Prime Minister James Marape has urged the people of East Sepik to go more into agriculture to boost the local and national economies. He made the call at Mengar in Wewak on Thursday (April 14 2022) when launching the K500 million Wewak International Port, funded by Korea in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Government. PM Marape said all the efforts of the people of East Sepik in agriculture would be wasted if there was no port to take their produce to international markets. He said his vision was to establish formal trade links with Indonesia, which he visited last month, and the new port would be a catalyst for that. Papua New Guinea, through East Sepik, is one of the largest vanilla producers in the world with a lot of that crossing the land border to Indonesia. “All the work we are doing in East Sepik in vanilla, cocoa and other agriculture produce will be wasted if this port is not built,” PM Marape said. “We already have a wharf in Wewak, however, we need something bigger and better to sustain the economy of tomorrow - consistent with our view that everyone must have money in their pockets. “I urge all the people of East Sepik to go into agriculture.” PM Marape said East Sepik was already benefitting from the K340-million European Union-funded Support to Rural Entrepreneurship Investment and Trade (STREIT) programme with a strong focus on agriculture and fisheries. Apart from that, the Government is pouring in millions of kina through agriculture price support programme, freight subsidy and other programmes. PM Marape thanked Mengar landowners for allowing use of their land to build the new port and pledged Government assistance to resettle affected villagers, including improved road access and electricity. He also pledged Government support for the local school at Mengar. “The economy, and the people, must benefit from this port which will be built over the next two years,” he said.  

Salamaua High School in Morobe Province is still providing boarding services for its students for this academic year. School Principal Norman Apul said despite the school loosing it's male dormitories last year to fire, it continues on to provide boarding services this year. He stated that more than 80 male students are still accommodated in campus though losing its two male dormitories during an arson case last year. Apul said students are accommodated in one of the incomplete building which is 75 percent complete. He added that only few students are housed at the school mess building. Apul is calling on  authorities from the Huon Gulf District and the Morobe Provincial Government to help fix its accommodation issues.

Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) is reminding all Members of Parliament to ensure that the transition from the 10th Parliament to the 11th Parliament occurs within the rule of law and upholds the Constitution. Actions by current MP’s will be subject to the Leadership Code while in office and the Organic Law on the Independent Commission Against Corruption should they leave office after the Elections. TIPNG has issued this statement following media reports that there will be no arrangement for a caretaker cabinet during the Election period commencing from the Issue of Writs on 28th April and ending with the Return of Writs on 29th July 2022. Whilst retaining a full Cabinet up to return of writs is not unlawful and well with the Prime Minister’s remit, TIPNG cautions that any significant decisions that may have a long-term effect and high cost on PNG, should be carefully considered. In the midst of the election season, it is difficult to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged, and that all systems and processes of government are adhered to, and not inadvertently breached. Parliament is scheduled to sit for a final session on 19th April 2022, just nine (9) days before the Issue of Writs. “It would further jeopardise the integrity of the National Elections if Members of Parliament rush through legislation that would be seen to secure funds for the Government to support their re-election campaigns. Any deliberate abuse of public office by incumbent Members of Parliament will not be tolerated by voters in the Election, such leaders should be voted out and also prosecuted for corruption by law enforcement agencies,” said Peter Aitsi, Board Chair of TIPNG in a media statement. “The people of Papua New Guinea expect our elected legislators to pass laws in the public interest and to demonstrate the highest standards of accountability.” “We should not have political opportunists take advantage of public trust and abuse it for their own re-election. These types of abuse of power will only compound the administrative challenges faced by the PNG Electoral Commission in delivering a free, fair and safe elections in accordance with the National Constitution and electoral laws,” Mr. Aitsi said.

China Railway Engineering Company (CREC) engaged by the National Government to work on the four lane road along the Okuk National Highway in Morobe Province claims PNG Power is causing delays towards the completion of road works between Yalu and Nadzab roads. China Railway said it is still waiting for the responsible contractor engaged by PNG Power to remove the power poles from Yalu to Nadzab roads so that it can go ahead with the road works. CREC's Business Development Manager Frank Lee said they only have 400 to 500 metres remaining before they can reach Yalu bridge. He said several notices were issued by the construction company to PNG power and it's contractors to remove the power poles in the middle of the roads. Lee stated that they are nearing the completion of the four land road but the delay is on the remaining power poles that need to be removed to work can progress. Picture sourced: PNG report

Ward Councillors in Morobe Province have applauded the current governor Ginson Saonu's initiative to fund the  wards in the province over the past three years. The councilors said for the first time, each of the 6 Ward Councillors in the province under third tier government received funding to implement projects. Sape Ward Six councilor said his committee had used the K5, 000 allocation to build a semi-permanent classroom in his ward area. Nanima LLG's Ward Seven councilor Simon Jacob shared similar sentiments saying his ward development committees have prioritized the funding on church building infrastructures and is optimistic that with this year's funding allocation they would prioritize  on school buildings. Most of the ward councilors said this is the first time ward councils have received a direct funding from the Provincial Government. The ward development grants of K5, 000 totalling to K2, 825, 000. 00 was expanded to more than six hundred wards since 2018. By Fredrick JEJERI (Lae reporter)  Picture source: Femili PNG 

Air Niugini advises that flights arriving into Port Moresby as of 1 am on Monday 18th April, will no longer require passengers to provide evidence at check-in of a negative PCR test, nor to complete the online health declaration form. The requirement to complete a rapid test on arrival in Port Moresby remains. It is recommended that passengers departing on international flights that then connect onto Air Niugini (i.e. departures from Europe, NZ, USA, China, Middle East, rest of Asia, etc) should continue to get a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure until 25th April 2022. This is simply to allow time for this new advice to disseminate through the IATA airline check-in information system to all other airlines and their countries of origin.

Sonny Bill Williams has opened up about the prospect of fighting Jake Paul after getting called out by the American superstar on Friday. Paul, the YouTube sensation who has turned his hand to boxing, suggested Williams was on a “hit list” of potential opponents as he weighs up who to fight next after knocking out UFC star Tyron Woodley in December. Williams, fresh from flooring AFL great Barry Hall inside two minutes last month, cheekily suggested on social media a match-up in the ring would result in Paul suffering his “first loss” and the dual international elaborated further on the weekend. “If he does decide to take that fight, he would have underestimated me quite a bit by watching old footage, old fights,” Williams told the Sun-Herald. “I feel in the last six months I’ve improved tenfold, so it’s the confidence I have in my ability. “It would probably be a catchweight fight, I’d probably have to drop under 100kg. I know he sits at around 95-96kg, so that could work. “He’s a powerful athlete and I’m exactly the same, except a bigger version, a taller version, a longer-limbed version. I’m just as good on my feet, if not better than he is.” Williams’ beatdown of Hall took him to 9-0 while Paul is undefeated across five fights and draws huge audiences whenever he steps foot in the ring. Williams, who represented New Zealand in both rugby league and rugby union, said he’d “love” to fight in America if the opportunity arose and a clash with Paul would be “a world event”. The football icon also respects Paul for the work he’s put into turning himself into a legitimate fighter. “The beauty of this fight, if it is to come to fruition, is I respect how Jake Paul has gone about things in the boxing ring,” Williams told the Sun-Herald. “He’s put his head down and his a**e up, he’s worked hard. “You can see the improvements he’s made in the last three years, I actually rate his boxing skills and prowess in the ring. “It would be a great fight if it happened, but at the same time I’ve got a lot of options out there as well.” SOURCE: FOX SPORTS

The royal highlighted the plight of those left behind in Ukraine as they continue to seek sanctuary from the Russian invasion - following in the footsteps of millions who have managed to flee their homeland. Prince Charles said he feels moved by the number of people who are willing to open their doors to some of the millions of refugees "wounded by the past, fearful of the future" in his Easter message. It comes after more than 200,000 people in Britain have expressed an interest in opening their homes to Ukrainian refugees under the government's Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme. The royal highlighted the plight of those left behind in the war-torn country as they continue to seek sanctuary - following in the footsteps of millions who have managed to flee the Russian invasion. He said he had found it "profoundly moving" to see the numbers of people across the UK willing to invite those in need into their homes after meeting "innocent victims of conflict" over the years himself. Charles also nodded to the role his late father the Duke of Edinburgh played during the many Maundy services he attended, when he would "read the Gospel which tells how on the night of the Last Supper, Jesus knelt before his disciples and washed their travel-weary feet". The Prince of Wales said in his message: "Today, millions of people find themselves displaced, wearied by their journey from troubled places, wounded by the past, fearful of the future - and in need of a welcome, of rest and of kindness. [caption id="attachment_20810" align="aligncenter" width="824"] Charles says he found it 'profoundly moving' to see the numbers of people across the UK willing to invite those in need into their homes[/caption] "Over the past years, I have found myself heartbroken at the sufferings of the innocent victims of conflict, or persecution, some of whom I have met and who have told me stories of unutterable tragedy as they have been forced to flee their country and seek shelter far from home. "But amidst all this sadness and inhumanity, it has been profoundly moving to see how so many people are ready to open their homes to those in need, and how they have offered their time and their resources to help those facing such soul-destroying sorrow and hardship." In March, Charles and his wife Camilla visited the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in central London to show their solidarity with Ukraine by lighting a candle for the nation, as well as its community in London. Concluding his message, Charles said: "This Easter, as always, we are reminded of Our Lord's timeless example of goodness in the face of suffering, of courage in the face of fear, of faith in the face of despair. His light triumphed in that dark time. "I pray with all my heart that his inspiring example might help us all dispel the darkness of the world." SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Police in Manus Province have kick started their pre-election operations this week with the awareness drive conducted at main Lorengau town market. Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said despite the challenges including manpower and logistics problems, they are prepared to provide security operations for the elections. He said he will utilise the PNG Defense Force personnel at the naval base at Lombrum along with Correctional Service personnel and Police reservists on the ground to boost manpower capacity for the election. “The awareness is an important part of our preparations for the election and after the awareness in town areas, we will go into the LLGs and wards to conduct similar activities,” Mr Yapu said. “We highlighted electoral offenses like bribery, double voting and undue influences in the awareness drive.” “I appeal to our people to behave themselves during the elections and not to cause problems so as to see a free, fair and safe elections to vote for our leaders.”

Making “Free Education” become a law in the country is one of the intervention the Peoples National Congress (PNC) Party has set to achieve in its policies heading into the 2022 National General Elections. This was made known during the party’s three-day Convention held at the Crown Hotel in Port Moresby mid this week. Party Leader and former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said PNC sees education as a basic human right as it gives endless opportunities to younger folks and creates a way out of the poverty lines. “PNC will provide free school fees for each student directly to the school from pre-school level up,” Mr O’Neill said. “We will also build more classrooms and teachers’ houses and we will fight for skill-based training with more vocational and TVET centres.” He further said the current student loan program by the current government will be changed as it a loan trap for the young students. Instead Mr O’Neill said they aim to introduce National Scholarship again and will ensure all education facilities have access to the internet. “We will also build more Universities including a medical University.” The interventions the party aims to create in the education sector is one of the highlights made at the convention along with other interventions in the other key sectors.

Ukraine's president says his military is "tormenting" Russian forces and their success in holding off invading troops has been "historically significant". Ukraine landed a symbolic blow on Russia by sinking its Moskva missile cruiser on Thursday - a victory which has led to retaliatory strikes on Kyiv. And while Kharkiv and eastern parts of the country come under renewed bombardment, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that when it comes to bringing about the "restoration of peace... our armed forces are doing it brilliantly." "The success of our military on the battlefield is really significant," he said in a presidential address. "Historically significant. But not enough to clean our land from the occupiers yet. We'll beat them more." In other developments: • Germany pledges €1bn in military support for Ukraine • Ukraine's prime minister to attend World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington next week, US media reports • Russia warns West of 'unpredictable consequences' • Many of 900 civilians killed around Kyiv region were 'simply executed', says police chief [caption id="attachment_20788" align="aligncenter" width="840"] The Moskva in Sevastopol, in occupied Crimea, on 7 April. Pic: Maxar Technologies via AP[/caption] Russia 'will not be accepted anywhere anymore' Mr Zelenskyy said his armed forces "are repelling the occupiers' attacks" and "carrying out counterattacks". He added: "They have already tormented - in the true sense of the word - Russian conventional aviation so much that they are forced to use strategic long-range aircraft." And he claimed that Russian troops in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have been "looking for anyone who has ever been associated with the Ukrainian army or government agencies". "The occupiers think that this will somehow make it easier for them to control the territory. But they are wrong. They deceive themselves," he said. "The problem of the occupiers is not that they are not accepted by some activists, veterans or journalists. Russia's problem is that the entire Ukrainian people does not accept it and will never accept it again. Russia lost Ukraine forever. "Actually, it lost the whole world. It will not be accepted anywhere anymore." [caption id="attachment_20789" align="aligncenter" width="873"] Anton Kuprin, the captain of the Moskva flagship that sank in the Black Sea[/caption] Moskva 'hit by two Ukrainian anti-ship missiles' Following the sinking of the Russian warship in the Black Sea off Odesa, Moscow said it would increase attacks on Kyiv in response to supposed Ukrainian military "diversions" on its territory. Ukraine said it had hit the ship with missiles fired from the coast, but Russia claimed the Moskva went down as it was being towed to port in rough seas after an explosion of ammo caused a fire. The US said it believes the vessel was hit by two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's ministry of internal affairs, shared a claim on the Telegram messaging app saying that the ship's captain, Anton Kuprin, died during an "explosion and fire on board". Explosions were heard in Kyiv and other cities after the ship sank. Early on Friday, Russia claimed to have hit a factory in the capital that makes and repairs anti-ship missiles. Russia 'shaping operations' ahead of Donbas push As well as Kyiv, blasts were heard on Friday in the southern city of Kherson, the eastern city of Kharkiv and in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk. The Ukrainian capital has gradually displayed some signs of pre-war life after Russian troops failed to capture the city and retreated to focus on a concentrated assault in eastern Ukraine. But the casualties in the Kyiv region are mounting. The area's police chief said the bodies of more than 900 civilians have been discovered following Russia's withdrawal - more than 350 of them in Bucha. Data indicated 95% of them were fatally shot, Andriy Nebytov said. "People were simply executed in the streets," he said. Evacuation efforts have continued across the country and on Friday, a total of 2,864 were able to leave conflict zones, including 363 people from the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukraine claimed. However, in Kharkiv, seven people were killed and 34 more were wounded during a shelling attack on a residential area, the region's governor said. In the southern city of Kakhovka, two civilians died of shrapnel wounds after a rocket was shot down and five were injured, the area's local authority claimed. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is continuing to marshal its forces for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. Extra equipment has arrived to the north of the Donbas region and in western Russia, according to a senior US defence official. [caption id="attachment_20791" align="aligncenter" width="861"] A torn flag in front a wrecked apartment block in Mariupol[/caption] The official said Russia was "shaping operations" but that the fresh offensive had not yet begun. Further south, the besieged city of Mariupol remains contested between defenders and Russian forces. Russia's naval forces have also moved further south following the sinking of the Moskva, the US official added. SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Sharks star Siosifa Talakai has opened up on his return to the NRL, admitting he thought his rugby league career was over years ago. The 24-year-old made his first grade debut in 2016 for the Rabbitohs, but had his contract torn up by the South Sydney board and then coach Michael Maguire. After spending the remainder of the season in Penrith’s reserve grade side after linking up with former Panthers general manager Phil Gould, Talakai had no contract offers and thought his time was up as a professional athlete. “I thought my career was over back in 2018, I think I was a bit immature when I was at the Rabbitohs,” Talakai said to Fox League’s Jake Duke. “I thought I was at the top of the club, I thought I was bigger than the club and just bigger than the whole NRL... and being a professional. “(I was) young, but young and dumb, just silly mistakes, breaching contracts and an attitude thing. “Had Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess, Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker, had all these big stars in my team and I thought I was one of them, but I was mud.” Talakai revealed his sacking was “heartbreaking” after seeing the toll it took on his family, with a portion of his contract money going back to support his brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents. “At the time, my dad was the main source of income and he was supporting six kids, my mum and my grandparents lived with us as well,” Talakai explained. “He was the main income in a four-bedroom house, just seeing that (it was) very heartbreaking, the pressure that my dad had to go through week in week out making sure there was a roof over the top of our heads... it was heartbreaking just seeing that I wasn’t able to help my dad.” But instead of holding it against the Rabbitohs, Talakai believes his sacking was exactly what he needed to learn his lesson, otherwise he probably “would have ended up in prison”. To make ends meet and contribute for his family, the barnstorming backrower took up a job as a garbo, running the streets of Leichhardt and Balmain at 4am. “It just grounded me,” Talakai said. But his passion for rugby league never faded and the gun edge forward worked his way up the ranks in the Sharks feeder club, Newtown Jets, before his NRL return and securing a spot in Craig Fitzgibbon’s high-flying Sharks side.