In the face of declining coastal resources, the Singaut Blo Solwara campaign is launched today in the New Ireland Province to marry traditional and modern ways of managing the sea to improve food security and livelihoods. Coastal resources in Papua New Guinea, as for the other islands in the Pacific, have been declining due to overfishing, climate change impacts and habitat degradation. Yet, coastal fisheries are critical for food security, livelihoods and cultural wellbeing. “Our communities continue to face increased challenges meeting their needs from the sea, but somehow the message to better manage our resources is lost due to overly technical information, the daily demand for food and income, hard to reach communities and our declining traditions,” said Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resource, Jelta Wong, in a prepared statement. The objective of this awareness campaign is to promote sustainable fishing practices and good role models among the communities. It will be implemented all over the Province of New Ireland for the next two years and will consist of three parts: through the media; targeted places and events such as markets or cultural days; and through direct engagement with grassroots champions. “Singaut Blo Solwara, an innovative campaign, is part of a national effort to use culturally-appropriate information tools and channels in inspire and empower all of our communities to take ownership of managing their resources,” Wong added. “Our objective is nothing short of creating a national grassroots movement to revive our seas.” In partnership with New Ireland NBC, the campaign recently launched a monthly radio program, and is in rolling out radio dramas and a radio documentary series in the future. The campaign is coordinated by cChange International, an organisation that specialises in behavioural change campaigns in the Pacific Islands. Working in partnership with the National Fisheries College and Wildlife Conservation Society and community-based organisations, cChange and partners are now developing simple, illustrated outreach tools and videos to help any community champions facilitate discussions in their communities. These tools will be distributed through a network of partners, at all levels, with a focus on building the capacity of community champions to lead the way. The campaign is supported through the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) Programme, which is funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden. The Locally-Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network International and the Pacific Community (SPC) are technical advisors to the campaign. Similar campaigns are being launched and supported by PEUMP across the Pacific region to find innovative and low-cost ways to engage all communities effectively, which can be supported long-term by even limited government budgets. The campaign will run for about two years before ideally being share nationally. “The first step is capturing the pride and imagination of our people. This campaign is our story, bringing us together in our PNG ways and solving problems as communities, as we have for thousands of years,” said Dudley Abhab, the cChange campaign coordinator, who recently wrote and produced the campaign theme-song ‘Bungium Yumi’ (Unites Us). The song should hit the radio waves soon after the launch.

The 2022 Annual Takuru 4’s tourney is set to kick off this weekend. The tournament will run on the 8-9 October, 2022 at the Defence Bowling Club at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby. Seven clubs from Lae, Bulolo, Mt Hagen, Goroka, Madang and Port Moresby will participate in this annual Lawn Bowls event. Goroka will be on its toes to defend its title as the champions from the 46th Takuru 4’s last year. “Each club is required to field three teams but the host, Defence Bowling Club, has the privilege of fielding more than three teams,” President of Defence Bowling Club, Lieutenant Colonel Robby Tanfa said. “Port Moresby will see the Metro Bowling Club at Bisini, field three teams while Defence may field more than three teams.” This year’s event is be special as the Former Force Sergeant Major and the second local to be FSM, and the founding president of the Defence Bowling Club, Late Chief Warrant officer Ezekia Takuru (Retired) , passed away mid this year. “We have plans to observe the passing of this great bowler and ex-service man,” Col Tanfa said. “The prize money is set at six-thousand-kina. Comrade Trustee has given us a sponsorship of K5000.00 and City Pharmacy Group of company will is sponsoring the individual consolation prizes. We are very grateful for the support from these sponsors to help make it possible to host the event.” All the clubs are expected to travel in by Friday ahead of the games on Saturday. A final list of sponsors and prizes in cash and kind will be announced this Friday.

October is women’s health awareness month under the Pinktober global health campaign and BSP Financial Group Limited as a responsible corporate organisation also joins others to champion this worthy cause in the community. In kicking off Pinktober and in support of Breast Cancer awareness month, BSP Staff from Corporate Banking, Treasury, Credit, BSP Capital, BSP First and the Executive Management team took part in the Pinktober walk-a thon on Saturday 1st October, 2022, from Ravalian Haus at Harbour City to Ela Beach. [caption id="attachment_27968" align="alignnone" width="1024"] . BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming (third from right) and BSP Group GM Corporate Peter Beswick (back in pink cap) with staff prior to the Pinktober walk.[/caption] BSP Corporate Banking Senior Relationship Manager Natasha Bernadette said the bank is pleased to be driving Pinktober awareness this month with planned activities which includes a free breast examination day for female staff, cancer education awareness sessions and fundraising activities which will see proceeds go to the Port Moresby General Hospital and PNG Cancer Foundation. She said according to the World Health Organisation, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer with 685, 000 deaths globally in 2020. As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. One out of 3 deaths could’ve been prevented through early detection. [caption id="attachment_27969" align="alignnone" width="906"] BSP Staff walking along the Champion Parade road on Saturday 1st October, 2022, during the Pinktober walk.[/caption] “Our aim is to raise awareness on the importance of cancer prevention and early detection – this is important because at BSP women make up half of the 4,500 staff in PNG and the Pacific. Our staff must be equipped with knowledge to take care of themselves and their families and also be advocates in their communities, we want to help save lives. The staff and management have been so supportive of this worthy cause; their generosity means we have reached 70% of our fundraising target to-date, our aim is to raise K10,000,” Ms Bernadette said. Pinktober continues to be observed at BSP. Over the past (3) three years BSP Staff from the Asset Management and Lending Support Business Unit have raised over K31,000 through this annual fundraiser with proceedings donated to the PNG Cancer Foundation. The team is also running Pinktober fundraising activities with proceeds to go to Port Moresby General Hospital. BSP as a Corporate Organisation also supports the PNG Cancer Foundation (PNGCF) Trupla Man Outreach Prevention & Education Program. This year BSP supported the foundation’s Trupela Man program and Mausgras campaign to promote starting the conversation on men's health and cancer awareness and to push the important messages of making healthy lifestyle choices and early detection.

The National Examinations for grades 10, 12 & 8 students in the general education system, including private permitted schools will begin in the second week and end in the 4th week of October. The published dates for the 2022 examinations are; Grade 10 (LSSCE) Exam Dates: 10 – 14 October (One Week), Grade 12 (USSCE) Exam, 17 – 21 October (One Week) and Grade 8 (COBE) Exam 24-27 October (4 days). A total of 31,155 students from 212 Grade 12 schools including 6 National Schools of Excellence, 71,300 Grade10 students from 213 High/Secondary Schools, and 125,000 Grade 8 students from 3,433 Primary Schools are expected to sit the national examinations. This data includes a few students with special needs especially in grade 8 and 10. “I encourage and expect every student to demonstrate his or her own God given intelligence in the National Examinations without mal-practices of any kind. We have successfully delivered Examinations in the recent years and this should continue in the future, strengthening confidence in the great future for all of us. Every child entering our schools should be allowed an even ‘playing field’ to grow and become the person that they deserve to be”, Secretary for Education, Dr. Uke Kombra said. The Department is urging all citizens to work together to eliminate cheating in the national examinations as cheating and other mal-practices discredit efforts to improve the country’s education system, thus bringing the country’s examination and certification system into disrepute. Dr. Kombra said that he is confident that the students have prepared well, as there was minimal disruptions to teaching and learning this year compared to last year. “I thank and appreciate all our Parents, Teachers, School Inspectors, Guidance Officers, Schools Governing Board Members, Provincial Education Advisors and other Stake holders for your dedication and commitment towards the successful completion of the school year,” the Secretary said. The Grade 10 results will be released to the Grade 11 Selection Conference on the 5th of December and the Grade 12 results will be released to the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) on the 12th of December. Grade 8 results will be taken care of by the respective Provinces and the Certificates will be sent to the schools/provinces by the 3rd week of December, 2022. “I wish every grade 10, 12 and 8 student all the best in the coming national examinations, and also in their future endeavors,” Dr. Kombra said

Personal Account opening, registrations for Mobile and Internet Banking and Cash Agent awareness will be among services offered this weekend at the BSP Stall during the 59th Morobe Show. The Morobe Show is back after two (2) years of absence, and BSP is pleased to support its return with a Red Ribbon Sponsorship of K20, 000 towards the show at the Lae Showgrounds. [caption id="attachment_27952" align="alignnone" width="906"] BSP Lae Staff assisting a customer open her account during the 2017 Morobe Show[/caption] BSP as a bank that promotes people, small businesses and culture sees the Morobe Agricultural Show as an opportunity for participants in these industries to display and promote agriculture, livestock, horticulture, floriculture, livestock, Singsings as well as the SME sector in the community. BSP Head of Corporate Banking Dean Whitchurch in presenting the sponsorship cheque to the Morobe Show committee said BSP values its relationships within the communities it operates in. “We also acknowledges that Lae, Morobe Province, is one of the key contributors to PNG economy, being the food bowl of the country through the support of informal markets, farmers, fresh produce and SMEs,” Mr Whitchurch said. [caption id="attachment_27953" align="alignnone" width="906"] BSP Lae Staff assisting customers during the 2017 Morobe Show[/caption] “For many consecutive years we have supported the Morobe Show and as we approach the 59th Morobe Show scheduled for this weekend, BSP is pleased to come on board as a Red Ribbon Sponsor with K20,000 towards the event. “BSP will also be part of the (2) two day event. Our teams will be onsite to assist with Account Opening, Mobile and Internet Banking Registration, Cash Agent Awareness, and assist with any SME queries,” Mr Whitchurch added. President of the Morobe Agricultural Show Mike Quinn in receiving the cheque on behalf of the Show Committee thanked BSP for the continued support over the years.

Seventeen personnel from the PNG Correctional Services (CS) and the Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC) participated in a three-day workshop on child protection at the Bomana Correctional Services Training College facilitated by Save the Children’s Child Protection Team. The 17 officers consisting of seven females and 10 males are currently based at PNG CS Bomana Training College and Bomana Police Training College. Topics covered during the training included; what is child protection, effects and impacts of abuse and violence on children, the UN Convention on the rights of the Child, as well as the responsibilities of parents and professionals working with children. The officers from the two law enforcement institutions were chosen because they work directly with children who come in conflict with the law. They expressed learning life lessons and getting valuable insights about the rights of children and how to look after children. Senior Constable Delta Namui, with the RPNGC National Center of Excellence Recruit School at Bomana said, “One phrase that I learned that will stay with me for the rest of my life is ‘What is the best thing for the child?’ I will have to put that concept into everything I do, with my kids, in my work and everything… it’s like a guiding tool for me.” Officer in Charge of Juvenile Section at Bomana Correctional Services Senior. Inspector Timothy Kaupe said, “One thing I learned was how to treat children. This really inspired me! I must be the agent of change, and this starts in my home and then I bring it to others. This training needs to be brought to the CS Training Facilities so that it can be imparted to the new recruits in other CS institutions around the country as well.” Bomana Prison Commander Chief Superintendent Kiddy Keko and Save the Children’s Deputy Operations Director, Lydia Seta were present to witness and give certificates to the 17 officers. Life Skills for Success Program Lead, Kostang Jnr Kostang says, “It is important that we work in partnership with law enforcement agencies and support them with capacity building via trainings so their personnel understand children’s rights and can be able to carry out their jobs effectively in accordance with the laws to protect children and young people.” The training was conducted under Save the Children’s Life Skills for Success Program, which is proudly supported by Hand Heart Pocket.

The 12th world ranked Papua New Guinea Lewas continued their unbeaten tournament run with comprehensive victories over hosts Vanuatu and Fiji on day two of the inaugural Pacific Cup yesterday. The Lewas accounted for Vanuatu by 8 wickets while their afternoon victory over Fiji was by 124 runs. After a winless first day, Samoa bounced back with two wins, over Fiji by 75 runs and then surprising hosts Vanuatu by 6 wickets in in their second game of the day. The Pacific Cup concludes on Thursday with four more T20 Internationals as the Lewas head into the final day two wins ahead of both Samoa and Vanuatu. Day Two Results: PNG 115/2 (13.3 overs) Vare 39* (34) Jimmy 37 (23), A Chilia 1-6 (1.3) defeated Vanuatu 114/9 (9.4) Andrew 50 (40), Arua 5-11 (4) by 8 wickets. A Rachel Andrew half century was the only highlight for Vanuatu, as the Lewas strangled the middle order to restrict the hosts to 114 for 9 from their 20 overs. Lewas skipper Kaia Arua spun a web through Vanuatu's middle order, collecting 5-11 from 4 overs. The Lewas continued to assert their Pacific Cup dominance with a commanding chase, only requiring 13.3 overs to pass the Vanuatu total, two wickets down. Naomi Are (39* from 34) was ably supported by Sibona Jimmy (37 from 23) and Many Rum (26 from 19). Player of the match: Kaia Arua (PNG) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="899"] Player of the Match Kaia Arua took 5-11 from 4 overs in PNG's win over Vanuatu on Day 2[/caption]   PNG 187/3 (20) Vare 88* (58), Ruma 36 (31), Vakuruivalu 1-32 (4) defeated Fiji 63 (14.5) Waqavakatoga 24 (34), Thomas 5-13 (3.5), Toua 3-14 (3) by 124 runs. A Naomi Vare masterclass at the top of the order with an unbeaten 88 from 58 headlined PNG's second tournament victory over Fiji. Tanuya Ruma also contributed with 36 while the PNG off spinner Henao Thomas collected a bag taking 5-13 from 3.5 overs. Player of the match: Naoani Vare (PNG) Samoa 140/7 (20) Iosefo 31 (16), Telea 24 (18), Waqavakatoga 2-30 (3) defeated Fiji 65 (13.5) Muriyalo 27 (28), Aoina 4-9 (1.5) by 75 runs. Samoa bounced back after their round one loss to Vanuatu with an emphatic 8 wicket victory. Vanuatu collapsed to 17 for 4, and only two batters reached double figures (Carlos 13, Solman 10) before the hosts were dismissed for 69 in 14.2 overs. Samoa made light work of the chase despite a couple of wickets to off spinner Alvina Chilia. Player of the Match: Tao Lafai (SAM) Samoa 70/4 (13.3) Semau 16* (11), Chilia 2-27 (4) defeated Vanuatu 69 (14.2) Carlot 15 (17), Telea 3-11 (3), Lafai 3-15 (3.2) by 75 runs. Samoa bounced back after their round one loss to Vanuatu with an emphatic 8 wicket victory. Vanuatu collapsed to 17 for 4, and only two batters reached double figures (Carlos 13, Solman 10) before the hosts were dismissed for 69 in 14.2 overs. Samoa made light work of the chase despite a couple of wickets to off spinner Alvina Chilia. Player of the Match: Tao Lafai (SAM) Source: Vanuatu Cricket Association

The State has failed to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that contains the schedule of payments agreed to by both parties for the settlement of the remaining over K120 million in rental arrears owed to the Members of Nambawan Super before the end of the year. This has forced Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) to resort to locking out the State tenancies occupying NSL owned properties. When the partial payment of K52 million for the outstanding rentals was made by the State last week, NSL made it very clear that this would be followed by the parties agreeing to a payment plan for the State to settle the remaining balance by Tuesday 4 October. The lockouts are now in effect and will remain until the MoA is signed. The NSL owned offices will be opened after the payment plan is agreed upon, however, NSL will not hesitate to conduct further lockouts if the agreed payments do not occur as scheduled. We sympathise with our Members that will have their work disrupted by this lockout and anyone that will experience service delays and business disruptions during this time.

Elon Musk on Monday sent a letter to Twitter proposing to follow through with his deal to buy the company at the originally agreed upon price of $54.20 per share, according to a securities filing on Tuesday. In the letter, Musk said he would proceed with the acquisition on the original terms, pending receipt of the debt financing for the deal and provided that the Delaware Chancery Court stay the litigation proceedings over Musk’s initial attempt to pull out of the deal and adjourn the upcoming trial over the dispute. A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the company received Musk’s letter and reiterated its previous statement that the “intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.” Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. News of the letter was first reported by Bloomberg earlier on Tuesday. Twitter (TWTR) stock was halted twice, the second time for news pending. After the stock resumed trading, it was up more than 20%, topping $51 a share and approaching the agreed upon deal price for the first time in months. The news comes as the the two sides have been preparing to head to trial in two weeks over Musk’s attempt to terminate of the $44 billion acquisition agreement, which Twitter had sued him to complete. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal had been set to be deposed by Musk’s lawyers on Monday, and Twitter’s lawyers had planned to depose Musk starting on Thursday. It also follows the release on Friday of a trove of Musk’s personal text messages about the deal. The messages offered a look at the cast of Silicon Valley insiders and billionaires — from Larry Ellison to members of the Murdoch family — who contacted him to weigh in on and, in some cases, offer financing for the deal. Such an agreement could bring to an end a contentious, months-long back and forth between Musk and Twitter that has caused massive uncertainty for employees, investors and users of one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. The ball will now be in Twitter’s court to determine how to respond to Musk’s proposal. Twitter’s board will likely agree to move forward with closing the deal, according to Josh White, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University. “The very public saga has certainly taken a toll on them and Twitter employees,” White said. “It is best for all parties to finish the deal and make a quick and seamless transition. I suspect it will close quickly.” However, Twitter may not want to hit pause on the litigation, per Musk’s proposal, until the deal is officially closed, according to Columbia Law School professor Eric Talley. The company may want to proceed with the litigation process as it negotiates with Musk, in case his offer to complete the deal falls through again. “Twitter is probably going to say, ‘look, we definitely want to engage you on this … But we’ve still got a trial on Oct 17 and until this is signed, sealed and delivered, we’ve got to get ready for trial,” Talley said. The saga began in April when Musk revealed he had become Twitter’s largest shareholder. Over the next several months, Musk accepted and then backed out of an offer to sit on Twitter’s board, threatened a hostile takeover of the company, signed an agreement to buy the company, started raising concerns about bots on the platform, attempted to terminate the agreement, was sued by Twitter to follow through with the deal and added claims from a Twitter whistleblower to his argument. Musk initially moved to terminate the deal citing claims that the company has misstated the number of spam and fake bot accounts on the platform. Twitter claimed that Musk had breached the deal and was using bots as a pretext to exit a deal he’d gotten buyer’s remorse over after the broader market decline, which also hurt Tesla stock and, by extension, Musk’s personal wealth. Throughout the back and forth, Twitter had maintained that it planned to follow through with deal at the price and terms originally agreed upon. Many legal experts have said that Twitter has the stronger argument heading into court, and that Musk would a face a significant burden in trying to prove that the company had made materially misleading statements in its securities filings or in the deal contract. The lawsuit was the final hurdle remaining in the way of the deal getting closed, after Twitter shareholders last month voted to approve the deal. The deal had originally been set to close this month. With news that the deal could end up closing, attention may once again shift to what Musk’s control could mean for the social media platform. Musk has previously suggested a series of potential changes to Twitter, the most significant of which could be returning former President Donald Trump to the platform and doing away with permanent account bans. Musk has also said he wants to make Twitter more open to “free speech” and could change its content moderation policies. Twitter employees have also raised questions about what a Musk takeover could mean for benefits such as remote working and parental leave. Twitter General Counsel Sean Edgett said in a message to employees Tuesday that the company had received Musk’s letter and planned to close the deal at $54.20 per share. “I will continue to keep you posted on significant updates, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience as we work through this on the legal side,” he said, according to a copy of the message obtained by CNN. Blind, an anonymous private forum popular among Twitter employees, was abuzz on Tuesday amid reports about Musk’s reversal. Reaction on the forum was overwhelmingly negative, according to screenshots provided to CNN by a Twitter employee. “Cue the layoffs,” one comment read. Several other employees expressed fear that Musk would roll back Twitter’s benefits package, including the severance offered to departing employees. Source: CNN

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile over Japan, in what appears to be a deliberate escalation to get the attention of Tokyo and Washington. The missile travelled 4,500km (2,800 miles) before falling into the Pacific Ocean - far enough to hit the US island of Guam if it took another trajectory. It is the North's first missile launch over Japan since 2017. Japan issued an alert to some citizens to take cover. The US, Japan and South Korea conducted their own military drills in response. South Korean and US aircraft fired at a mock target on an uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea, while the US and Japan also jointly carried out drills over the Sea of Japan. The UN prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic and nuclear weapons. Flying missiles towards or over other countries without any warning or consultation also contravenes international norms. Most countries avoid doing it completely as it can easily be mistaken for an attack. While it is not as big as a nuclear test - which could be next - it can be considered hugely provocative. People in the north of Japan, including Hokkaido island and Aomori city, reportedly woke up to the noise of sirens and text alerts which read: "North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate into buildings or underground." As the missile flew overhead, they were warned to look out for falling debris. Many remained calm, though, with one video showing Tokyo commuters walking normally as loudspeakers blared out warnings. But others were more shaken. "If a missile hit, I was worried it would be a big problem not only here but also nationwide," Aomori resident Kazuko Ebina told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Officials later said the intermediate-range ballistic missile fell into the Pacific Ocean far from Japan, and there were no reported injuries. It had covered the longest distance ever travelled by a North Korean missile, and reached a height of around 1,000km - higher than the International Space Station. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the launch as "violent behaviour", while defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan would not rule out any options to strengthen its defences including "counterattack capabilities". US President Joe Biden reinforced Washington's "ironclad commitment" to Japan's defence during a phone call with Mr Kishida, while the two leaders jointly condemned the missile test, a White House statement said. They confirmed they would work closely with South Korea and the international community to coordinate an immediate and longer-term response to the threat posed by the North, it added. Last week, the three countries conducted naval exercises together for the first time since 2017. Such drills have long antagonised Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un, who views them as proof that his enemies are preparing for war. Following the combined exercises in 2017, North Korea fired two missiles over Japan in response. A week later, it conducted a nuclear test. Recent intelligence has suggested that North Korea is getting ready to test another nuclear weapon. It is expected that North Korea would wait until after China - its main ally - holds its Communist party congress later this month. But some experts are now asking if it could come sooner than expected - they believe Tuesday's launch shows that North Korea is preparing the ground for a nuclear test. N Korea missile tests: What does Kim Jong-un want? What missiles does North Korea have? North Korea tests banned intercontinental missile The missile launch is the fifth carried out by Pyongyang in a week. On Saturday, two rockets came down in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Many of North Korea's missile tests are conducted on a high, lofted flight path - reaching a high altitude, avoiding flights over its neighbours. But firing over or past Japan allows North Korean scientists to test missiles under circumstances "that are more representative of the conditions they'd endure in real-world use", analyst Ankit Panda told news agency Reuters. These actions have contributed to enduring tensions between North Korea and Japan, rooted in Japan's colonisation of Korea from 1910 to 1945 and the North's abduction of Japanese citizens in the past. Earlier this month, North Korea passed a law declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state, with leader Kim Jong-un ruling out the possibility of talks on denuclearisation. Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, incurring widespread sanctions. The East Asian state regularly defies the ban on nuclear and missile tests, saying it needs to bolster its defences.   Source: BBC

North Queensland NRL forward Luciano Leilua has been arrested and charged with domestic violence offences after an alleged incident on Monday. NSW police confirmed they were called to a home around 1pm on Monday after reports of a domestic violence incident. Officers attended and were told a 26-year-old man allegedly assaulted a woman known to him and smashed the woman’s phone. He was arrested at the home and taken to a local police station, where he was charged with common assault (DV); damage or destroy property (DV) and granted bail to appear at a local court on 11 October. The matter has been brought to the attention of the NRL Integrity Unit who are liaising with the North Queensland club, a NRL spokesperson said. The club said in a statement it had “been made aware of an alleged incident regarding Leilua, which has resulted in police charges”. “The club is gathering further information and assisting the NRL Integrity Unit as well as providing support to all parties involved,” it said. “Further comment will be made in due course.” It is unclear whether any potential no-fault stand-down policy decision by the NRL would carry across to the upcoming Rugby League World Cup in the UK, with Leilua included in Samoa’s squad. The NRL has an automatic stand-down policy for charges which bring with them a minimum 11-year prison sentence. While Leilua’s case does not fall in that category, the NRL has previously stood down players charged with domestic violence under the discretionary part of the policy. Source: The Guardian.com

Central and western parts of New South Wales have avoided heavy rainfall overnight but the region remains on high alert with days of rain set to sweep across already flooded parts of the state. The Bureau of Meteorology says heavy rain developing over parts of far western NSW may lead to flash flooding throughout the day. The system is expected to move over western parts of the Riverina and Central West Slopes and Plains this morning. A severe weather warning spanning from the Queensland and South Australian borders to the far west of NSW is in place. Deniliquin, Tibooburra, Cobar, Bourke, Broken Hill and Wentworth are listed as the main areas of concern. The bureau is predicting six-hourly rainfall totals of 30-40mm with possible localised falls up to 60mm. Rainfall totals of 50-70mm are likely over a 24 hour period with possible localised falls of up to 100mm in some areas, as thunderstorm clusters embedded in the rain band move over the state. [caption id="attachment_27898" align="alignnone" width="587"] Water laps at Gipps Way outside Condoblin and has cut Lake Cargelligo Road at Banar Swamp.(Supplied: Bec Dance)[/caption] Burndoo, south east of Wilcannia, recorded 44mm between 1am and 4am. BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said major flooding was possible later this week and into the weekend, with the potential of three rounds of rain set to hit the east of the country. "Pretty much all river catchments across northern Victoria are under a flood watch, and almost every river on and west of the ranges in NSW is also on a flood watch," Mr Narramore said. "Rivers and areas of most particular concern are the southern parts of the North West Slopes and Plains down to the Central West Slopes and Plains of NSW. "Rivers like the Macquarie, Namoi, Lachlan, Bogan we're already seeing moderate to major flooding … and additional rainfall is likely to lead to renewed river rises," he said. The State Emergency Service (SES) said they performed a flood rescue in Gunnedah overnight with assistance from Ambulance NSW, and so far have seen rain impacting mostly rural areas and not more populous town centres. [caption id="attachment_27899" align="alignnone" width="587"] Farmers along the Lachlan River have to use boats to get around their properties. (Supplied: Kerry Davis)[/caption] Slight reprieve SES western zone's David Rankine said the Central West and Orana region did not receive the volume of rain expected overnight, with the brunt of the rain falling in the Riverina. "We're pretty confident by the look of this that western NSW has kind of skipped the worst of the rainfall overnight which gives us a bit of a reprieve ahead of what we're expecting to be quite intense rainfall in the next 48 hours," Mr Rankine said. "We're certainly not resting on our laurels because there's a second front coming through … dropping what is predicted to be a significant amount of rain." The SES is urging residents and holiday-makers in affected regions to check its new warning system HazardWatch on its website, with more rain forecast for the remainder of the week as a second wet weather system moves through from Friday. Source: ABC News