Former Australian Schoolboys captain Jock Madden will move from Wests Tigers to the Brisbane Broncos on a two-year deal. The 22-year-old playmaker, who skippered the 2018 Australian Schoolboys, played 14 NRL games for the Tigers in 2022. "Jock is a great signing for our NRL squad, he is a talented young player who has some NRL experience and knows what it takes to train and play at the top level," Broncos coach Kevin Walters said. “He’s a good developing half with plenty of skill and vision in his passing, running and kicking games and gives us some really nice depth in the halves." Broncos winger Corey Oates has re-signed with the club for another season to extend his career at Red Hill to an 11th year. The Broncos announced the retention of Oates on Tuesday after a strong return to form in 2022 with 20 tries. "Corey has had a great year and scored a heap of tries, made plenty of strong returns as well as catching the high balls really well, so it’s terrific to see him stay here at the Broncos," coach Kevin Walters said. Source: NRL.com

More forest fires have been recorded in the Brazilian Amazon so far this year than in all of 2021, data from INPE space agency shows. Brazil’s sprawling Amazon region has seen more forest fires so far this year than in all of 2021, official figures show, as environmental and Indigenous rights groups continue to plead for more protection of the critical rainforest. Satellite monitoring detected 75,592 fires from January 1 to September 18 this year, already higher than the 75,090 detected for all of last year, Brazil’s  National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said on Monday. Greenpeace Brazil spokesman Andre Freitas called the latest figures a “tragedy foretold“. “After four years of a clear and objective anti-environmental policy by the federal government, we are seeing that as this government’s term – one of the darkest periods ever for the Brazilian environment – comes to an end, land-grabbers and other illegal actors see it as the perfect opportunity to advance on the forest,” Freitas said in a statement. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is seeking re-election in deeply polarised elections set for next month, has faced international condemnation over the destruction of the Amazon. The world’s largest rainforest has continually set new records for deforestation under the watch of Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain who has weakened environmental protections since he took office in 2019. Since then, average annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has increased by 75 percent compared to the previous decade. Bolsonaro has rejected the criticism, insisting that Brazil “protects its forests much better than Europe”. But Indigenous rights advocates in Brazil have denounced the Bolsonaro government for the wave of destruction, as well as for increased threats across the Amazon region. A study from earlier this year showed that the demarcation of Indigenous territory in Brazil has acted as a barrier against deforestation over the past three decades – but rights groups say Bolsonaro’s administration has stalled the land protection process. The Indigenous Missionary Council, a group affiliated with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, recorded 305 cases of “possessory invasions, illegal exploitation of resources and damage to property” on Indigenous territories last year. That is up from 109 such incidents in 2018, the year before Bolsonaro took office – a 180 percent increase. Meanwhile, as Brazilians prepare to cast their ballots on October 2, concerns are mounting that Bolsonaro could refuse to accept the election results. For months, Bolsonaro has sought to sow distrust in Brazil’s electronic voting system, saying without evidence that it is vulnerable to fraud. That claim has been slammed by legal experts and critics, who accuse Bolsonaro of pushing false electoral fraud claims in order to reject the results, similarly to former United States President Donald Trump, who the Brazilian president has emulated. Most opinion polls have predicted that Bolsonaro will lose the election to his left-wing rival, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

A US judge has quashed a Baltimore man's murder conviction in a case that spawned hit true crime podcast Serial. Adnan Syed was 18 when he was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, whose body was found buried in the woods in 1999. Prosecutors last week asked the court to throw out his conviction, saying a year-long case review had turned up two alternative suspects. Mr Syed will be released into home detention. The 41-year-old's shackles were taken off in court on Monday after he spent nearly 23 years behind bars. Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn said she was vacating his conviction "in the interest of fairness and justice", adding the state had failed to share evidence that could have helped his defence at trial. Adnan Syed and Serial: What you need to know The decision does not mean he is innocent. Judge Phinn has ordered a new trial. A jury found Mr Syed guilty in 2000 of premeditated murder, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment. Prosecutors argued he was a scorned lover who had strangled Ms Lee, his classmate at Woodlawn High School, and - with the help of a friend - hid her body in Baltimore's Leakin Park. They relied in part on mobile phone location data that has since been proven unreliable. Every appeal Mr Syed filed over the past two decades was denied, including his most recent attempt in 2019. It was the 2014 podcast Serial that focused worldwide attention on the case and cast doubt on Mr Syed's guilt. Episodes of the show have been downloaded more than 340 million times. The case has also spawned other works, including an HBO docuseries in 2019. The Baltimore State Attorney's Office, which studied the case over the past year alongside Mr Syed's latest defence attorney, said on Wednesday that he deserved a new trial. Prosecutors said they lacked "confidence in the integrity of the conviction" and had identified two new potential suspects who were known to police since the 1999 murder. Neither suspect has been named, but officials said both had documented records of violence towards women, including convictions that occurred after Mr Syed's trial. One suspect was cleared from the investigation into Ms Lee's death after failing a lie-detector test, a method no longer admissible in many US courts. "Our prosecutors have been sworn to not only aggressively advocate on behalf of victims of crime but when the evidence exists to exonerate those that have been falsely accused and convicted," lead prosecutor Marilyn Mosby said outside the court. She was interrupted by loud cheers as Mr Syed exited the building through a scrum of cameras and supporters. Before the ruling, the victim's brother told the court through tears that he was "not against the investigation", but had been blind-sided by prosecutors. "Every day when I think it's over... or it's ended, it always comes back. It's killing me," said Young Lee. "This is not a podcast for me. This is real life - a never-ending nightmare for 20-plus years." Steve Kelly, a victim's rights lawyer for the family, said the Lees had been "shut out of the legal process" and were "deeply disappointed" with the way they had been treated. "All they wanted was information," said Mr Kelly. "If the truth is that somebody else killed their daughter, they want to know that more than anyone." What triggered the latest case review? Serial Productions, which produced the podcast, has just released a new episode - the 13th - about the latest in the legal saga. It reports that last year Mr Syed's legal team applied for a review of his sentence under a new Maryland law which applies to those given more than 20 years in prison for crimes committed when they were under 18 (Mr Syed was 17 at the time of the murder). As part of this sentence review, an official in Baltimore city's state attorney's office examined the case files - and found two handwritten notes relating to information phoned in about a potential alternative suspect, the podcast reports. It was these notes that were not shared with the defence team in violation of legal protocol, it says. The impact of true crime podcasts Serial brought international attention to the murder of Hae Min Lee and was one of the first hit podcasts of the past decade's boom in audio content. It was followed by other shows which raised questions about existing murder convictions or drew attention to cold cases - attracting big audiences and also, possibly, having an impact on the course of justice. They include In the Dark, a US podcast focusing on the case of Curtis Flowers, a black Mississippi man tried six times for the same crime by the same white prosecutor. His conviction was subsequently quashed by the US Supreme Court over racial bias and he was released after 23 years in prison in 2019 The unsolved killing of Alistair Wilson, a father-of-two who was shot on his doorstep in the seaside town of Nairn in the Scottish Highlands in 2004, was the focus of the BBC's podcast The Doorstep Murder, which came out in 2018. His death remains unsolved but Police Scotland's major investigations team said earlier this year they believe a planning dispute was the likely motive A popular crime podcast about an Australian man who was found guilty of his wife's murder - 40 years after she went missing. Chris Dawson was charged with the murder of his wife Lynette in 2018 after the podcast, The Teacher's Pet, garnered global attention and prompted a renewed investigation. Mrs Dawson's body has never been found. Source: BBC News

Westpac PNG continues to upskill and empower PNG’s female entrepreneurs with money management skills, helping families to recover from the pandemic. Women in Gerehu, Boroko and Vadavada have in the past few weeks put up their hands to attend a session hosted by Westpac’s team, learning savings and budgeting tips to enhance their financial management and business skills, with the aim of preparing them for business growth. Cathy and Lian Akori are sisters who attended the training together with women in Boroko. They are actively involved in informal markets selling snacks, meri blouses and bilums under a gazebo along the streets near Bava Park. "This training has helped me to identify the needs and wants and be able to save what can be saved and not to use all money at once,” said Ms Akori. Westpac PNG Chief Executive Brett Hooker said the training aimed to bolster the micro small and medium business sector, which has the potential to boost family income and the economy overall. “We see many female entrepreneurs coming to the bank who right now operate with cash, but want to learn how to prepare for the commercial bank accounts and loans that will allow their businesses to grow from micro to small, small to medium size, and beyond,” said Mr Hooker. “With growth comes jobs and with jobs comes financial stability for families – so we want to do what we can to instill sound money management principles so women are supported right throughout their business journey.

The strong ties of familiarity that link the armed forces of Papua New Guinea, Australia and the United Kingdom are being strengthened further during Exercise Puk Puk 2022. Engineers from the PNGDF, Australian Army and British Army are working together to increase bonds, build wantok and develop trade skills whilst improving existing infrastructure at the Goldie River Training Depot (GRTD) near Port Moresby. Lieutenant Desmond Reuben from the PNGDF says site inductions dominated day one of major works. “We are here for the site induction, being inducted by the foreman of Milne Bay troop,” Lieutenant Reuben said. “Most of the works that are going to be happening here at the Field Engineer Wing is the construction of an additional classroom and an inert demolition training facility.” Over 100 soldiers from the PNGDF, Australian and British Armies are living and working together at GRTD to deliver Ex Puk Puk 2022. Lieutenant Reuben says all the troops have names of historic significance and include members from the PNGDF, ADF and British Army in them. “I have broken up my troops, so they are working together in partnership,” he said. “It’s good, they can learn more about the command and control of the ADF and UK Army.” Australian Army Captain Lara Perkovic from 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment says there is construction activity taking place at two main locations on GRTD. “Our main scope of work item is a classroom at Field Engineer Wing, with the second main scope of work item being a Guard Haus refurbishment,” Captain Perkovic said. “Our main focus on this exercise is the people-to-people relationships and building our wantok with the PNGDF and British Army.” The PNGDF have been amazing, especially those at Goldie River Training Depot, the Koiari community, members from Directorate of Engineers and the Engineer Battalion themselves.” Lieutenant Hannah Garside from the UK 26 Engineer Regiment is glad Ex Puk Puk has begun, after many weeks of preparation. “I think everyone is excited to get stuck in and practice their trade because being from a UK armoured unit we don’t get to practice our construction trade as much as we’d like,” Lieutenant Garside said. “We hope to demonstrate our support for the ADF and PNGDF and to also just build relationships and hope that potentially we can continue our contribution to Puk Puk for future years.” The Townsville based 3rd Brigade has strong ties to the PNGDF that are regularly reinforced through training, capability and people-to-people engagements as part of Australia’s Defence Cooperation Program. Captain Perkovic is already familiar with some members of the PNG workforce. “I have been really fortunate to go through training with a lot of PNGDF members and I have met a lot of them here as well that I consider Wantok,” she said. One of those sappers she is already familiar with, is Lieutenant Reuben who completed both PNGDF and ADF Engineer Regimental Officers Basic Course. “I have worked with the ADF before, including during Exercise Puk Puk in 2017. “We worked together, did the ROBC together, the ROBC helped my skills and knowledge.” Exercise Puk Puk has been an enduring commitment to PNG since the early 2000s.

Senior Legal Officer, Ms. Fiona Yandi from the Public Services Commission was among forty-four (44) other women from both the private and public sectors who graduated with certificates in Leadership & Management from the Business Coalition for Women Leadership. Ms. Yandi’s participation was made possible with financial assistance from the Australian Government through the Australian Awards which have also supported 28 other female Public Servants. The graduation saw the combination of Cohorts 15, 16, & 17 celebrate the achievement of 45 emerging female leaders who completed the Business Coalition for Women (BCFW) 6 months certificate course that aims to meet specific PNG industry needs and is designed to develop leadership and managerial skills of women in the workforce who have the potential to take up supervisory or managerial posts. [caption id="attachment_27030" align="alignnone" width="1366"] Image: Ms. Yandi (r) receiving her Certificate from the Director of the Australian Awards Ms. Rebecca Gitsham.[/caption] When initially taking up the course Ms. Yandi said given the fact that we are a Melanesian society people tend to think women lack the capabilities to take up managerial positions in organizations but if only we could break that barrier, we will see a lot more women moving up to top positions. Ms. Yandi is now equipped with good managerial and leadership skills and looks forward to implementing the skills and knowledge gained from this course in her line of duty. Since its inception in 2015, over 300 women from 70 organizations representing a diversity of industries have graduated from the Coalition’s Certificate IV in Leadership. ‘’The Coalition is the go-to resource for gender equality and our solutions, which are tailor-made for PNG’s corporate sector, and helps businesses understand the value that their female staff brings to the company. The Certificate IV Leadership & Management Course helps businesses develop and reap the benefits of having gender diversity in their leadership in team’’ explained Evonne Kennedy who is the BCFW Executive. The Public Services Commission continues to support the up-skilling of its officers to help them to perform their duties more effectively and efficiently and also allows officers to grow into managerial roles in the Commission offering equal opportunities for both men and women. Source: Public Services Commission FB Page

BSP Group General Manager for Retail Daniel Faunt said it was important such information be disseminated to update customers on the measures that BSP takes to ensure ATM’s operate efficiently, educate BSP customers and the public and at the same time highlight issues that contribute to ATMs operation downtime. "We have a total of 326 ATMs across the country. Over the long weekend, we had teams on standby attending to ATMs that were unavailable. At any given time, BSP maintains an uptime at 85 percent of ATMs in operation. We aim to achieve 90 percent ATM uptime but as always we strive to do better,” Mr Faunt said. "In addition to internally managed issues such as ATM monitoring adequacy, support staff resourcing and software upgrades, there are three main contributing factors to ATM outage or downtime - Power and telecommunication issues, quality of bank notes and card user care. ATM’s are complex, expensive devices and require considerable time effort and resources to manage across the entire BSP network which spans every province in PNG. “Customers are encouraged to adopt digital banking options and move away from using cash. If a customer require cash, they can also utilize BSPs more than 9000 EFTPOS terminals for cashback and over 300 Cash Agencies across PNG that assist with Withdrawals, Deposits and Funds Transfers, “Mr Faunt added. BSP Deputy Chief Operating Officer with Operations and IT- Guy Thomas said BSP has a team that monitors ATM processing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mr Thomas added that these teams constantly fix ATMs remotely by resetting them, or physically visit the sites when required for a mechanical issue with any of the hardware componentry. We refill cash every day at most machines, so the issue is usually mechanical, such as bank notes getting jammed and software failure rather than actually be empty from cash. We are also replacing all the ATMS over the next 18 months with new machines, 120 machines have just been delivered to us, and will be installed once the software testing is completed.”

The body of Queen Elizabeth II has been buried at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor on Monday evening local time, according to the official website of the royal family. The Queen was buried together with her late husband, Prince Philip, after a private burial service attended by King Charles III and other members of the royal family. Prince Philip’s coffin was relocated today from the Royal Vault of St George's Chapel in Windsor, so that the Queen can be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband of 73 years. The burial service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor. Source: CNN News

Santos PNG Orchids coach Ben Jeffries has confirmed his 20-player PNG Prime Minister’s XIII Women’s squad to face the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII Women in this Sunday’s clash at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. The match will be played with unlimited interchange and all 20 players are expected to feature. With Elsie Albert unavailable for the match due to NRLW semi-final commitments with St George Illawarra Dragons, Orchid #20 Gloria Kaupa will captain the side. Jeffries said the fixture will be hugely valuable for the Santos PNG Orchids, who have not played a match since November 2019 and recently named a 23-player squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) featuring many new faces. “It’s exciting to see PM’s XIII back on the international calendar, and this will be a great opportunity for the Santos PNG Orchids squad to get together prior to the world cup in November,” Jeffries said. “We will have nine players making their first international appearance in PNG colours on Sunday, so we are seeing a new era of Orchids come through. For some this will be their toughest career test to date, playing against stars of State of Origin, the Australian Jillaroos and other emerging talent from Australia, however the objectives are to see where we are at as a group so we can plan for the upcoming RLWC. “From an off-field perspective, PM’s XIII will provide our staff and players the opportunity to finally meet each other face-to-face after many months of preparations conducted in local groupings and virtually, to set our objectives and the standards that will assist in driving the Orchids’ RLWC campaign. “It has been a lengthy process to date, but I know everyone is ready to showcase themselves on the big stage and, most of all, enjoy the experience ahead of us.” The team will assemble on the Gold Coast on Wednesday 21 September ahead of Sunday’s match at Suncorp Stadium – part of Footy Fest which also features the men’s PM’s XIII clash between Australia and PNG, plus both NRLW semi-finals. Tickets are on sale for the event via nrl.com/tickets and kids under 15 go free with a paying adult. SANTOS PNG ORCHIDS PM's XIII SQUAD: 1 Joanne Lagona 2 Anika Butler 3 Belinda Gwasamun 4 Sera Koroi 5 Shae-Yvonne De La Cruz 6 Shirley Joe 7 Lilah Malabag 8 Gloria Kaupa (c) 9 Roswita Kapo 10 Talitha Kunjil 11 Carol Humeu 12 Veronica Waula 13 Essay Banu 14 Martha Molowia 15 Jessikah Reeves 16 Michelle John 17 Shellie Long 18 Therese Aiton 19 Bertshiba Awoi 20 Emily Veivers The three other players in the Santos PNG Orchids 23-player RLWC squad are Elsie Albert, Lisa-Mari Alu and Elizabeth Kapa. In one change to the previously announced RLWC squad, North Queensland Gold Stars player Sareka Mooka, who was unable to confirm her eligibility, has been replaced by Emily Veivers, who plays for Brisbane Tigers in the QRLW and was on the list of stand-by Orchids players. The first ever PM’s XIII on Australian soil has been made possible thanks to the support of the Australian Government, through the PacificAus Sports program. The program will support PNG’s Prime Minister’s XIII teams to play in Australia. Source: Santos PNG Orchids FB Page

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape on Tuesday  (200922) paid a courtesy visit on John Swire of John Swire & Sons Ltd, the principal shareholder and parent of Papua New Guinea’s oldest company – Steamships Trading Company. The meeting with John Swire & Sons at their London head office, was to thank the shareholder for keeping their investments going over a long time in PNG and still continuing in the face of everything PNG has gone through. The meeting was also to reassure the investor of the current efforts the Marape-Rosso Government is now putting into expanding the economy through the development of enabling infrastructure, Agriculture and downstream processing. PM Marape said: “Steamships has PNG truly at its heart. It has been operating in the country for over 90 years, with a history that is entwined with the country’s own history. Still, it is going strong. “Swire is a big company globally, with substantial shareholding in Cathay Pacific also. “My meeting with John Swire today was to reassure him that the future of PNG is looking up as we begin on the efforts to expand the economy toward the K200 billion mark within the next 10 years. We are doing this by opening up the rest of the country through infrastructure development, Agriculture and downstream processing. “I also reassured him that my government is more than willing to work with companies that have stood the test of time with PNG, and Swire – through Steamships – is the longest and most loyal. “The Government is looking forward to seeing Steamships and Swire consolidate their positions in PNG, and diversify and expand even further. “Steamships has been with us long before our own Independence and knows the PNG business environment like no other. Nothing would make us happier than to see it expand into the areas we are working at such as Agriculture, downstream processing and building MSMEs among Papua New Guineans,” said PM Marape. The Prime Minister said the Government was working at upgrading enabling infrastructure to support investors through the Connect PNG Program covering roads, bridges, wharves and jetties, airports and airstrips, including electricity which was mentioned by Swire as one of the challenges being faced by Steamships. PM Marape said power supply should be upgraded to full capacity within the next three to four years in the Southern region, and the Lae – Highlands area all the way to Hides utilising gas (Western end) and hydro (Eastern end). The Prime Minister once more gave credence to the link as established through the Commonwealth with the United Kingdom. “The country would know my view by now on maintaining our arrangements with the Commonwealth, especially with UK. UK is just like the United States; it is the capital of the free world, capitalistic society. This is where commerce and trade took off from, with huge markets here. At the moment they buy our oil palm, tuna and exports that find their way into the European market,” said PM Marape.

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked the southwestern coast of Mexico on Monday, killing at least one person, with shaking reported as far away as Mexico city. The earthquake hit just after 1 p.m. EST, with the epicenter occurring very near the coastline in a sparsely populated region of Michoacan state, according to US Geological Survey data. In nearby Colima, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the epicenter, very strong shaking capable of "moderate" damage was reported, while in Mexico City, roughly 500 km (310 miles) away, "light to moderate" shaking was reported. Local news channels reported that firefighters closed some buildings in Mexico City to the public due to concerns of collapse. One person lost his life in a shopping center in Manzanillo in the western state of Colima after a fence fell, President López Obrador said on social media, citing José Rafael Ojeda Durán, Secretary of the Navy. There are no known casualties or damage yet recorded in Mexico City, according to the city's mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum. The quake's magnitude was initially reported by the US Geological Survey (USGS) as 7.6. Mexico's national seismological agency later updated the magnitude to 7.7 in a press conference on Monday. According to USGS, the quake struck about 37 kilometers south east of the city of Aquila, with a depth of about 15.1 kilometers (9 miles). A Tsunami warning was initially issued immediately after the quake but has since been revised. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that the tsunami threat has "largely passed." Latest readings by the organization also showed a decrease in wave heights. Waves reaching up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) were earlier predicted to hit Mexico and occur along the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. The news came on the fifth anniversary of the 2017 earthquake that killed 216 people in Mexico City. The epicenter of that 7.1-magnitude earthquake was 4.5 km (2.8 miles) east-northeast of San Juan Raboso and 55 km (34.1 miles) south-southwest of the city of Puebla, in Puebla state, the USGS reported at the time.

A nursing home in southwestern Japan is hiring some unusual new employees: babies. The generous compensation package from the Moyai Seiyukai home in Kitakyushu city includes flexible hours, baby formula and diapers -- and cups of tea at the in-house cafe for accompanying mothers. In return, the new recruits -- who must be age 3 or under -- are being asked to "visit whenever you want" and "walk around as much as you like." The recruitment drive is the brainchild of Gondo Kimie, head of the facility, which is home to about 120 elderly residents. She hit upon the idea after noticing how residents cheered up when her infant grandchild began visiting the home about two years ago. Other staff members sometimes brought their babies to the facility too, and "when elderly residents saw them, they smiled," Gondo said. "The atmosphere was good." So, the home began distributing leaflets around the neighborhood and posting open calls for babies on social media. The program began with just one baby in 2021, and has now grown to 32 infant "employees," mostly from families in the area, Gondo said. And it has been a roaring success among the residents. Many smile just watching the babies from a distance, while some in wheelchairs push themselves over to interact with the children, she added. "Even the people who usually don't speak much and don't smile a lot or don't move, as soon as they see the babies, their facial expressions get brighter," Gondo said. Not only do the visits help to combat the public image of care homes as being depressing and lonely places, they are therapeutic in giving the residents a much-needed source of social interaction, she said. Babies who visit frequently can develop close relationships with the residents, Gondo added. "I hope that when (the children) start going to elementary school or junior high school, they continue to visit this center like their home anytime," she said. Source: CNN