality. There are not many PMV’s following our route simply because we have deteriorating roads,” Kankan said. He added that community fights also interfere with the students learning, however they still manage to work together with the ward member and nearby communities to resolve issues for the safety of students. Meantime, speaking on behalf of the Rabaul District Administrator Benedict Mode was Deputy District Administrator for Operations, John Vule who told graduating students that graduations are milestones and that they have to take pride in successfully completing another level of education. The Deputy Administrator further encouraged the students to have a positive mindset and not to be discouraged if one does not further his or her studies; but to consider other pathways such as FODE, Vocational Centers and Matriculation centers. Mr. Vule also assured Rabaul District’s continuous support to the school where he announced that K500 000 had been appropriated for in this year’s budget to counter-fund the PSIP projects which were the Administration block, Double-storey Science Lab and Economics Building. Mr Vule added that the District counterpart funding would be for the schools Water Supply system and the Practical Skills building. In his closing remarks, Vule congratulated the graduates and urged parents and guardians to assist the school by settling their children’s outstanding fees and further encouraged them to apply for the Rabaul District’s 2023 Tertiary Tuition Fee subsidy to assist the Year 12 continual progress of their individual career paths.